As the sound of Steve's footsteps in the sand grew further away, Danny felt the pain in his chest grow. He knew it wasn't just from the healing gunshot wound. His best friend, partner, brother, had just said goodbye. He couldn't bring himself to look Steve in the eye during their short exchange. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to hide the heartbreak of his friend essentially walking out on him.
He would never ask Steve to stay, that would be selfish. he knew the kind of demons Steve had been dealing with over the past ten years. He knew because he had many of his own. He was angry. No, that wasn't a fair word. He was hurt.
Danny owed Steve his life, many times over. But hadn't he been there for Steve as well? He thought he had been a good friend, traveled to the ends of the earth to always make sure he came home. So it had hurt so badly when Steve said that his father was the only reason he stayed in Hawaii all these years.
He understood why Steve needed a breather, a break. But he also knew that's not what this was. He knew Steve wouldn't be coming back.
And this time Danny wouldn't be showing up to bring him home.
Everything good always ends.
He was alone again.
"You're not as alone as you think you are" Steve's words from ten years ago echoed in his mind.
"I am now" He whispered quietly into the breeze.
He waited until he heard the car door close, and the sound of the engine from the cab fade away before he let the tears fall.
Steve lifted his head when the steady staccato from the heart monitor picked up in rhythm. Tearing his eyes from the monitor he looked at the bruised and battered man in the bed. He was shocked to see tears leaking from the corner of his eyes, falling onto the pillow beneath his head.
"Danny?" He leaned forward, once again reaching for his friends hand.
His heart broke as a small gasped sob escaped from Danny's slack mouth.
"Hey, buddy…hey come on, open your eyes."
Nothing happened for a few moments except for more tears.
"Danny, come on man. Can you hear me? You're okay, I got you buddy"
It was the same words he had repeated over and over to his partner as they rushed to the hospital earlier today. Was that even today? He couldn't keep the hours straight. He just knew that it was over. The final piece of the puzzle was put to rest after more than a decade. Daiyu Mei was in custody, the cypher was solved and he could finally put it all behind him.
The only thing haunting him now was the current state of his best friend.
Everyone had gone home, it was late into the night. Steve insisted that he needed to be with Danny until he knew he was out of the woods. He had yet to regain consciousness, but he was assured by the doctors that given the extent of his injuries that was to be expected. His body had a lot of healing to do.
But this was not how he thought Danny would come back to wakefulness, softly crying in his sleep. His heart broke at the sight.
Reaching out, he gently wiped the tears from his bruised cheek.
"Danny please, open your eyes." Steve softly begged.
To his relief, Danny slowly blinked open his mostly unscathed right eye. The left too swollen to open more than a slit.
"There you are buddy." Steve smiled brightly.
"Steve?" His voice was shaky and small, almost surprised. To Steve's horror the tears continued to fall.
"Yeah Danno, it's me. Are you in pain? I'll call the nur…."
"You left"
Steve stopped short at Danny's words.
"I did, I'm sorry. I had to be there, I had to make sure that bitch was caught. I had to see it for myself. After what she did t…."
"No, Hawaii….me. You left…me"
Steve breathed out heavily, his heart broke at Danny's words. Dropping back into the chair he once again took hold of Danny's hand.
"Danny no, I only left for a while earlier. We found out where Daiyu Mei was. I had to go, I'm sorry I left you here alone but I had to."
Danny's eyes darted around the room confused.
"Where were you just now buddy? Where did that crazy messed up head of yours take you this time huh?" Steve questioned softly, referencing the hallucinations Danny had told him about after he was shot in quarantine.
Danny just furrowed his brow, stray tears still leaking from the corner of his eye. Steve's heart constricted when Danny didn't make any attempt to rise to the bait.
"You're in the hospital, ICU. You were taken by Wo Fat's wife. Do you remember that?" Steve waited for an answer, all he got was a blink. He lowered his head and took a deep breath before continuing.
"She wanted the cypher, in exchange for you. After I gave it to her she told me where to find you. When I did, you were…" He paused to clear his throat as the emotions from how he had found Danny bubbled to the surface. "….you were hurt, bad. You took a hit to the chest, bullet missed your heart by a centimeter. If I had gotten to you a minute later you would've…"
He couldn't finish the sentence. The thought of what almost was physically hurt. He used his free hand to rub at his eyes as they began to burn with unshed tears. He would never be able to erase the sight of Danny unconscious and bleeding out from his mind.
A weak squeeze to his hand from Danny brought his focus back to his friends face.
"Saved me…again." Danny breathed out.
Steve smiled.
"Yeah buddy, just barely. I think we're pretty even in that department though."
Glancing at the monitor Steve could see Danny's heart rate still elevated. He needed to reassure him, calm his panicked mind.
"You're gonna be okay buddy. Gonna take a while, lots of rehab, but we'll get you as good as new in no time."
The remnants of Danny's dream were still at the forefront. The pain he felt when Steve had left him alone was such a stark contrast to the vision he had of them growing old together last time. And although he understood now that it had not really happened, the reality was even worse. Steve was still leaving. Just because this mess was over with his family, Steve still had things to work out for himself. He wasn't gone, but he would be. And Danny knew he would be reliving his nightmare all over again. His heart ached painfully at the thought.
He turned his head away and closed his eyes. Another stray tear rolled down the side of his face.
"I'm sorry for what happened Danny, I'm so sorry you got hurt because of me." Steve had no idea what was really causing his friend to be so upset.
"Not your fault Steve, not your fault." He squeezed Steve's hand in reassurance, but he couldn't help the tremble in his voice. He just couldn't shake the dream.
"When are you..when do you leave?"
Danny's anguished question stopped Steve's breath.
The room was silent, save for the incessant beeping from the machines.
Realization struck him.
Steve recalled their conversations the week prior. The plans he had been making to leave the island before Danny's abduction.
"I'm not going anywhere Danny…" Danny's throat tightened. He wouldn't dare hope.
"You said…"
"I know, I know what I said. And I meant it. I needed, I thought I needed to get away from here to find…I don't know, to find peace? But after today…after you almost…"
"Don't stay because of me. What happened is not your fault." Steve shook his head.
"Listen please, for once just listen. I thought I had to get away to figure it all out, but Danny, after today? I thought I lost you today." The pain was clear in Steve's voice.
"Can't get rid of me that easy"
"Well thank God for that…" Steve smiled. "…but for a while there I had to imagine life without you. It was dark Danny, and it hurt."
He took a deep breath before continuing.
"When she called, she told me she had the one person I care about most in this world. She was right. Almost losing you made me realize I don't need to leave to find some kind of peace or get clarity. YOU have been my clarity for ten years partner. You have been the one stubborn pain in the ass constant throughout the storm. The one who always made sure I came back. It's not guilt, or some misguided sense of obligation that is making me say this. I don't want to build a life somewhere that you're not a part of."
They watched one another in silence. The air around them heavy with emotion.
"You're sure?" Danny whispered. Steve eyed the heart monitor and was relieved to see the rhythm had evened out, finally. He smiled.
"Yeah buddy, I'm sure…" Steve cupped Danny's face briefly before settling back in the chair. "…now I'm not saying that I couldn't use a vacation, once you're cleared to fly and all. I hear Jersey is not so horrible this time of year."
"Jersey huh?" Danny finally released the breath he had been holding since he had woken up and blinked his tired eyes.
Steve nodded with a grin, he could see Danny's energy was flagging.
"Knew I'd get you there eventually…'bout time" Danny said softly.
"Yeah Danny, it is about time." Steve leaned back in the chair, watching his friends eyes slip closed.
"Rest Danny, I'll be here when you wake up."
"Promise?" The question was just a whisper of breath as Danny succumbed to sleep, still clinging tightly to Steve's hand.
"Cross my heart Danno, cross my heart."
Steve smiled and closed his eyes, drifting off peacefully into his own slumber.