Steve wrapped the last remaining tape around Wilson's wrists, securing them behind the criminal's back. He had begun to regain consciousness, and Steve wasn't taking any chances with him. He wasn't sure what to do with the man; He had Danny to take care of, but there was also a part of him that couldn't just leave the guy face down on the shore, no matter what he had done.
'God,' Steve thought, he really had been around Danny too long. A few short years ago, the Seal wouldn't have had any problem leaving the scum bag for dead, but now he desperately wanted the satisfaction of watching him stand trial and go to prison.
He left Wilson lying in the sand as he moved back towards Danny. His partner was struggling to stay awake, the fever had begun taking its toll on him again. And although the rain had begun to let up, Danny was soaked to the bone. Daylight had begun to creep back into existence, illuminating every scrape and bruise on Danny's body. Steve had counted the amount of thunder and lightning streaks in the past few minutes and had concluded that the storm would soon end. There was no point in moving now; If they stayed on the shore, they at least stood a chance of a passing chopper seeing them.
Steve knelt beside his partner and placed both hands on either side of Danny's face. The Seal had discarded the flashlight and bandages on his hands when the darkness of the night had cleared. Heat radiated from Danny's skin, the result of untreated wounds.
"Danny, babe. I need you to stay with me, okay?" Steve pleaded as blue eyes blinked sluggishly at him.
Not… Going anywhere," Danny managed to say between ragged breaths. "You still owe a lady dinner after that kiss."
Steve laughed at Danny's statement, and a nervous excitement rose in him at the idea of taking the blond on an actual date.
"How about we sit you up, and then we can plan the perfect first date," Steve offered as he laced his hands under Danny's armpits. He took a deep breath before pulling his partner up and against his chest. Danny groaned into Steve's shirt, and the Seal carefully moved him up to the base of the cliff.
"Okay, Danno. I'm going to sit you up against here." Danny nodded, and Steve carefully bent them both down, placing his partner against the base of the cliff.
"I'll be right back, okay?" Steve said, and he placed a kiss on Danny's forehead. Danny moaned something in response, but Steve was already headed back towards Wilson.
Steve made his way to the criminal and yanked him up by the arm. The man was now coming into full consciousness, and he tried earnestly to pull his wrists out of the tape.
"I'm going to kill you," Wilson spat, and Steve just pushed him towards the spot he had left Danny at.
"No, I think the only thing you are going to be doing is going to prison for a very long time," Steve informed him. He pushed the criminal down and against the base of the cliff away from Danny, but close enough to keep an eye on.
"Try anything stupid, and I will knock your ass out again," Steve warned, placing his boot against Wilson's chest and shoving him against the rough dirt. He was rewarded with a satisfying groan as Wilson slumped against the cliff in pain.
Steve returned to Danny, glad to find him still conscious.
"What have I told you about police brutality?" Danny asked, pointing to Wilson, who was now breathing heavily against the rock.
"You literally threw him off a cliff!" Steve reminded him.
"Yes, well I didn't think either of us would survive that," Danny muttered, and Steve lost his breath at the thought of Danny dying. He knelt inches in front of Danny.
"Is that supposed to justify it? You die, and then what? Grace has no father, Chin and Kono lose you, and I…" Steve's words caught in his throat as Danny's gaze intensely fixed on his. "And I lose the most important person in my life."
Danny felt guilt crush him at Steve's words. Yes, he had been trying to protect Grace by eliminating Wilson, but he hadn't fully considered the effect it would have on the people in his life.
"I'm sorry," He whispered before knotting his fingers in Steve's shirt and pulling him close. Their lips collided, and once again Danny felt electricity shoot through his veins. Steve's body relaxed against him, and his hand snaked up to the back of Danny's neck. Steve's tongue found Danny's, and warm pleasure replaced the pain in his body. He never wanted to forget this feeling- this overwhelming pleasure.
Too soon, Steve pulled back from Danny. The detective felt an instant cold, his body begging for more. As if having read Danny's thoughts, Steve leaned forward allowing his lips to skim Danny's ear. His hot breath sent fireworks through Danny, and he was sure he had never been this turned on.
"Later," Steve whispered a promise in his ear. Shivers of anticipation rolled through Danny, and he had to repress the moan of ecstasy that threatened to escape him.
Wilson watched in disgust as the two cops shared an intimate moment just a few feet away from him. Using the distraction, the criminal began rubbing the tape on his wrists against the jagged rock that he was propped against. The rain was mostly clear by now, and Wilson knew the cops would have help coming soon.
He continued working on the tape as he watched the taller cop lean close to the detective's ear. Taking care of Williams wouldn't be a problem, but the boss would be a challenge. Wilson's abdomen was still in immense pain, and his leg was even worse. But as he watched the two men enthralled with each other, he relished in the knowledge that he had the element of surprise on his side.
Kono slid into her spot on the chopper. She shared the small space with three other officers and the trained canine. Kono tightened her belt as the chopper left the ground and began its ascension into the now clearing sky.
Kono had demanded that Chin stay at HQ with Rachel and the family. He needed more rest than that, but she knew he wouldn't sleep until Danny and Steve returned. A medical chopper followed behind them, knowing the large chance that they would be needed.
The officer checked her sniper rifle one more time as the chopper headed towards the jungle. This was it; She was going to bring her boys home.
Steve pulled back from Danny and couldn't help the laugh that escaped him at the heated look on his partner's face.
"You, my friend, are a tease," Danny stated breathlessly.
Steve's laugh was cut off by the sounds of an approaching chopper. The Seal leapt up and ran across the shore searching for the source of the sound. Just off in the distance, he spotted the blades descending. They were too far away; He would have to get Danny and get him to help as soon as possible.
Steve turned to his partner and saw the hope spread across his face. He moved to help Danny up when he saw a blur of movement rushing towards him. Wilson collided with Steve, slamming him into the ground. The sudden surprise was all Wilson needed to pin Steve on his back and wrap his hands around the Seal's throat.
Steve's military training kicked in, and he jabbed his fist up into Wilson's sternum. The man's grip immediately loosened, giving Steve the opportunity to roll them over.
Danny's fevered mind cleared at the sight of Wilson tackling Steve. Fear gripped him as Wilson began choking his partner. Steve instantly regained his composure, striking out and switching their positions.
Danny's whole body protested as he pushed himself off the rock, looking for any way to assist his partner. Steve landed two solid hits to Wilson's face, and it looked as though the fight was ending just as quickly as it had started.
Then Danny saw it; Wilson's hand crept behind Steve's back and gripped the handle of the gun tucked in the back of Steve's waistband. Too quickly for Steve to realize it, Wilson pulled the gun free.
Danny didn't think, couldn't think. Adrenaline poured in him as he threw himself forward, knocking Steve over as the gun went off.
Steve collided with the ground once again, and the sound of a gunshot surprised him. He immediately rolled from under Danny, knocking the gun from Wilson before climbing on top of him again. His fist connected with the criminal's face repeatedly as rage seeped out of him. The harsh hiss of pain pulled him from his vengeance. Wilson's body went limp beneath him, but was soon forgotten as Steve turned to find Danny lying on the ground.
Steve rushed to his partner and fell on his knees next to him.
"Danny, what the hell?" Steve cursed. Danny's hands were pressed against his side, and Steve slowly pulled them away. Blood poured from the wound at a rapid rate.
"Last time I checked," Danny began. "When you get someone shot, you apologize." There was a nervous laughter to his statement, and Steve could hear the fear laced in it.
"I did not get you shot," Steve stated, pressing his hands over the wound. It looked like a through and through if the blood pooling below Danny was any indication.
"No, but you would have been shot." His voice wavered, and Steve had to pull his eyes from the blood to look at his partner. Tears cascaded down Danny's cheeks, and Steve couldn't stop his hand from reaching out and swiping them away.
"Then I would have been shot, Danno. Dammit, why did you do that?" Steve cursed again. He always knew Danny's fierce loyalty and protective streak would end up getting him hurt.
"You think I was just going to watch you get shot?" Danny asked. "I could never live with myself if that happened."
Steve shook his head at the blood that seeped through his fingers. He refused to let Danny die for him; He refused to lose his best friend.
"Hey babe," Danny's voice broke his thoughts as his bloody hand gripped Steve's arm.
"You gotta take care of Grace, you hear me? Teach her how to play softball even though you are terrible at it. Take her to football games, teach her to throw a punch. Make sure my monkey remembers.." Danny's voice broke as his bright blue eyes met Steve's.
"Make sure she remembers that her Danno loves her," He choked through pained breaths.
"How about you tell her that yourself. You can do all that with her, Danno. We can do that together," Steve pleaded.
He pulled his shirt off and pressed it onto Danny's side.
"You'll do anything to take your clothes off, huh?" Danny's broken voice whispered. The lack of strength in his voice caused Steve to turn his attention back to his partner's face. He was deathly pale.
"Danny," Steve tried to get his attention as Danny's eyelids fluttered shut.
"Dammit," He cursed, casting one look to the unconscious Wilson and then back to his now unconscious partner. He had to get Danny to that chopper.
With all of his strength, he pulled Danny's dead weight off the ground and slung one of the detective's arms around his neck. Steve held him tight against his body with the other hand still pressing his shirt into Danny's side. His partner's head dropped against his shoulder as Steve began pulling him up the shore towards the spot he saw the chopper descend.
Steve had no way of knowing how far away the chopper actually was, but he was either going to get Danny there or he would die trying.
Kono leapt from the chopper as it hit the sandy shore. Her rifle was ready as the canine began sniffing the area using the scent from Danny's bloody sweater that Duke had given HPD. The blood on the sweater make Kono feel sick. She refused to believe that Danny wouldn't pull through this; He was too stubborn not to.
They followed the canine for a few minutes before the dog's head snapped up in alert. Instantly, he took off a full sprint with Kono right behind him.
She could see something in the distance, coming towards them. Kono place her eye against the scope of her rifle, and the silhouette of a shirtless Steve and a beaten Danny came into view. The blond hair and short stature were the only things that helped her identify the detective.
The team ran faster, closing in on the partners.
"Steve!" Kono yelled. Kono rushed towards Steve like an angel with a gun. She looked lethal and beautiful, a sight of safety and family. She grabbed onto Danny, and Steve tried again to raise his partner back to consciousness. It was useless.
"There is a man just a little ways back. He should still be unconscious, but he is to be brought to HQ for questioning," Steve ordered two officers who took off in the direction he had just come from.
They moved quickly back towards the two waiting choppers. A stretcher was already waiting, and two nurses rushed towards the group.
Steve felt cold and alone as Danny was moved away from him and onto the stretcher. One nurse checked for a pulse while the other took over holding pressure to the fresh wound.
"We need to get a transfusion in him now!" The taller nurse yelled.
"We are about thirty minutes out of Tripler! We won't make it in time," The pilot bellowed back to the medics with frightening certainty.
Steve jumped into the chopper beside Danny, and held his bare arm out to the nurse.
"Take mine. We are the same blood type," He demanded. Steve gave the man a look that told him he would do it himself if they didn't stick the needle in him now.
"Fine, but we can only take a pint. That should be enough to keep him stable until we make it to Tripler." The chopper left the ground with Kono flush against Steve who sat beside Danny's head.
Steve placed one hand on Danny's bloodied head while the medic took the other. The alcohol swabbed his skin followed by the prick of a large needle. Steve felt nothing though as he watched the rise and fall of his partner's chest.
Steve's blood ran down the tube and into Danny. Kono's hand gripped his knee as they both watched the medics work on their teammate.
Danny had to pull through this; Kono wasn't sure Steve would survive if he didn't. She wasn't sure if any of them would.