Author's Note: Thank you so much for the abundant and overwhelmingly awesome reviews! I didn't reply to every one of them this time because I was busy trying to get this chapter out like I promised. I didn't quite make the "weekend" in my time zone, sorry about that.

There also might not be another chapter for a while. My best friend is flying in this coming weekend and I fully plan on being as social as possible. So the next chapter will probably be at least a week away unless I go absolutely insane and knock out another chapter before Thursday, which could totally happen.

WARNINGS: Steve finally swears like the sailor that he is. Herein lies waterboarding. If you choose to skip this part, I've attached a brief summary at the bottom so you can still follow the plot into the next chapter. But the Steve scene is safe to read for a while, until the water shows up.

Also note, if you didn't notice I changed the rating.

Also, also: The Danno voice is back! I got yelled at plenty for that so enjoy its triumphant return with a classic song!

CHAPTER 8

"What happened? What's going on!?"

Kono jolted back to reality at the shout and the horrified look on Danny's face.

"No! Danny, Grace is fine. She's okay, Danny! Nothing – nothing happened, okay?" She let go of Rachel and reached out to the distraught man. This must have looked horrible to him, he must have thought…

"Here, sit down before you fall down. Let me explain, brah." Kono guided him to the chairs lined up against the wall, then went back for Rachel and did the same. Both parents moved like lifeless puppets, going wherever she led them.

Danny had unconsciously put an arm around Rachel's shoulders to comfort the still crying woman, but he only had eyes for Kono.

She didn't really know how to start, but she thought back to everything the doctor had told them and realized that she could have been giving Danny much worse news.

"First of all, the doctors told us that Grace is doing really, really well. They don't think there will be any long term effects and there is still no sign of a secondary brain injury. So that's really good news." She smiled and waited a beat, seeing if Danny would react at all but he just continued to stare at her, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Kono grabbed his free hand to offer what comfort she could as she continued. "Grace woke up about an hour ago. Like, really woke up. She knew who Rachel was, who I was, and she understood that she was in the hospital. She doesn't remember the accident though. She doesn't actually remember Friday at all. Not school, not seeing Steve, not waking up in the morning – just going to bed Thursday night and then waking up here. So she was pretty confused." Kono waited to make sure that Danny understood everything that she said, she was trying to be as delicate with him as the doctor had been towards Rachel when giving his diagnosis. Rachel was still sniffling and Kono gave a grateful smile as the officer on duty walked over and set a tissue box down next to them. Danny looked at the box as if it was grenade, liable to go off if anyone felt the need to touch it. Kono decided to rip the Band-Aid off a bit faster than the doctor had earlier.

"Grace was having a tough time speaking though. Sometimes she couldn't find the right word and she couldn't pronounce some of them very well. She was speaking really slowly. Dr. Koning, the resident neurologist, explained that this is not uncommon with this type of injury and that Grace will need anywhere from a few weeks to a few months of speech therapy to recover fully."

Kono's hand was in a vice grip by this point, and she was sure that Rachel's shoulders were getting the same treatment. Danny was obviously fighting not to show how upset he was but Kono could see the tears filling up his eyes, waiting for their chance to escape. He probably wanted to stay composed for Rachel's sake, but he wasn't fooling anyone.

"But she will recover fully, Danny." Kono felt it was important to remind him of this. To remind both of them.

"What else?" Danny asked in a small voice. It hardly sounded like his own, which was usually so full of life and overly expressive. There was a lot of Danny that had been buried or lost these last few days.

"She, um – she has a lot of weakness on her left side. She couldn't really squeeze the doctor's hand at all, but she was also getting pretty exhausted by that point, so that may have contributed. She fell asleep again about a minute later. It really wore her out." Kono squeezed Danny's hand tighter and watched as the tears spilled over onto his cheeks when he squeezed his eyes shut. Once he started it seemed that he couldn't stop. He removed his arm from Rachel's shoulders and stole his hand back from Kono so that he could bury his face in his palms. It took Kono a moment to realize that he was mumbling something beneath the heartache. She had no idea how to comfort him.

… … …

"I wasn't here. I wasn't here. I wasn't here…" Danny repeated over and over, feeling like absolute scum for not being there for the first moment when his daughter was awake and coherent. Would she remember that he was absent from her bedside? Would she hold it against him? More than anything he wanted, needed, to be there for his daughter right now – most importantly for her sake but also selfishly for his own well-being.

Danno. Hey, buddy. It's alright, okay? You were busy taking care of yourself so that you can be here for Gracie, alright? You were doing what you needed to do so that you can be here from now on, okay? It's okay, buddy. Don't be so hard on yourself.

'But I wasn't here, Steve. I wasn't here when she needed me.'

But you were where you needed to be. Remember what the doc said, that the only way you'll be able to be there for Gracie is if you take care of yourself first?

'Yeah. Yeah, I remember,' Danny conceded to Steve's voice of wisdom. "Hey, wait a minute. Didn't I tell you that was a private meeting?' Danny could once again imagine Steve's smug, childlike grin.

And when have I ever listened to you, Danno?

Danny sniffled a bit more and straightened up, not giving his Neanderthal partner a response. He emerged from behind his hands to see two concerned faces staring back at him.

"I'm so sorry, Daniel. You must have thought – I was just so upset seeing Grace like that. I just, I needed a moment," Rachel had mostly regained her composure and reciprocated the comforting gesture from earlier, putting an arm around her ex-husband. She was surprised when he leaned into it.

"Dr. Koning said she'd probably sleep for a while, but how about we get back in there and you can sit with Gracie. I know you haven't seen her in about a day, Danny, and a lot has happened. But she's looking really good, brah. C'mon." Kono stood up and held out a hand.

"Anything new on Steve?" Danny thought to ask as he grabbed Kono's hand and stood, Rachel's arm keeping its comforting presence on his shoulders.

"Um…maybe something. Nothing very helpful, but we're looking into it. I'll catch you up later. Let's go."

As concerned as he was for his partner, Danny was just as excited and apprehensive to see his daughter after nearly 24 hours. So he logged the information to ask about later and mentally prepared himself to sit with Grace for as long as it took.

… … …

30 bottles of beer on the wall, 30 bottles of beer. You take one down, pass it around, 29 bottles of beer on the wall.

29 bottles of beer on the wall, 29 bottles of beeeeeer. Take one down pass it around…

God, that was annoying.

Steve! Steve? Hey, you back with me!? What did you see, Steve? C'mon, babe. You gotta talk to me, you gotta let me know what's going on. Steve! STEVE!

'Shut up, Danny!' Steve yelled at the voice in his head. His thoughts were becoming clearer by the minute, but an extra voice in his head was complicating things and making it harder to think.

Steve wondered how long he had been unconscious. He was feeling increasingly disoriented by this damn hood, never being able to see a sliver of light or the glimpse of a face. Long-term sensory deprivation could really fuck someone up, he knew that. He just hoped his situation wouldn't turn out to be long-term, then he wouldn't have to worry about it.

As Steve's mind sharpened, he started to remember things in more detail. He thought back to when he woke up, to Santos' voice telling him that Grace was dead, to him believing it, to Danny screaming at him in his head.

But there was something else.

A fresh mound of dirt. Small, for a smaller casket and occupant. Danny, drunk and raging, and beating him to death.

Oh God, Steve. That's – that's what you saw? I'm so – babe, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I didn't understand. I thought you were just freaking out and believing what Santos said. I didn't… Steve, you know that was the drugs right? Babe, I would never, NEVER, do that to you. I would never blame you like that. Well, I don't really know how I'd handle… that. Not well, I know. But I wouldn't blame you, babe. Steven, I'm so sorry you had to see that. That you had to live that. It's not true, babe. Gracie isn't dead. Steven, listen to me. Gracie isn't dead!

'You can't know that, Danno. Santos could be telling the truth. You're just a voice in my head, you said so yourself. So don't tell me what you can't know.'

Steve was feeling so lost and dejected. He was ashamed of his reaction after coming out of the hallucination. But he had been so disoriented, so overwhelmed, there was no way that he could have handled that information, those emotions, even on a good day. Santos must have heard him screaming at the Danny in his hallucination. He could picture it perfectly in his mind, Danny's face screwed up in grief and rage, his fists pounding Steve into his living room floor, and Steve screaming at him, "It's my fault that Grace is dead!" over and over again.

Babe.

Steven.

I wouldn't…

I couldn't ever do that to you. You know that, right?

The thing was, Steve wouldn't blame Danny for reacting like that. Steve would certainly beat himself up enough for the both of them if that outcome turned out to be true. 'We'll find out when I get out of here, Danno.'

Steve…

Danny sounded really hurt.

Steve remembered his hallucinations from Wo Fat's drugs, how he thought his dad was alive and how everyone he knew was present, but not quite themselves. But somehow this didn't seem to be the same. It certainly didn't feel the same. Wo Fat's dream world had been so damn happy, Steve wished that he go back there and bask in the reprieve from this living nightmare. But Wo Fat's dream world had also been more painful to wake up from, to live in again. Those painful minutes when he had expected to see his dad alive again but then discovered the truth… Steve couldn't do that again. Maybe this time reality would prove to be more tolerable once he wrapped his head around it. Now Santos' dream world was the nightmare, and Steve had to hope that when he found out the truth in the real world, that it wouldn't crush him completely.

He had to believe that Grace was alive, that his sacrifice was successful.

Steven. You can't shut me out like that again, babe.

'Sorry, Danny. But you – your voice… it was too hard. I couldn't – I just couldn't listen to it…'

I understand, babe. I get it, but please, don't do that again. You need me, Steve. I can help.

'How can you help when you don't know what I've seen? You weren't there. You have no idea what it was like…'

I know. And I'm sorry. I wish I could be there to let you know that none of it is real.

'But what if it is, Danny? What if – what if Gracie really is gone? I can't live in that world, Danny. I can't be responsible for that.' Tears pricked Steve's eyes as he recalled preparing his dress whites, making sure they were perfect… for Gracie. He remembered the moment that he realized he would never be "Uncle Steve" again.

You can't think like that, Steve! Stop it! And you can't believe anything that Santos says. Everything he's doing is to hurt you.

'But what if it all turns out to be true, Danny? I can't live in a world without you and Gracie. I can't-'

Steve thought was cut off by the door opening again, and it immediately set his heart to pounding. He hated that his body was responding so significantly to the fear. Usually he was better at controlling himself, and keeping his breathing and heart rate in check. But his body was more than willing to betray his fear.

Men grunting. Carrying something.

Slosh.

Water.

Fuck. Steve knew exactly what was coming.

But he would take this over drugs any day. He was trained for this. Hell, this was part of his SEAL training. Hell week. Mission preparation. He just had to focus on trying not to let too much water get into his lungs because it could cause severe complications. Plus, he wouldn't have to try and catch his breath to give unhelpful answers to questions this time around. He could focus all of his physical and mental energy on his training, on controlling his body and on keeping his fear in check.

That's the spirit partner! Way to go with this positive thinking, that's more like it.

'Jesus, Danny. You're a better cheerleader than Gracie, where are your pom-poms?' Looking back on this situation, Steve would realize how disconcerting it was that he could crack jokes and make fun of his partner right before being waterboarded. But right now the levity was doing wonders for his heart rate and mental state.

Steve counted at least three heavy buckets being dropped to the floor. There were probably more, but Santos' voice distracted him from hearing anything else.

"Capitán, are you prepared to relive the next part of your memory? I am sad that there are no more drugs first. It was very fun to listen to you cry. I did not expect this of you. You are Navy SEAL, you should be stronger than that. But perhaps you are not as strong as you think."

Santos' words cut deep, but Steve wouldn't allow himself to lose focus. He, too, was ashamed of himself for how he'd reacted. For now he pushed it out of his mind. But he wasn't going to be able to avoid it much longer if Santos kept reminding him of how weak he'd been.

Love is not weakness, Steven! Don't you have some kind of tactical breathing thing you can focus on instead? Don't listen to this idiot. He wouldn't understand love if it slapped him in the face!

Steve smiled inwardly at Danny's judgment.

Steve realized a moment before it started how much more this was going to suck than the last time. The hood over his head was soaked in his own blood and tears. And there were more men available. Wo Fat hadn't had any extra hands to –

Whoosh! The air left his lungs like it was being sucked out into the vacuum of space as he was punched in the gut – hard.

Steve had no time to gasp for more air as the hood was pulled tight over his face and the water came cascading down.

He had no air.

He wasn't going to make it through this.

He lost control of his thoughts as the need to breathe overcame every other impulse.

Hang on, SuperSEAL! Don't give up on yourself so fast. You don't even need air yet. It's only been a couple of seconds. It's all in your mind, think through it, babe.

Danny was right. He could hold his breath for six minutes. It didn't matter that he'd started without a reserve of air. It didn't matter that he felt like he was drowning.

And then just as suddenly as it started it was over.

One breath.

Two breaths.

Three br-

Before he could finish his third gulp of oxygen his head was forced back and the hood pulled tight again. This time the water came before the punch. Steve had a few seconds to fight the sensation of drowning before a fist to his midsection had him involuntarily sucking in the water being poured onto his airways.

He started to buck and choke and pulled hard against the restraints on his wrists and ankles. Danny might have been screaming at him, but he couldn't hear anything over the roar in his ears.

Why wasn't this ending? He couldn't breathe! Santos was going to kill him!

Then just as suddenly as the last time, it was over and he was free to breathe again.

Except he couldn't.

Too much water had worked its way into his lungs and he spent his free moments coughing and gagging, trying in vain to pull in some air. He would settle for just an atom of oxygen right now. A few molecules of air.

He could vaguely hear Santos cackling and making threats. Mocking him once again for being weak, for not being as tough as a Navy SEAL should.

He could also just barely make out Danny's voice shouting insults right back. It would have been humorous if Steve wasn't so worried about staying alive. Santos was fighting dirty. Steve began to think that maybe the reasoning that needled Santos into calling Danny wasn't far off the mark. Santos didn't seem entirely experienced at torturing someone and was liable to go too far. Steve could easily die from this.

His thoughts were interrupted by the hood being pulled tight again. The water poured over his face and he tried to keep calm, tried to control his mind and accept that although he felt exactly like he was drowning, it was just an illusion. But it was hard to fight an illusion. Just like it was hard to fight a hallucination.

His own thoughts had distracted him successfully through the third round. He still coughed and gagged but was able to pull in a breath that eased the burning in his lungs.

"Hmm this seems to be too easy for you," Santos sounded incredibly disappointed. And that was such a bad sign. This wasn't easy at all. This wasn't anywhere near easy, and upping the difficulty was likely to cause permanent damage. Steve was right, Santos had no clue what he was doing!

"We make it harder, yes? More pain. More suffering."

Despite the fear gnawing at him, Steve couldn't help but taunt his captor. It made him feel braver, stronger, and he would take any boost he could get right now. "Do your worst." His voice sounded pathetic. Weak and raspy, like he'd been smoking for 80 years and was on his deathbed.

Seriously, Rambo? That's the threat you're going with? You are a walking cliché, you know that, babe.

Steve smiled around a mouthful of air as Danny joined in on the weak joke. The levity was disturbed by round four.

And Santos wasn't joking. His shirt was ripped off violently, leaving him helplessly exposed. He was already helpless, but this just furthered the sensation and made him feel more vulnerable. Maybe Santos knew exactly what he was doing after all.

Then there was a knife at his chest. A literal knife, not just the stabbing pain of one like a fist connecting with his weak ribs. But an actual blade. It was carving into him and he struggled not to buck against the pain as he also struggled against the water once again pounding onto his face. They must be on the third bucket by now. This had to be over soon. He couldn't do this forever.

Against his will he started to buck and strain against the torture. His wrists fought painfully against the restraints, his neck muscles bulging as he tried to escape the stream of water, and his chest involuntarily heaved and jerked against the pain being whittled into it. This just made everything hurt worse. The knife dug deeper, Steve lost his focus and started gulping desperately for air.

He was breathing water by this point. Plus anything that was still attached to the hood, although it had been washed almost clean in the previous three rounds. He bucked and spluttered and fought, but still it continued. A headache blossomed behind his eyes as he was rapidly deprived of all the oxygen in his system. He could tell that he was losing consciousness, but still it continued.

A moment later his head was pulled off his chest when a hand grabbed his hair through the hood and wrenched it up. He must have passed out. His chest was burning. His collarbone felt ten times worse after the struggle. He must have shifted the bones again. It felt worse. More painful. But his lungs hurt the most. As his head was pulled up and his airway was freed from its restricted position bent over his chest he tried to take a huge lungful of air. But his body revolted and he found himself vomiting and dry-heaving, violently and painfully ripping his hair free of the hand that clasped it.

Acid burned his aching throat and whatever wasn't caught by the hood dribbled pathetically down his chin. His head felt like it weighed ten thousand pounds and without anything to help support it fell back onto his stinging chest. He tried breathing again with a bit more success.

He was disappointed that his body had rebelled so violently. It was a sick thought, but this was the first water that he'd had since his capture. Today was probably Sunday. He had been captured Friday night after the forced car accident and an impromptu trip through the jungle. Santos must have called Danny on Saturday, because Steve didn't think he'd lost that much time. Hell, it could still be Saturday. Wo Fat had only had him for a day, and that had felt like an eternity. But this already felt longer. It could by Monday or Tuesday. He needed water. But he'd just emptied his stomach. So now he needed more water, and it was obvious by his treatment so far that Santos wasn't planning on providing him any. Steve had no clue what was in the IV. It was obviously some type of fluid and was hopefully providing him with some form of hydration, but it wouldn't be enough.

Seriously, babe!? You're hoping for round five!? Man, I knew you were crazy, but not this crazy. This is insane, babe! You could have died last time. You could die if he does it again!

'I need water, Danny. This is water.'

Those were the facts.

Gee, you make it sound so simple. Not like its torture or anything. You are certifiable, you know that! You can't do this again, babe! I can't just sit here and let this happen again.

'You've got to, Danny. Got no choice.' Steve could hear the murmurs of conversation and what sounded like the goons packing up and leaving. He couldn't let that happen.

"That all you got, Santos?" he rasped. Steve was honestly surprised that his weakened voice was heard over all of the scuffling and grunting.

Santos started laughing and Steve thanked God that this might just work. He also prayed to get through round five, if he was lucky enough for it to happen.

"More, Capitán? I did not think you could handle it."

"C'mon. Read your facts. Wo Fat had more balls than you." Steve had to pause his insults as he coughed and gagged around another breath. "He didn't quit at round four. Thought you wanted to do this right, but you're just chicken shit, you motherfucker." Steve coughed again and hoped that he didn't sound completely pathetic and weak.

You tell him, SuperSEAL! I guess you can curse like a sailor. Never thought I'd hear it come out of your Officer and a Gentleman mouth though.

"So, what's it gonna be, Santos?" Steve wheezed around another breath, spurred on by Danny's glee. "You gonna run away with your tail between your-"

He didn't get another word out as his head was viciously whipped to the side by a powerful punch. It brought all the muted aches and pains back to life. Steve was going to continue to gloat and needle his captor, but his plan was preemptively rewarded when his head was yanked back and the hood was pulled tight against his sore face.

The water came crashing down a moment later. Steve waited a beat, hoping that all the vomit and bile would be washed away quickly, then focused on the task at hand. He opened his mouth wide and let the torrent of water push the disgusting cloth further into his mouth. Once it was there, he closed his mouth around it and sucked down the sweet liquid, not caring that the water continued to pour onto his face. Once he'd sucked it dry he opened his mouth for a second go, but the water stopped almost immediately with shouts of "Basta! Basta!" He sucked down what water he could but there wasn't much.

"So this is your plan, Capitán? You think you can trick me into this? But no, I have figured it out, and now you will pay for what you say and do."

Steve prayed that the water would stay in his stomach through what was to come.

These men certainly seemed hell bent on forcing it back out of him as they viciously attacked his midsection with their fists. Again, he couldn't breathe. It didn't feel the same as waterboarding, but it had the same effect. There was no air to be had. He cried out again and again as his ribs weakened and the fresh wounds on his chest were broken open anew. This wasn't going to stop until he puked or passed out. Steve knew which one he preferred by far.

He had to find a way out of this soon, or he was going to lose the precious little bit of water that he'd managed to suck down.

Fake it, babe.

It was the only option. Steve only hoped that he could do it convincingly enough. He had to. The fists continued to pound into his gut, brutal and unforgiving. He heard a snap and felt the white hot pain of a broken rib scraping against raw nerves. He gagged for real, felt the bile rising in his throat and just barely managed to swallow it back down. He made a few more gagging sounds and realized that the fists had stopped.

Maybe he would get to keep his water after all.

Not a second later the surprise of his success was chased away by a needle piercing the back of his neck. He cried out and nearly gagged again, this time from the instant pain and absolute terror. He didn't want to be pulled back into his worst nightmare.

Alright, babe. You can get through this, Steve. You have to. I'll be right here when you wake up, okay? But you've got to listen to me, babe! Okay? You've got to hear me when you get back. It's gonna be rough, but I'll be here for you. Grace is alright, okay? Remember that, Steve. Grace's funeral was a hallucination, it didn't happen. I'll be here for you when you get out…

Steve faded away with Danny's pleas echoing in his pounding head.

… … …

Amber cautiously approached the door to the PICU. She had stayed away for a whole day, not wanting to get in the way of Rachel without Danny there to be a buffer. She didn't feel it was appropriate, or perhaps she just didn't feel comfortable. She'd been by to see Danny after he'd suddenly been admitted, but he was in a deep sleep and no one had wanted to wake him up, figuring it was the first good sleep he'd had in the few days since this nightmare started.

But Amber really wanted to see Grace for herself, see that she was doing okay. The little girl had quickly wormed her way into Amber's heart. The first day they had spent together was when Danny was trapped under the collapsed building. She, Danny, and Grace had spent a wonderful weekend together after that. That was actually the first day she had met Grace as well, with Amber in her underwear, wearing Danny's t-shirt. She smiled as she remembered being ambushed by Grace in the kitchen. She hoped that they could build more memories like that, the three of them. Well, maybe slightly less embarrassing, but right now Amber cherished the few memories they had made together.

Kono had texted her about an hour ago, saying that Danny was discharged and was back by Grace's side. Amber hadn't stopped to think about it. She'd just gotten ready quickly and started driving to the hospital before she could talk herself out of it.

But now that she was here she felt like an intruder. Danny and Rachel were both sitting on one side of Grace's bed with Kono on the other. Kono spotted her immediately and must have said something to Danny, who turned around in his chair a bit frantically. This would probably be awkward for him, too.

Amber had never met Rachel and from the way that Danny talked about her, she didn't want to be meeting her anytime soon either. But that thought had just been thrown out the window.

Danny stood up to walk over to her. He looked better, rested. Still stressed and worried, but there was more color in his cheeks and he had more energy. The dead look from before had faded to the background. He greeted her with a peck on the cheek and a tight hug that she returned in full. As they pulled away from each other he surprised her and gave a little smile.

"It's really good to see you, thanks for coming," he said as he took her hand.

"Of course. Kono texted me to let me know you were discharged. How's Gracie?"

Danny pulled up another chair and now they were all sitting around the bed with Amber on one side of Danny and Rachel on the other. There was no way that this was protocol.

"I'll go get coffee. Does anyone want anything?" Rachel abruptly stood and asked. Amber and Rachel hadn't actually been formally introduced, but she could forgive Danny the lapse in etiquette given the present situation.

Amber could also feel the tension in the room. It didn't skyrocket or hover like a fog, but it wasn't comfortable either.

"Coffee, please," Danny said.

Kono stood up. "I need some coffee, too. I'll join you." The two women left and Danny and Amber were alone for the moment.

"How's Grace doing, Danny? And how are you?" Amber asked again, concerned at his absent-mindedness.

"She's, uh – she's doing okay, I guess. The girls said she woke up this morning for a while. Talked to the doctor, answered her questions. She had some trouble talking and Dr. Koning said she'll need some speech therapy."

"That's not too bad at all, Danny. We can get through this. We will get through this, all of us." Amber grabbed his hand and held on tight while she looked him in the eyes.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess it's good, considering what could have happened." She saw him swallow heavily at the thought. "She also couldn't squeeze the doctor's hand with her left hand, but we don't know yet if she was just tired or didn't hear the question or something. She hasn't woken up again."

Danny looked more upset by that and Amber saw some tears prick his eyes. But she understood where his deeper pain was coming from.

"Danny, it's okay that you weren't here. Rachel and Kono were, right? Grace needs everyone and anyone right now. She knows how much you love her. Everyone knows how much you love her. You not being here isn't going to change that one bit, okay?" Amber squeezed his hand harder.

"I know. I know, it's just…hard," Danny responded, staring off into space. "I wasn't around for a whole day because of the phone call and the fact that I couldn't handle it like a normal human being."

"Hey," she cut him off. "I don't really understand what happened, but I know you're not weak, Danny. There's a lot going on right now, with Grace, with Steve, and you just lost your brother." She hated to list off everything that was going wrong right now, but he had to understand that it was okay to need help, or to have a bit of a breakdown. "It's okay to need help right now."

Danny gave a weird little smile, still staring off into space. "Steve said the same thing."

"When?" Amber asked, curious as to how that was possible, or maybe it had just been about Danny's brother.

"Oh, it's nothing. Nevermind." Danny looked a little panicked, so Amber decided to let it drop. The last thing he needed was more stress. "How are you? What have you been doing?" he asked, trying to make it sound casual, but it was so forced that it wasn't fooling either of them.

"Well, it's the weekend, so nothing really. Back to work tomorrow, but I've talked to my boss and he understands that I may run off suddenly if I get a phone call."

Danny smiled at her at that comment. But as soon as the smile appeared it was gone and he looked a bit troubled and seemed like he wanted to say something. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the return of the coffee bearers.

Whatever he had wanted to say he obviously didn't want to say in public, so he thanked Rachel for the coffee and they all resumed their quiet, slightly awkward, obviously-against-protocol vigil.

A few minutes into the silence Kono straightened up in her chair. She looked over at Danny in surprise, then to Rachel.

"What? What is it, Kono?" Danny asked, his voice overflowing with concern.

"She just – she squeezed my hand," Kono beamed as she said this.

Danny and Rachel smiled back brightly in reply and hugged each other. Amber felt a bit left out and was confused for a moment until she realized the reason for their excitement.

Kono was holding Grace's left hand.

… … …

TBC…

Despite the darkness for Steve, I hope that leaving you on this happier note will keep you going for a whole week while you wait.

Since I know I'm going to lose viewers after the rating change, I'd love some extra reviews to keep my confidence up! ;) Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts!

SUMMARY: Steve is waterboarded. Santos wants to make it harder and punches him so that he loses focus and can't breathe or control himself. Santos also cuts him a few times to make it worse and make it harder. Steve realizes that he hasn't had water to drink in about two days and may die without it. So he goads Santos into waterboarding him a final time and uses it to suck the moisture out of the hood. Santos stops the torture when he realizes what Steve is doing. Steve gets another needle in his neck and we are left assuming that he will drift off into another hallucination. Danny-in-his-head keeps talking to him, saying that he'll be there when Steve wakes up, and that Steve can't shut him out like he did the last time.