****** Please be forewarned this chapter contains violent content *******

As the gunfire erupted, Danny moved instantly towards the stairs as JJ instructed Dominic to stay put and watch over the injured men. Danny handed the Commander an automatic weapon and then following him they made their way up the stairs.

As JJ reached the top, he dropped and rolled behind a row of wooden barrels. As the enemy turned their weapons towards him, Danny raised his head up and his heart sank as his eyes immediately fell on Steve who lay a few feet away, unconscious, exposed and bleeding on the deck of the boat.

With JJ having pulled the gunfire away, Danny kept low, crawling to his partners' side and then grabbing him under the arms he pulled Steve to cover against the side of the boat.

Danny steeled himself, and raising his weapon he stood and fired at the gunmen. He could hear JJ hollering over the radio to Aaron that they were under attack and he heard the response "We're five out JJ…..we're five out!"
As his eyes adjusted to the dark Danny could see about twenty men, half of them down.
Danny, JJ and the other six men on deck continued to fire rapidly as their attackers were now in the water and closing in on them.

Danny felt Steve grab at his pant leg as he regained consciousness and tried to pull himself up. Dropping down to his knees, he grabbed his partners shoulders and talked to him firmly, "STEVE, I NEED YOU TO STAY DOWN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, STAY DOWN PARTNER"

He saw a look of shock and confusion on the SEAL's face but he nodded as Danny eased him back onto the hard floor saying forcefully, "Stay here babe, DO NOT MOVE!"

Then as Danny stood and raised his weapon, he froze. He saw two men…no, not men…boys….not more than thirteen or fourteen years old less than fifty feet away and firing automatic weapons at the boat. He remembered Steve's words 'These bastards have no respect for human life and every damn one of them will put a bullet in your head without even blinking an eye. You see anyone, ANYONE Danno...you plug him' Danny Williams took aim and he fired.

The gun flew from the hands of the first boy as the bullet tore into his shoulder. His friend turned and his eyes met Danny's. In that split second, the Jersey detective knew that every word his partner had said was true. He saw hatred in the boy's eyes and he knew he had no choice. Again aiming for the boy's arm his first round found its mark but it didn't stop the boy. As he raised his gun towards Danny shots rang out from next to him and the young boy fell dead into the water. The first boy that Danny had injured, left his weapon and was making his way back towards the shoreline.

Looking to his left he saw JJ who said, "Are you okay Danno?"
"Yeah, thank you man"
The gun battle was over as suddenly as it started and as JJ went to check on his men, Danny knelt next to Steve.
He had curled up in the fetal position and Danny placed a hand on his shoulder saying, "Steve, where are you hit buddy?"
Leaning on his right arm, Steve began to push himself up as he said breathlessly, "I'm okay Danny"
"I'm glad to hear that but that wasn't my question was it? Now, where are you hit?"
"Help me up….. wwwill you D?"
Placing his hands on Steve's shoulders, Danny pushed him gently back, "Slow down Steven….let me look at you"
Leaning back against the edge of the boat the SEAL closed his eyes and tipped his head back. He slowly pulled his hand away from his abdomen…and it was covered in blood.

50505050505050505050505050505050

Danny ran a hand through his hair, "Oh shit….."
"I'm okay Danny…..I…II'm ookay…"
Danny grinned nervously at his best friend, "I know you are. I need to get you downstairs so I can patch you up alright?"
"Yeah…..I'm okay"
Danny called out, "JJ, I need some help over here please"
JJ barked out orders, and moving with Nate and Ronnie across the deck he let Danny know that he would be remain on guard up top until the other boat arrived.

He looked at his fellow SEAL, "Oh Smooth Dog…...you have to keep things exciting don't you?"
Steve smirked, "'M ggood JJ"
"I'm taking you at your word on that, now let the boys carry you….."
Steve tried to interrupt, "I ccan….."
"McGarrett don't argue with me. You ARE NOT in charge here…..you got it?"
"Yes Sir"
Danny chuckled, "That's it? I've NEVER seen Smooth Dog agree to accept help so easily"
JJ laughed, "He knows better than to argue with me. Take care of him Danny. These boys will help you and I'll be down shortly"

"Thanks JJ" Danny then looked on as the two strapping young SEALS lifted Steve off the ground with ease, carrying him below deck. Danny laid out blankets next to Tyler, helping the men place Steve onto it.

Steve moaned softly as Danny straightened his legs. Blood was oozing through his fingers as he pushed tightly against his abdomen. Danny placed his hands on top of his and said softly, "Let go Steve, let me take a look at you"

Steve's grip loosened and Danny placed his hands down to his side. Nate had retrieved the medical bag and was now kneeling at his side. Lifting the injured man's shirt and unsnapping his pants, he examined the bullet wound. It was in as good a place as a bullet wound can be, below the naval and to the right. Danny knew that there was a very good chance that no vital organs were hit, but he also knew that the wound was very painful. His main concern was to stop the bleeding. They had blood supplies in the refrigeration unit back on the plane, but they wouldn't be back there for hours. As Ronnie held Steve's hand, Danny and Nate cleaned and packed the wound and then helping Steve sit up, they wrapped gauze tightly around his abdomen.

Danny chattered on the entire time and when he was finished he asked "You're not hit anywhere else are you Superman?"
Steve smiled, responding weakly "I told you 'D, I'm fine. I'm thirsty though"
"Could you PLEASE just answer my question?"
"No Danny...I'm not hit anywhere else"
"That's good"
Ronnie fetched the man a bottle of water and as he was sipping on it, JJ and the other's returned below deck.
JJ grinned at him, "Look at you! You look like you're ready to go again!"
Danny shook his head, "Don't give him any ideas JJ… Are you all crazy? I thought it was just him!"
Ty's SEAL Commander smiled, "Insanity is a requirement for this job Danny boy"
Danny smiled, "Well, that answers a lot of questions that I've had about him" He then asked, "Seriously, is everyone else okay?"
"Yeah, Smooth Dog here took the first bullet…..trouble seems to find him"
"Now THAT I know…..McGarrett here is a 'danger magnet'"
JJ chuckled "That he is…..the boat's here and we're moving" He looked at Steve adding "We'll be in the air soon buddy"
Steve smiled, "Thank you all….for everything you've done" He was leaning up against the wall and with Tyler at his side and he reached down and stroked his son's cheek with his fingers.

JJ said solemnly, "We're bringing our boys home Steve…..mission accomplished"

50505050505050505050505050505050

Danny handed Steve a wet towel to clean his hands with as the SEAL stated, "We need to set his breaks. JJ, does Owen have any breaks?"
"Both his arms are broken, and his collarbone. He's got three broken ribs…" JJ turned to Dominic, "Dom is there any change with him?"

"His breathing is a little labored and he's sweating"
JJ moved to Owen's side and taking a wet cloth he wiped the boy's head and face as he held his other hand to the boy's chest. He talked to him softly, "Owen can you hear me son?" The boy didn't speak but his eyelids fluttered and his lips moved slightly, "That's good kid….you're going to be fine, you're safe now"

Turning back to Steve to said, "He can hear me and his heart rate has slowed"
Steve grinned, "Good….he's gonna make it"
"We're going to do everything we can to make sure that happens buddy. Danny, let's take care of these fractures"
Steve said breathlessly, "Put him in my lap Danny"
As JJ lifted Tyler's head and shoulders off the ground, Danny helped Steve slide behind him. He heard the SEAL's breath catch in his throat as pain shot through his body.

"You okay?"
"Yeah Danny…'m ggood….."
Once they had the supplies ready they pulled back the blankets and Dominic and Ronnie held Ty's feet.
Danny looked up at Steve, "Are you ready partner?"
"Yes, we've gotta do it" Steve placed one arm across his son's chest and shoulders, placing his other hand on the boys forehead.

Even with the morphine in his system the next twenty minutes were torturous. As soon as JJ pulled the broken forearm into place the boy's eyes shot open and he screamed out in agony. The men moved swiftly while being as gentle as possible in setting Ty's arm, leg and ankle. The boy cried out in a drug fueled haze as the pains tore through his body. Steve held him and spoke to him constantly. In Ty's mind he was back in that damn shed and Steve consoled him as best he could.
"Leeave him aalone you son-of-a-bbittch….sstoop…"
"Ssshhhhhh, you're doing great son….it's Dad and I've got you"
Tyler looked into Steve's eyes but he wasn't seeing his Dad, "OOwen…you hang on bbuddyy…we'll get oout of hhere….yyou hhang on Owen"

Danny was watching his partner closely as they worked. He was worried about Steve physically but he was even more worried about his emotional well-being. When the SEAL had found out about his son, he had embraced fatherhood fully. He had done everything on Tyler's time schedule, he hadn't pushed the relationship at all and in no time, Tyler had come to see what a special man Steve was and their love and respect for each other was obvious. Steve never tried to undermine Ty's relationship with his adoptive parents, in fact he was always the first one to say that THEY were his parents. They had loved him and raised him to be the amazing, perfectly well-adjusted young man he was and Steve would be forever grateful to them. Now as Danny watched him comfort his son, he saw the pain and fear in his partner's eyes that only a parent could feel, and his heart broke for his dear friend.

******* I hope you're still enjoying! I'd love to hear what you think *******