Danny feels mildly better after picking Grace up from school, even if it's only a short visit. He had to drop her off at Rachel's right away, but the few precious minutes, and one long hug before letting her go, makes his sadness dissipate ever so slightly. When he pulls away from Rachel's house, he purposefully sets his mind back into work mode. Steve had allowed him this small reprieve, because he knew he had desperately needed it. In the midst of a kidnapping for ransom case, Danny had been pouring through the lives of a young girl's parents for the majority of the day, trying to decipher a motive and possible suspects. At one point, Steve had come into his office, had taken one look at him, and simply told him to go pick up Grace. His exact orders were: give her an extra long hug (for him, too) and come back right after.
Danny had tried to protest. There was still a missing girl and a deadline for the next day to get the money, but the words on his computer were beginning to blur together. A short break to regroup, and one of Grace's special hugs, would do wonders. He headed out quickly after that, knowing his team would still be working the case, and he'd be back in less than an hour.
He's already halfway back to the office when Steve calls him.
"Hey, I'm headed back right now," Danny greets. "You find anything?"
"We got a tip from the hotline. Someone thinks they saw a girl with a couple of guys at a warehouse. It's not far from you. Chin is sending you the address, but wait until we get there."
"Steve," Danny starts, unashamed of the begging tone in his voice. It's a little girl who's probably terrified and in possible harm's way.
"I know, Danny," is Steve's response, "but the deadline isn't until tomorrow morning, and we have no reason to believe they'll hurt her now. We don't know how many there are. Wait for us," Steve repeats his order firmly through the phone.
Damn Steve using logic, Danny thinks. "Fine," he agrees, "but, hurry up, all right?"
"We're on our way," Steve promises.
They end the call there, and Danny immediately checks his phone for the address. It's very close to where he is, just a few minutes worth of a drive. He finds the nearest intersection and corrects his course.
When he pulls up to the warehouse a couple of minutes later, he parks far enough away that he won't alert anyone to his presence if they should be watching. He wastes no time, though, before hopping out of the car and grabbing his gear from the trunk. He straps his vest on with a practiced ease, but also with an anxious edge. He wants nothing more than to run in and find that little girl, but he promised Steve he would wait for backup. She'll be fine, he tells himself. She's in no immediate danger.
Before he closes the trunk, he notices the heat signature detector they had used a few days ago. His first thought is to berate Steve over proper handling and returning of police equipment, but it might actually be useful in this situation. He grabs it and starts setting it up while he's waiting.
The outside of the warehouse is quiet, but as soon as Danny has the gear set up, he can see there is activity going on inside. He spots four heat signatures that have got to be human. Three adults, and one smaller one, a child. Both relieved and concerned, he picks up his phone to update Steve. By the time the other man answers, Danny's gut sinks a little at what he sees progressing on the screen.
"Steve, I've got at least three guys on heat signature," Danny blurts out. "But there's a problem. I think it's the girl, but it looks like she's moving around, she might be trying to escape. It looks like she's climbing something? Trying to get to a window, maybe?"
"Danny," Steve warns. He knows exactly what Danny is thinking.
"I'm not asking permission, Steve," Danny forces out. There's no way he's going to just stand here while the girl makes an escape attempt all by herself.
Steve must know he can't stop him. "Be careful," is all he says.
Danny hangs up and shoves his phone into his pocket, already jogging towards the side of the warehouse. He keeps an eye out for movement, both for the girl and for any of the kidnappers. When he rounds the side of the building, his eyes immediately roam up towards the windows, looking for a sign of the girl. Judging from the scanner, the girl should be somewhere near here. The window about halfway down slowly starts to open, and Danny picks up his pace.
The girl is there at the window when Danny reaches the spot beneath it. She's clearly startled to see him, so he grabs his badge off his belt and holds it up high for her to see.
"Hey, Charlotte, I'm police. I'm here to help," Danny says just loud enough for her to hear. She seems to relax slightly at the words, but stares warily down at him. "Think you can jump?" Danny asks. "I promise, I'll catch you."
The window is a few feet above Danny's head. The girl might have been able to drop herself down from the ledge without injury, but Danny is glad he's here to reduce the risk of her hurting herself.
The girl nods and begins to climb out, feet first. Danny has his hands up, ready to catch her if she falls, but she eases herself out gracefully.
"I got you, I got you," he encourages anyway. He catches her as she drops down, easing her descent until her feet hit the ground. "Good job. Are you hurt?"
She shakes her head as Danny crouches down to her level and does a quick visual exam. She looks unharmed, only frazzled and a little dirty.
There's a yell from inside the building, startling the both of them. Someone has finally noticed her disappearing act. Her eyes widen in fear, and Danny grabs her hand as he stands. "Come on."
She jogs with him willingly, but Danny has to think quickly. He has no idea how fast the kidnappers are searching the building or how much longer it will be before backup arrives. When he spots a small alcove of crates, he makes a split-second decision. He leads Charlotte over to the crates, finding the perfect amount of space for her to squeeze in between them. He kneels down next to Charlotte again.
"Listen, I want you to crawl in here until it's safe to get out again. I'm going to go distract the bad guys until the rest of my team gets here. I promise, you'll be safe here."
Charlotte seems nervous about the idea, but also too scared and shocked to object. She crawls in the space like directed and sits down, curling her knees up to her chest.
"I'm going to give you my phone just in case..." Danny trails off as he hands her his phone. Just in case he gets hurt and can't tell anyone where she is. Just in case things go very south...
Charlotte clutches the phone to her chest, looking at him with wide, but trusting eyes.
"Promise me you'll stay here until me or one of my friends comes to get you, all right? They'll be wearing a vest like this one," Danny points to his chest. "They'll be here soon, I promise."
She nods, and Danny gives her an encouraging smile. He pushes one of the crates in front of her, blocking her from view just in case one of the kidnappers walks by. He wants to stay right there, to protect her, but the safest bet is to lure the men away from her. All he has to do is distract them long enough for Steve and the team to arrive. He can't have been here for very long, and the team should be here soon, but time can get skewed in situations like this. He hadn't even wanted to risk another phone call to Steve and waste precious seconds to create more distance between himself and Charlotte. It was more important to leave the phone with her.
He pulls out his gun as he jogs away from Charlotte's hiding spot, keeping his eyes out for any sign of movement. He makes it around to the front of the building before he sees one of the guys emerge from a door. He has a gun in his belt, clearly only expecting to find a little girl and not prepared to see a cop sneaking around the building. He reaches for his gun, though, once he sees Danny, but Danny is ready, and the perp is down with two bullets in his chest before he gets a proper chance to aim.
Danny approaches the downed man carefully, but he makes no movement. He kicks the gun away from the guy's hand before crouching down to check for a pulse. There is none. While that's one less bad guy to worry about, his element of surprise is now gone. He straightens back up and listens for sounds of movement, but there's no indication of where the other men might be. He continues moving forward, nearing the far edge of the building, still intent on drawing any potential fire away from Charlotte's hiding spot.
He peers around the corner, but there's no movement from the opposite side of the building. He had expected maybe one of them to come from the back in a search for the girl, but maybe they are both still inside. He looks around for a place to perch, to keep an eye on the front of the building. If he can find the right position, he can reduce the risk of a stray bullet flying in the direction of Charlotte. If they're aiming at Danny, their bullets will be going in the opposite direction from her. He can fire back safely, knowing just where to avoid.
He starts to head toward a van parked nearby for cover, but before he makes it there, he hears a door opening behind him. He twists around, aiming, but the man that appears in the doorway doesn't lift his weapon.
"Five-0! Weapon down!" Danny instructs loudly.
The man eyes the body on the ground, and Danny thinks that's good. He seems to not want the same fate, and crouches down to place the gun on the ground before him.
"Face down on the ground!" Danny orders. He's relieved this one isn't shooting, but he doesn't like this. He's still out in the open, and there's at least one more man unaccounted for. Trap, his mind screams at him. It could be a trap, but what else could he do? He thinks about retreating back towards the van for cover, but the decision is taken away from him before he can.
There's a sound of breaking glass and a forceful jolt to his chest that sends him off his feet. He hits the ground hard, unable to properly breathe. Dazed, as he tries to gasp for air, he scrambles to orientate himself. He needs his weapon. He doesn't remember dropping it, but he knows it's no longer in his hand. Before he can get his bearings straight, there's a shadow, and the pain in his chest multiplies as a heavy weight presses against it. Stars dance behind his eyes, blurring the view of the figure above him. He can tell it's a boot, though, that's pressing harshly against his lungs.
"Where's the girl?" a voice asks from above him.
Danny can only answer with a wheeze as he tries to force air into his lungs. The weight lifts slightly from his chest, but the foot remains where it is. He's finally able to draw in a few ragged breaths.
"Where is she?" the man repeats. "Where's the girl?"
"What girl?" Danny asks stupidly between a groan and a cough.
"Don't play with me! You came for her!" The guy presses his foot slightly harder against his chest.
Danny groans in pain. His hands reach for the guy's foot, attempting to push back and relieve some of the pressure. It's no use. The man has the advantage of his entire body's weight pushing back.
"Haven't seen her," Danny lies through gritted teeth. "Not my fault you couldn't keep track of her."
It's stupid, Danny knows, to egg the guy on, but he needs to stall for time. Really, the team can't be that far out, can they?
A siren in the distance distracts the man above him, but Danny doesn't allow himself a moment of relief. As the kidnapper looks in the direction of the sound, Danny twists under him, using his hands to push off the boot as he brings his leg up to kick the man off balance.
There's a satisfying thump as the man hits the ground, but unfortunately, his grip on the gun doesn't loosen. Danny lunges for it, for the guy's hand and weapon, ignoring the pain in his chest as he moves. He grabs the hand with both of his and swings it harshly to the ground. The hand automatically releases the gun in pain, and Danny grabs for it, before the other guy can. He scrambles for purchase, but unfortunately, the other kidnapper has made his way over and is swinging his foot towards Danny's head.
When the steel-toed boot connects, Danny goes down hard in a crumpled heap.
Nausea rolls through him as he wakes. The side of his head pulses painfully with his heartbeat and every bump that jostles him. He has the horrible sensation of moving too fast while his head swims in displeasure. It takes everything in him not to lose the contents of his stomach. He breathes in slowly and carefully while the disturbing sensation settles a bit. When he feels like he might be able to keep everything inside of him, he slides his eyes open a little. His vision is blurry, and he has to blink several times to make out what he sees around him.
He's confused at first, unsure of the shapes shifting into focus before him. The low hum and the sensation of moving is what makes him connect the dots and realize where he is. It's not good. Of all the possible scenarios, he hadn't accounted for this one. He's in the back of a van that's clearly making it's way far away from the warehouse, far away from backup. Try as he might, he can't remember how he got here. He only remembers the pain of taking a shot to the vest, and a boot pressing down as he lays helpless on the ground. The way his head aches and swims, he knows he must have taken a hit to the head.
And backup didn't arrive soon enough.
Shit, Danny thinks. Enough time has passed that the jerks had time to load him in the van and take off. No sound of sirens following either. But the team should have arrived at the warehouse by now. They'll realize he's missing.
His hands are cuffed together, bound by his own set of cuffs. He shifts, fiddling shakily with the edge of his pocket, only to discover that his keys are gone. He thinks of his phone briefly before remembering where he left it. That's fine, he tells himself. They would do a thorough search of the area anyway, but this way, they'll find Charlotte much faster. The kidnappers would have known to ditch the phone before taking him anyway. This way, it had been put to good use.
He really hadn't thought of this scenario, not that there had been much time to think. He knew he'd been taking a risk by going in alone, but there's no way he would have left the young girl to escape on her own. He knew he'd make himself a target by drawing their fire away from her hiding spot. He'd been expecting the kidnappers to shoot at him, shoot him, or escape while they had the chance. Leave him for dead, even. They had the very opportunity to do that, to kill him. Instead, they've taken him as a hostage, maybe as an insurance policy in case they were chased.
Danny jolts back into awareness as the doors of the van are opened. He must have passed out, because they've clearly stopped. The two men are standing at the back of the van, guns in hand.
"Get out," one orders.
Danny does as told, shifting uncomfortably into a seated position. His ribs hurt where the bullet hit his vest, but his vest is still on him, he realizes. Maybe it's worth the risk to make a move as he gets out of the van. He shifts again slowly, scooting forward on his butt until he reaches the edge of the van. Before he can really calculate any sort of move, one of the men presses a gun against his neck.
"Don't try anything," he orders, as if he can hear Danny's exact thoughts.
He decides to listen, to wait for a better opportunity. If they wanted him dead, they've had ample opportunities to kill him and ditch his body along the way.
The world spins when Danny finally stands up. He isn't given a chance to get his head on straight before he's shoved forward, gun still on his neck and a hand grasping the back of his vest. He stumbles, but the man's grip on his vest keeps him from falling to the ground. As he's led forward, he tries to get a good look around for future reference if he gets a chance to make a move. It's hard to focus, however, with his head still swimming sickeningly. He can tell they are in a garage, though, so no hope of a neighbor seeing them and calling it in.
Before he can take much more in, he's being led into the house that's attached. The place seems empty, no furniture or decorations. It's either new or currently un-lived in. Again, he looks for possible weapons and exits. Weapons seem nonexistent, but he tries to keep track of the layout of the house. He's led to an open doorway with a staircase leading down to a basement. Typical, Danny thinks.
He's only a couple of steps down when the guy releases the hold on his vest. Danny turns, but the door is slammed shut in his face. He tries the door for good measure, but it's locked. He hears something being shoved in front of it, so he won't be able to break it down either. He doesn't think he has the energy right now anyway. He's still dizzy and decides he better go down the rest of the stairs before he falls down them. There's no railing, just the wall along one side of the stairs. He braces his hands against the wall for support as he slowly makes his way down the stairs.
He shuffles further into the basement, still using the wall to steady himself. He goes to the far side of the room, sinks down to sit with the wall to his back and the stairs in front of him. At least he'll have a better vantage point from here.
He should try to form a plan, but he needs a moment to get his head settled. The basement is one large room. Like the upstairs, it's empty. There's one window at ground level, but it's small. Even if he had something to climb on, he doesn't think he could fit through it. Huh, he huffs. An eight year old girl is a better escape artist than him.
He startles when he hears the thing being shifted away from the door at the top of the stairs. Time has slipped away from him again. Whatever the guy had thumped his head with must have been hard or at least a powerful hit. He's sure he has a concussion. It would explain why he can't stay focused for very long.
He sees feet first, coming down the stairs, two sets of them. Even if he had been aware enough to form a plan of attack, it's still two men against one. Two guns against none.
"You're going to give me your boss's phone number," one man states as they cross the room. They stop several feet in front of him.
"I am?" Danny asks, feigning innocence, like he doesn't know exactly where this is going.
"Either you give me his number, or we waste time, and I call the police. Then, they're going to waste more time deciding if it's a scam or not before finally transferring me to the right number. Your choice."
Danny pretends to think about it before he rattles off Steve's cell phone number. The guy pulls out a phone and calls the number, unfortunately bringing the phone to his ear, so Danny can't hear Steve's side of the conversation.
"I have your boy," the man says into the phone.
Danny holds back a snort and attempts to hear what Steve is saying. He can hear his voice coming lightly through the speaker, but he can't make out any of the words.
"I want double. I figure your boy here is worth more than the little girl anyway."
Danny fights a snort again. He isn't worth anything. Police don't negotiate with criminals. It's a risk he took as soon as he took an oath to protect and serve. But he's not going to tell the guy he won't get his money. Steve will play along, and so will Danny.
After a moment, the guy takes the phone away from his ear and presses a button.
"Danny?" Steve's voice filters louder through the speaker.
"I'm fine, Steve. Did you find my phone?" Danny asks.
"Yeah, buddy. It's safe and sound."
Danny breathes an internal sigh of relief. He hadn't expected anything less from the team, but now he can focus on his own predicament, knowing for sure that Charlotte is safe.
"Good," Danny replies, trying to think quickly. "Wouldn't want to subject it to any new developments. You know me, double the trouble, double the fun."
The man takes away the phone before he can say anything else. He hopes Steve will understand what he means. He'll at least know he would try to give him any clues to his whereabouts. The double trouble/double fun should be obvious. Danny had told Steve he thought there were three guys in the warehouse, so he's simply confirming there are two left. He's not sure about his other hint. He's pretty sure the house is new. The basement looks unfinished, and the upstairs looked new and unused. It's a safe bet that the house is still being worked on.
"You got your proof. He's fine for now. Same deadline. I'll be contacting you with the drop location."
He hangs up and shoves the phone back in his pocket, addressing Danny. "You might be worth the trouble after all."
The men leave, and Danny hears the scrape of something again as they lock and block the door to the basement. Danny breathes a sigh of relief, wincing at the ache in his ribs. He adjusts his position, attempting to relieve the constant pressure. He could really use a comfortable chair or bed or even a cushion at this point. He'd like to loosen the straps of his vest, too, but since the kidnappers have left it on him, he decides it's better to leave it for extra protection should things go sour.
He glances around the basement again, verifying that it's as empty as he initially thought it was. Even the stairs are bare, just basic wood slats for steps and a few supports going up and down. He wouldn't even be able to hide under there for a surprise attack. They would see him before he even got a chance to move. He has no doubt the team will find him. Hopefully, Charlotte can help, give them descriptions and any information she might have overheard. They've got a lead now, a body to identify, and hopefully they can connect it to the other two guys. The warehouse was planned, but this house was not. They'll be a connection, a mistake, somewhere along the line, and the team will find it. Danny just has to bide his time until they do.
He can tell by the way they come down the stairs the next time, that it isn't going to be good. He steels himself, ready for anything. The man puts the phone on speaker again.
"Your boss is asking for a deadline extension," he says as he approaches Danny with a smirk.
He can see the kick coming, and he tries to block it with his arms. The cuffs dig painfully into his wrist as the boot hits there instead of his chest. His hands, uncoordinated and slightly numb from the first hit, are unable to block the second. The boot lands home, right near the area where the bullet is still lodged in his vest. The vest offers little protection for his already hurt ribs, and he gasps in pain, feeling like he's taken another bullet to the chest. He can vaguely hear Steve calling his name through the speaker of the phone as he sinks sideways to the floor, gasping for air once again.
"Next time, I'll take the vest off."
Danny's not sure if he's speaking to him or to Steve, but it doesn't really matter. The threat is clear. He tries to focus, to pay attention to what else is going on, but most of his focus is on breathing. By the time he's able to concentrate again, the men are gone. He hopes they don't come back and do the same without the vest. They could cause serious damage to his ribs or lungs if they haven't already. He can deal with the pain, but if he's unable to breathe, he's not going to last long enough for Steve to find him.
He tries to sit back up, but his breath hitches, and his chest aches terribly in that position. He lays back down on his side, with his back still against the wall. He's still in pain, but it's better than when he sits up. His wrists hurt, too, he realizes, as his focus is able to shift away from the pain in the chest. He brings his hands up, laying them in his field of vision. The right cuff had dug in deep enough to draw blood. He swallows slowly, trying to quell the rising nausea as he watches the blood trail down slowly from his wrist to the floor.
He drifts in and out of an uncomfortable haze until loud noises start to filter into his brain. He's shifted onto his back currently, still unable to find a comfortable position. It's dark now, he notes. He's not sure if there had ever been a light on down here or if it has just been shut off. There's no light coming from the small window any more. Several hours must have come and gone since his abduction for it to have gotten dark outside. He closes his eyes again. He needs to rest while he can, he thinks.
The scraping noise alerts him to the presence of the men coming back down and jolts him out of his daze. He stays where he is, but he turns his head and watches in confusion as a flashlight is used to guide them down the stairs. Was this place so new that there weren't even lights installed yet? The unimportant thought drifts through his mind until the light flashes in his direction. He slams his eyes shut as spikes of pain flash behind them.
"Danny!"
Steve must be on speaker phone again as the guy approaches. Danny feels useless and vulnerable. Unable to open his eyes, he braces himself for the impact of another boot. It doesn't come, though, and he remembers the promise of the removal of his vest for the next one. But no one's reaching for his vest either. Instead, a hand cups his cheek gently.
"Danny? Can you hear me?"
Still uncertain, Danny slides his eyes open a crack. The light is no longer directly shining into his face, so he blinks blearily. There's no boot ready to strike, but someone is crouched down next to him. He finally manages to bring his sight up and focus on the form next to him.
"Steve," Danny breathes, closing his eyes again in pure relief.
"I'm here, buddy," Steve assures him, shifting his hand to Danny's shoulder. "I got you. Where are you hurt?"
"Two of 'em," Danny mutters instead of answering. It's important for Steve to know how many bad guys might be lurking around the house.
"We got them, don't worry. Can you keep your eyes open? Tell me where you're hurt, buddy. I need to know the situation."
Danny slides his eyes open again as Steve taps his cheek gently. He looks up at Steve and suddenly wants nothing more than to ease the worry that's clearly spread across his face. He can see it even in the low light.
"Uh, took a shot to the chest," Danny finally answers. "Vest took it, but that asshole decided it was a good place to kick me, too... My head? Don't remember how that happened."
"Okay, just take it easy. We've got an ambulance on the way."
"Great," Danny says unhelpfully. He groans as Steve takes his hands in his and unlocks the cuffs.
"Sorry," Steve apologizes, gently laying Danny's hands back down.
"S'ok," Danny assures him. "You're here." That's all that matters, he thinks. He can deal with the pain. He's simply glad they've found him. He lifts his head up, realizing Chin and Kono have also joined them. "Can we get out of here now?"
"EMTs should be here soon."
"Then we can meet them outside," Danny counters. "I'd like to get out of this place. Sooner, the better."
Danny slowly sits up, ignoring Steve's attempts to keep him laying down. Seeing that he's not going to listen, Steve helps him stand up. He deliberately pushes past the dizziness when he reaches his full height. He suddenly really does have to urge to get out of this room. Out of this house and into some fresh air. Steve guides him over to the stairs and hovers directly behind him with his hand on his back the entire way up. Danny feels a nauseating sweat break out as he ascends the stairs, but he pushes himself to make it to the top.
"Which way?" Danny mumbles when they reach the main floor. Despite his earlier attempts to catalog the layout of the house, he doesn't know the quickest way out.
"You should sit down, Danny."
Steve has suddenly appeared in front of him, worry again etched in his expression.
"I need air," is all Danny says and moves again, allowing Steve to guide the way.
They make their way outside, with Steve hovering close, but Danny doesn't mind. The hand at the small of his back and Steve's presence by his side act as an anchor. The fresh air assaults Danny's senses as soon as they exit the front door. It feels good, having not realized until just now how stuffy the basement had been. The feeling makes him dizzy again, and he feels himself start to go down. Steve is ready, though. He wraps an arm around Danny's waist, holding his weight.
"Here, ease him down," he hears somebody say.
More hands guide him down, easing his descent to the ground. He should be more concerned, but he finds himself unable to worry as the same hands quickly remove his vest, and finally, finally, he feels like he can breathe again. He sucks in the air greedily as he's rolled onto his side.
"That's it, buddy," Steve soothes, rubbing a hand along his back. "Just breathe."
This time, when he wakes, it's slowly and without any real pain. He's still cautious, though, expecting it to assault him at any moment. When it doesn't come, he dares to open his eyes. The room is dim, with a little light coming from a doorway on the far side. It's light enough that Danny can make out the familiar shapes of a hospital room. And the familiar shape of his partner slumped in a chair beside his bed, sleeping.
He breathes in a sigh of relief. His ribs ache, but not like before. It's a dull feeling, just on the edge of being bothersome. Clearly, he's been given pain meds. His right wrist is wrapped in a bandage, and he's attached to an IV and other monitoring equipment. His head doesn't feel too terrible either, but it still swims a bit when he turns his head to get a better look at Steve.
"Danny?" Steve shifts in his chair, leaning closer to his bed as he's suddenly alert to his movements.
"Mmm," Danny grunts tiredly in greeting.
Steve places a hand on his arm, above the bandaged wrist. "How's the pain? Do you need anything?"
"M'fine," Danny answers. "Everyone okay?" Though he thinks he remembers seeing the team, he still really doesn't know what had gone down at the house, before or after his rescue.
"Yeah, Danny, everyone is good. Bad guys are dead, no one else was hurt."
"Charlotte?" Danny inquires. He knows he's being overprotective. Steve had said she was fine, but he knows Steve could also have been lying just to keep him calm at the time.
"She's good. She's at home with her parents," Steve smiles shortly before his face turns serious. "Nothing to worry about except yourself, all right?"
Steve's words reassure him, and Danny relaxes with the knowledge that everyone is safe. "How'd you find me?" he asks.
"We can talk later, Danny, just rest."
Danny shrugs against the bed. "I'm awake, and I'm curious."
"Fine," Steve leans back in his chair. "Simplified version, we ID'd the guy you shot. We connected him to his two buddies. One of their brothers owned the new property they took you to."
"That's it?"
"Yeah, that's it," Steve answers. "You can get more details later if you want, but you have a couple of broken ribs and a serious concussion. You need to rest."
Danny notes the irritated tone in Steve's voice. "You mad at me? For going in alone?" he asks. "I really was going to wait until I saw her trying to escape. You'd have done the same thing."
Steve sighs, running a hand through his hair. "No, Danny. I'm not mad," he says, softening his voice. "Just not happy about how everything played out. You did good. I'm proud of you, buddy. Charlotte is home and safe because of you. I just wish you hadn't gotten hurt in the process."
"I'm fine, babe," Danny assures him. "Not exactly how I thought it would play out either, but Charlotte's safe. That's all that matters."
"You matter, too, Danny," Steve says seriously, leaning forward again.
Danny smiles softly, quirking an eyebrow. "Yeah?" he teases.
Steve smiles back. "Yeah," he agrees. "You do. Don't forget that."
Danny closes his eyes, still smiling, letting Steve's safe presence lull him into a restful sleep.