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I know a few of you have had request, but please keep in mind I have this entirely written and I don't plan to change any of it. Regardless, I hope you continue to enjoy it!

Nalo a loaʻa

-loosely translate to "lost and found"-

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Walking through the corridors of the hospital, Danny felt considerably more optimistic than he had for a long time. He had begrudgingly left to see the kids off to school and shower, much against his protest at leaving Steve, but the fresh air and moment of normalcy had only further strengthened his resolve to make up for the last few weeks and help Steve in any way possible.

"I can tell you've not been doing any of the exercises even without examining you." A voice carried from Steve's hospital room. "We were making such good progress."

"Yeah, we were," Steve grumbled back. "Look, I've not really been in the right headspace."

"Is there ever a good headspace?" the female voice questioned, a slight lilt to her tone. "I'm guessing every concern you had about coming home came true?"

"And then some," Steve retorted, a huff following his words. "And then the bastard managed to get the upper hand when he was meant to be dead."

"That anger you had when we first met is back."

Danny lingered, knowing he shouldn't be eavesdropping, but he was impressed with this lady for knowing his partner so well.

"Never went anywhere, if I'm honest, but I wasn't exactly the poster child for good mental health, was I?" Steve asked rhetorically. "I think I've got every right to be angry … my life got snatched away from me, then I come home and not a single person gave a shit, and then when we turn a corner and I think we're finally moving in the right direction, I wind up shot."

"And stabbed … and beaten," the feminine voice added.

"Yeah, call me lucky for hitting a hat-tick." Steve's bitterness was hard to miss. "Now, I'm stuck in a damn bed again with you trying to fix me like it's going to matter. My hip's fucked whatever."

"Hey!"

"Sorry," Steve apologised in a small voice. "I just hate feeling this helpless."

"Your hip isn't fucked," she argued exasperatedly. "We had you gaining really good mobility and if I have it my way, I'll have you back to normal capacity."

"Doesn't give me back my naval career, though, does it?"

Danny rubbed his jaw; he couldn't understand how Steve was feeling over receiving a medical discharge. His whole life's work was gone within the matter of a few seconds.

"I know the navy was your life, but so was Five-0… you never shut up about that or your team during any of our sessions. Actually, you spoke more about them than anything else." There was a deliberate silence, and Danny imagined the look the stranger was fixing Steve with. "Sometimes we have to take the cards we're dealt and roll with the punches."

"I feel like that's all I've done my whole life."

Danny's heart sunk at Steve's pessimism. Normally the cheerier one of the two, albeit able to kill a man with a single death glare, Steve was usually the glass half full regardless the situation. Danny was the pessimistic, sceptical fool that moaned about every little problem.

"I know you're tired, and in pain, and dealing with a major concussion that seems to be kicking your ass, but we have to start the process of rehabbing your leg." There was a silence again. "I've read your file, Steve … back then and now… I know things. So, you can pull that death glare all you like, but you aren't getting rid of me that easily."

With that said, Danny decided to help the unknown woman out. Taking the final few steps, Danny saw a redheaded woman standing at the base of Steve's bed, hands placed on the bed frame to steady herself. He wrapped his knuckles on the

"Am I disrupting something, or did you need a few more minutes with this animal?" The blonde asked stepping over the threshold of the room.

"Ah, you must be Danny," the stranger stated.

"I am, but I hope you don't take offence when I don't know your name," Danny jest, giving a smile. "He lacks manners at the best of time, so it doesn't surprise me."

Rolling his eyes, Steve began to push himself up the bed a little. "Kim was my physio."

"Is your physio," the redhead corrected, giving Steve a pointed look. "Just because you decided to cancel your sessions, doesn't mean you didn't need them, and now we're back at square one."

"Am not," Steve grunted, collapsing back against his pillows.

"I was meant to ask about the clear fact you're still under the hospital's care but clearly haven't taken the time to attend anything outside of work."

"I did reduce him down to bi-weekly sessions and exercises to do when he's home, but clearly he neglected to do those."

"Much like he neglected everything else," Danny muttered, shooting Steve a disapproving look. "Danny," he said, stretching his hand out. "Danny Williams."

"Kim Miller," she replied, taking Danny's hand to greet him. "It's good to finally meet you, Danny. Steve didn't undersell you at all."

"I'm sure he only told you the bad stuff," Danny mused, giving Steve a sideways glance.

"Oh no, he told me the good, the bad, and the ugly," she joked, laughing. "I'm hoping if you're here, you'll be able to help with this one," she said, pointing to the bedridden man.

"This one is right here," Steve moaned.

"Don't worry, he's going to have to dodge an entire Ohana to misbehave."

"Danny," Steve warned.

Danny flicked his hand in the air to silence Steve.

"Kono is packing a bag for me as we speak, so I can take up residence with the main man himself to make sure he behaves."

"I'm not going to do anything stupid!"

"Steven," Danny started. "Shut up and let the adults talk."

"We've already established you do stupid things," Kim joked.

"I like this one, Babe. She's a keeper," Danny commented approvingly. "I'm a fan of anyone who can keep Steve behaving."

"I think behaving is pushing it for now. Right, I need to get to my next patient. I'll see you later, Steve, when I've had time to work out your new physio plan." She grinned at Steve, telling him everything he needed to know - he'd met his match. "Lovely meeting your Danny … hopefully next time he won't be so grouchy."

"Don't count on it," Danny groaned with an eye roll.

Kim laughed and bid farewell again, leaving the two men.

"So, she seems nice," Danny muse, breaking the silence.

"You're not moving in," Steve grumbled.

Danny saw the way Steve's brow creased, the tell-tale signs of irritation. He knew Steve would revolt at the idea, but Danny had time to make up for and the bridge that was almost mended needed reinforcements.

"The kids have already claimed bedrooms, Babe. It is done."

"I don't need babysitting."

Sitting down, Danny crossed his arms over his chest, his shirt pulling slightly with the action, and he watched his partner.

"Oh, on the contrary, you definitely need babysitting. I've seen you in action."

"How is moving in going to solve anything? You have to sleep sometime," Steve retorted, his voice filling with exasperation. "I know all of the exit strategies, too."

"With a bum leg, I highly doubt you'll be hard to catch," Danny replied, grinning devilishly. "But it's fine, Steven, I have a four-year-old who cannot wait to sit on you to make you rest."

"You can't use a child to wrangle me, Danno."

"Wanna bet?" Danny shot back, a little grin creeping onto his lips. "Me and Grace are in cahoots to help him."

"You can't sit on me!"

"Fine, you're right, I can't, but you do remember I'm a detective, right? Therefore, I own handcuffs... and while you're out of action I'll have access to yours."

"You're not going to handcuff me!"

Danny grinned at Steve before saying, "Needs must, Babe."

A silence settled again, and Danny noticed the small frown on Steve's face was becoming more pronounced as they sat together. The storm over Steve was gathering momentum and while he didn't think arguing with Steve was a good idea for the man's health, he knew Steve needed to let off some steam.

"I can look after myself."

That was a definite sulky tone the SEAL had used and Danny felt all of his fatherly experience kick in.

"You can look after yourself?" Danny asked, incredulously.

"Yes," Steve bit back, flinching at the pain in his side. "I can look after myself."

"I beg to differ."

"Of course, you do," Steve replied with an eye roll. "How do you think I survived before I stole your crime scene?"

"Oh, so you admit you did steal it then, huh?" Danny asked, resting back in his seat. "Least you can do is apologise for getting me shot."

"I apologised for that! You can't tell me my apology is still pending six years on and you forgot, Danno."

"Oh, and we're back with the Danno thing," Danny moaned.

"It never went anywhere," Steve rebuked, grinning slightly at his partner. "Just refused to trigger you more."

"Trigger me?" Danny asked, pointing at himself. "You just have to breathe, and you trigger me, you animal. I gave you a pass when you were bleeding out on your front lawn because I'm a nice guy and I felt you deserved a little leeway, but now, there's no reason for you to use the name my perfect children use as a term of endearment."

"Your perfect children and me," Steve pointed, his grin widening, the storm dissipating. "Just accept that I will never stop calling you it."

"Should've let you bleed out," Danny muttered, narrowing his eyes on Steve.

"Then you'd have had to attend my second funeral."

Part of Steve cringed as he made that comment wondering if he had pushed it too far and joking about this was too soon. The smile Danny gave before shaking his head made Steve feel slightly better, like their banter was coming back.

"Definitely should've let you bleed out, you freaking animal," he moaned, rubbing his forehead. "And you owe me a new pair of pants! They were passed saving once you were done bleeding all over me."

"Thought you were holding the good stuff in?" Steve asked, blinking owlishly at Danny. "Not my fault you didn't do a better job."

"Didn't do a better job?!" Danny yelled, standing up. "You had a hole in your side, Steven. One that required all of my strength and both hands and a hole in your leg that my beautiful daughter decided was her job to plug, it's not my fault you offer your blood up so willingly."

And just like that the jovial mood become repressive and Steve felt the phantom pain race across his chest, hitting him hard. He could hear the way the heart monitor beside him captured the way his heart rate suddenly fluctuated and he allowed his head to hang a little just so he could breathe through the guilt that rose like bile in his throat.

"Hey Steve?" Danny asked, his voice suddenly softening, his eyes darting between the monitor and his partner and back again. "Steven?" he called again, this time advancing for the bed. "Where you gone to?"

It worried Danny how normal life had just seemed and then how quickly it turned on a dime. Steve had been relaxed and the most naturally responsive he had been in days, and now it was like one wrong sentence set him back.

"Steve, you gotta talk to me, man, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry Gracie got involved."

Danny's heart sunk once more and he sighed, dropping down onto the bed. He placed a hand on Steve's thigh, forcing his partner to look up at him, showing willing.

"Hey, we've been over this ... she doesn't regret anything. She even said she'd do it again."

"Not exactly the way I wanted to win her back, though, y'know?" Steve asked, shrugging. "Didn't want to nearly die to get forgiveness."

"Is this what you think this is?" Danny said, his brow creasing. "You spill a little blood, and all is right in the world? You didn't sacrifice yourself to win us over, Steve. You had us ... but we needed to be reminded how close we came to losing you and how lucky we are to get you back... again. No one's here out of pity and no one's sticking around because they have to."

Steve rolled his eyes, trying to control his emotions.

"I always said your head was a scary place, but I'm sure it's gotten much worse since that day." Sitting back in his seat, Danny watched Steve closely. "Also ... today's conversation still stands that you can't look after yourself. I'm not having you starving on me or exhausting your body before it's had chance to heal."

"I can look after myself."

"Keep telling yourself that, Buddy."