Steve glanced at his watch. Waiting was not one of his strong points. He was desperate to do something, but this situation was out of his control.

He let rage simmer in his gut. If it didn't boil over, it would help him focus.

Taking a deep breath, Steve assessed the situation yet again, making sure nothing had changed.

Danny seemed to have stabilized. His wounds were no longer oozing, and he was breathing evenly, but still out cold.

Same for Charlie and Grace.

Grace had been like a doll when he'd untied her. Lifeless but warm. Too pliable for the feisty teen he knew and loved. And God help him, but Charlie was pale. The little guy didn't seem real. He'd never seen him this motionless. Even in his sleep, Charlie kicked and fidgeted. More than once, he'd woken Steve up with an elbow or a foot jammed into a very sensitive place.

Now, both precious kids looked - Steve erased the thought from his mind.

He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and forced himself to let the anger surge again. Let it fill him so he wouldn't fall apart. His life was here in this room. Past and future.

Glancing at Catherine, he realized she was looking at him, eyes wide and searching one second and stern the next. She was putting up a front. Steve could feel it.

"Why Cath?" He shook his head. He didn't mask the hurt and disappointment. "You could've come to me. With anything."

She put her head down and closed her eyes.

"Why goddammit! You owe me answers."

Raising her head again, she smiled at his tears and did her best to hold in a giggle, her nose wrinkling in that annoyingly adorable, frustrating way. He shook his head and cleared an old happy memory. Right about now, he wanted to kick her. Make her bleed. How dare she -

Disoriented and struggling, he grit his teeth and let the monster take over. He grabbed her shirt and lifted her partially off the ground, shaking her. She didn't resist him, didn't even look at him. "Answer me, Rollins! What is so important about that flash drive?"

But then Danny stirred and everything vanished except for his best friend. Steve dropped Catherine roughly and shoved her aside.

"Danny? Can you hear me, buddy? It's Steve. The kids are safe. You're gonna be alright. Just open your eyes. Let me see you. Come on, man..."

"Kids." Danny whispered but didn't open his eyes. "My kids."

Steve laughed with relief, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. "They'll be okay, buddy."

Danny groaned and blinked, swallowing hard. "Have to get up – Cath is."

"It's okay. Everything's under control." Steve squeezed Danny's shoulder. "You're ok now."

"No." Danny pushed up like he was going to check for himself.

Steve held his best friend in place. "You stay put. Help's on its way."

"Grace." Danny sobbed, face pinched with pain. "Char-"

He fell against Steve, unconscious again.

"Shit, Danny, no." Steve felt for a pulse, face sweaty and flushed, eyes wild with worry. Close to his breaking point. "Don't do this to me, buddy. Please."

"He always was a tad bit dramatic. Guess he rubbed off on you."

"What did you just say?" Fury flashed in his storm filled eyes.

Catherine chuckled and stared through Steve.

"If he -" He couldn't finish the thought, jaw tense as he shook his head, fighting to control his breathing.

"You'll what?" She could still read his mind. "You'll kill me? Huh? You think you can do that?"

Her confidence vanished when Steve raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Try me."

Then, Steve turned his attention back to his partner. He cradled Danny's head and carefully laid him back on the floor. "Help's on the way, buddy. Hang on."

"You're a good guy. Deep down." Catherine's voice was soft.

"So I won't kill you, right?" He got in her face, looming over her. "You're sure about that?"

"Wow, who knew this was a turn on." She licked her red lips as he was just inches from her face. "We should have tried this sooner. Roll play is just exquisite."

He roared and head-butted Catherine. She barely had time to register surprise as her head bounced off the floor. Steve fell backwards, shocked at what he'd done but feeling no pain. He spat blood on the floor, chest heaving.

"Don't ever mistake my kindness for weakness." He growled at his ex, and then he choked back his surging emotions.

Ex-girlfriend, ex-teammate. Ex everything. Like none of it mattered.

A shout from the hall startled him.

"Steve?"

"Back here, Lou." Steve knelt closer to Danny, putting distance between himself and Catherine.

"Dispatch called me. I was close by and...holy mother of -"

The two men shared a look that said everything. This was fucked up, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

"Check the kids. I've got Danny."

"The kids?" Lou stumbled a bit.

Steve motioned with his head. He knew what Lou was going through. Disbelief, confusion – you name it. But he needed his friend in the game. "Lou, please. I need you."

"Yea...yea. I got it. What the hell happened here?" Lou hurried to the bed and checked Charlie and Grace. "Pulses are strong, but man are they out."

It was then that he registered Catherine's presence.

"You did this? Aw man, I thought I'd seen everything." Lou crouched beside Steve. "Danny?"

"Holding his own."

"Man this is nuts." Lou studied Steve, hesitant to touch him. "You okay?"

Steve threw up a brick wall and frowned. "I'm fine, Lou."

"You're bleeding."

"I'm fine." Steve tensed a little. Those two words were code for back off, and the big guy knew it.

"Okay...alright. HPD should be right behind me."

Just then they heard voices in the front room.

"Back here!" Lou bellowed as he moved toward the door. "We got three people in need of help. Now. 1 adult. 2 children."

Turning his attention back to Steve, he waited for orders.

"Don't put her in the system. Not yet."

"Yea, she can sweat it out. I'll put her on ice for tonight."

"I'll ride with Danny and keep track of the kids. I'm gonna need HPD at the hospital." Steve paused for a moment, wiping sweat and blood from his brow with the back of his hand. "Put someone on Rachel, too. Until I know what this is..."

"Tani and Junior should be here soon. And Jerry's on alert."

"Good, Jerry, I need to talk to him."

"Yea, he babbled something about Danny and a flash drive."

Steve held up his hand and Lou stopped. They both glanced at their prisoner.

"I need to know what's going on here, Lou." He met Catherine's eyes for just a second.

"Hear her side."

Lou nodded. "Whatever you need. I get it. If she did this, Steve..."

Fierce eyes spoke of the gravity of the moment. "There has to be a damn good reason, Lou."