I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes:

H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O

"What the hell," Steve murmured as he sensed the change in the air. Nearly simultaneously, their pilot informed them of the issue.

"Sorry folks," the tinny voice intoned. "We're going back to the gate. We need to check out a slight mechanical issue … nothing to worry about … "

Steve instantly tuned the man's voice out. People around him moaned and groaned in disgust. A baby warbled from somewhere in front of him and Steve commiserated. This indeed did suck.

With nothing to do but wait, he rocked his head back to the rest and closed his eyes. This was all so typical. He couldn't even plan a simple trip off the island without some kind of glitch.

Next to him, Catherine squeezed his hand. Steve bit back a mental wince. Another glitch. He assumed Cole had done something to make this happen. Something the young man felt benign enough, sensing that Steve might not really want to be alone. Or maybe it was more than that, too. Perhaps Catherine had pushed harder; finding out that Steve was leaving the island and oh so helpful in jumping on board. Tired of needing to consider ulterior motives ad nauseum, and with thoughts of Danny ever foremost on his mind - "miss you already " - Steve decided to just go with the current sad flow of affairs for the thousandth time. A somewhat shallow promise he'd made with himself seconds after Catherine had appeared out of the ethers.

His flow had been stupidly easy inside his mind. Step one: simply get off the island. Step two: there hadn't been much of one per se. Kick around a bit. Unwind. Maybe eventually wind up in the cabin at Joe's place. But that was it. Until Cath had shown up. Even delayed in taking off, he could still manage step one of course. But kicking around and unwinding would be a bit more difficult. Cath would have own ideas of what they should do or not do. And Steve just didn't want to deal with it.

"I guess we're going to have to deplane," Catherine said. "It looks we're going to have an hour or two at the bar. Not such a bad thing, right?"

Refusing to open his eyes, Steve merely grunted as he listened to the tell-tale sounds of the door being opened. Maybe this mechanical problem was more severe than anticipated. He didn't relish the thought of deplaning for another flight. Not because it was a pain in the ass - because it was - but more because it kept him on the island. It kept him near Danny and the annoying thoughts that he, Steve, was making a grievous error in judgment.

"Holy shit," Catherine breathed out next to him. There were voices near the front of the plane. Rather than deplaning passengers, even with his eyes closed, he could hear a small commotion. New people were boarding; no one was disembarking. "I don't believe this!" She just about strangled his fingers, still wrapped in her hand. "Steve?"

She was getting up then, he felt the change and his eyes sprang open. Just what the hell was wrong now?

"Danny?" Catherine questioned as the same name tumbled from his own mouth.

"Danny!"

And there he was. Pale, sweaty, hardly on his feet. Lou Grover behind him, hovering like the mother hen which the man could be.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Steve said as he got to his feet, hunched under the low cabinet overhang. He squeezed out into the aisle forcing Catherine to make room.

"We got intel there was a fugitive on this flight. We have direct instructions …" Lou deadpanned over the top of Danny's head.

"A fugitive?" Steve almost laughed right then and there. "Are you for real?"

"Why yes sir," Lou tried to continue. "I am quite for real. We have direct …"

"Come back. I still need you," Danny blurted out the words. His eyes widened in shock as the words tumbled out of his mouth. He glanced towards Catherine and looked at Steve. Nothing else was said. But behind him, Steve felt Catherine's equal sense of shock. It practically reverberated the very air they were all sharing. Still, the look on Danny's face was priceless and Steve's lips twitched upwards because this certainly wasn't at all what his partner had rehearsed. And god help him, Steve knew Danny had rehearsed something in advance of this ridiculous tactic to stall an entire plane full of civilians. Mechanical issue his ass. This couldn't get any better.

Lou flashed his badge. "And there's this issue of a fugitive," Lou tried a gentle diversion. He spoke easily enough until Danny swayed. Lou frowned instantly. His warning look spoke volumes. Danny had used up any of his slim reserves just to do what he was doing now. Lou adjusted the hold he had on Danny's elbow, but the smaller man jerked out of it.

"You heard me," Danny interrupted. "I know you heard what I said."

"This is ridiculous," Cath interjected. "He's made up his mind! Why can't you respect that?"

"Respect? And what the hell would you know about that, huh?" Danny's voice went down to a dangerous hiss. "Why are you here, Catherine?"

"Because it's the right thing to do," Cath virtually hissed back.

"Really? And you showing up uninvited and assuming that this was the right thing to do, isn't disrespectful?" Danny bristled. "I call bullshit."

"No one asked for your opinion or for your permission … Danno," Cath drawled. Arms folded she stood behind Steve as if she'd take on anything or anyone.

"Bring it." Steve blinked in shock at the unusual challenge. As unsteady as he was, Danny took a step forward.

"Whoa! Knock it off!" Steve automatically reacted, putting a settling hand on his partner's shoulder. Underneath what was so obviously Lou's oversized blue windbreaker, heat radiated off Danny in waves. But the way he was trembling made Steve shake his head in dismay. This wasn't good, not at all. Not at all what Danny's doctors had prescribed for a man who needed to be entirely off his feet, doing nothing at all to heal.

'Danny, take it easy," Steve murmured softly. "Please …"

"No. Come back. Now," Danny turned his attention back to Steve's face. He seemed to wilt. "Please." Barely above whisper, Steve was sure only he heard the soft plea.

"Why would you still want me?" Then it was Steve's turn to be surprised. That was it though, wasn't it? Why the hell would Danny still want him? Why would anyone want him for that matter. But all the visible damage on Danny's face and body was enough: why would Danny still want him after what he'd been through … and the why of it?

"Come back," Danny said. "Come home." Danny physically wavered on his feet. Clearly exhausted. Tapped out and stubborn as hell; and god help him, Steve loved him for it.

"Danny," Steve struggled with what to say next. The excuses were starting to sound lame to his own ears. That voice telling him to stay and that he was indeed making a huge mistake in leaving, grew louder. In vain, he tried to dig in anyway. "I can't … I made up my mind …"

His voice faded to nothing. Had he though? Had he really made up his mind? Part of him fought back just to be done with it all and move on like he was planning to do. Another whispered to stay because it was what they both really wanted. In fact, he had almost changed his mind there on the beach … almost … and yet, had stuck to this plan which seemed to be not a very good one at all. If he left now, Cath would be by his side and well? That hadn't been part of his original idea. He stood there rock-solid, unsure of everything with Cath almost in his back pocket and while Danny stared into his face, clearly in pain but determined.

Daiyu Mei's words shot through his head. Loud. Bold. Clear. Even the psychotic woman knew the truth. "I have the person that you care about most in the world."

"I don't know," he whispered. He was still responsible. Just like he'd been responsible for his … father … for …he couldn't dare risk more…

"I'm done borrowing time," Danny said. "And you should be done running, too."

Steve swallowed hard and the action didn't do a damned thing to clear the lump in his throat. Catherine was stuck in the aisle behind him. People were watching. Enthralled as they got bits and pieces of this odd altercation. Nevertheless, Danny didn't need to say anything else and it was like he knew that, too. Waiting Steve out, Danny didn't say anything at all. Not a damned word because he was right. Once again, Steve was running and Danny was trying to save him. This time though there was a difference because he was going to save them both.

"I'm … I'm a nightmare," Steve couldn't prevent this objection either. If it was time to talk and get the last dregs of worry of his soul, then so be it. "To everyone … my father … you. Danny …"

"You are always going to be a putz. You know that?" Danny said. "Please don't do this. Just once ... listen to me. Please."

He was back to that soft plea, his voice was strained, tight. More than emotion, Steve could sense how much physical abuse Danny was dealing with. For him. Again Steve was still hurting Danny no matter how hard he tried to protect him. Stupid sabbatical back-firing full force, Steve finally nodded. Just what the hell was he doing and why?

"Okay. You're right," Steve said. He nodded as he decided because what was he fighting here and why? "Let's go." He looked over Danny's head, wanting Lou to start moving, which the big man did with a face-splitting grin.

"I want …" Danny poked his chest.

"I'm sure you do," Steve chuckled softly. "Move, Danno. Talk later." Steve grabbed Danny's fingers then turned him round to leave the plane. Damn the aisle was narrow. Danny needed more help than he could give him just then.

"No ... talk now ..."

"Nope. Later," Steve interrupted now with a laugh. He tucked his hand on Danny's better elbow to guide him forward. Danny didn't have much fat on his bones and his muscle mass had suffered while in the hospital. Wisp-thin and trembling from fatigue, Steve wanted to kill himself for even thinking he could leave Danny now. He tightened his grip, firm but gentle.

"Don't you dare laugh at me," Danny griped. "I want …"

"Yeah, yeah I know exactly what you want … you want all of that in writing. You got it buddy, anything you want …"

"Witness?" Danny waved a hand in Lou's general direction.

"One thousand percent," the big man quoted over his shoulder because hell, he was hanging on every single word.

"Fine. Good. Let's go home," Steve said.

"Steve? What the hell are you doing? Where are you going?" Catherine was still behind him and that was okay, though she had to know now their future was fully over.

"We're going home, Cath. I'm going home … with Danny," Steve said, half-turning to keep a hand on Danny because the sway had become a stumble.

"Seriously? With Danny?" She had the gall to laugh. He stiffened and then let it all go. Maybe Steve just needed to cut her some slack on this one. Only because, yeah, he could understand her surprise. He spared her a quick glance, unfazed by the incredulous look on her face. He had more important people to take care of. And when Danny's knees quite literally buckled, Steve completely forgot about her.

"Here," Lou was once again to the rescue. "You are one stubborn bastard, Danny. Let me tell you."

"Easy Danno. Sit," Steve said as Lou levered a newly commandeered hospitality wheelchair behind Danny. "Go slow. We got you. What were you thinking?" Steve added as he took nearly all of his partner's weight. Groaning when Danny did from the sheer exasperation of this new predicament that he'd once again had a direct hand in creating.

"Seriously?" Danny softly whispered Catherine's question when Steve knelt to flip the footrest into place.

Steve stayed there then, crouched low, balanced on the balls of his feet.

"Yeah, seriously," he repeated. "Let's go home."

"Oh yeah, we're going home alright. But that is not what I meant," Danny blustered on, better hand waving in the air. "Not by a long shot and you know it!"

He reached out only to take a fistful of Steve's tee-shirt in that one good hand. Weak as he was, Danny balled up the material. He pulled Steve in closer, taking advantage of his poor balance and making him fall to a knee in order to avoid crashing into the wheelchair.

"What was I thinking? Seriously? Don't you dare put this on me, Steven! What the hell were you thinking? Huh?"

Nearly nose to nose, Steve grinned into the face of the one person he cared about most in this world. Then he did the one thing that came naturally to him. He leaned forward to touch his forehead to Danny's. Eyes closed, he wrapped his fingers around the back of Danny's neck not only to offer support but to also prolong the honi . Their noses touched and Steve sighed a long exhale, relaxing as Danny did the same. Not at all wanting to move or break the spell of the warm greeting until he sensed that Danny needed to rest.

"Aloha, Danno. Take me home," Steve whispered softly after pressing a kiss to his partner's cheek. "Seriously."

~ to be continued ~