ʻĀnela kiaʻi

Notes:
ʻĀnela kiaʻi is Hawaiian for guardian angel.

Disclaimer:
I own nothing, I'm just playing a little bit and try to return the boys as unscathed as possible.

Thanks:
As always a huge thank-you to JazzieG for the fast beta work, thanks that I can always rely on you!
Thanks to rewob17 for being my writing buddy ;-)

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose with his left hand and squeezed his eyes shut in a vain attempt to get rid of the lingering headache that had bothered him all day long. Turning off the engine of the Camaro he briefly leaned his head against the headrest and enjoyed the momentary silence. He took a few deep breaths, his right hand clawing around the car keys as he tried to concentrate on the cold metal between his fingers.

He had woken up even earlier than usual that morning, dizzy and slightly nauseous, but after an evening with a little bit too much alcohol he hadn't been too surprised about the way his head had felt. Steve usually didn't drink that much but this time of the year he always wanted to forget and he had found out that one or two glasses of bourbon helped somehow to keep the saddest memories at bay. The last few days had been difficult for him and Steve was just glad that the team had been busy with their latest case so he didn't have too much time to think about the date; March 15th, his father's birthday. His old man would have been 73 today and it should have been an occasion to celebrate, not to mourn – and certainly not to lead a raid on a bunch of drug dealers in an abandoned warehouse.

Heaving a deep sigh, Steve tried to chase away the memories of his father as he thought about the fact that the bad guys always seemed to hide in one of those huge warehouses. Cautiously blinking his eyes open when he felt his partner's inquiring gaze resting on him, Steve forced a smile onto his lips; Danny seemed to understand that he hasn't been in the mood for their usual bantering and so far the smaller man had held his tongue but now he obviously couldn't keep silent any longer.

"What's the matter with you today?" he heard Danny ask; the other man's voice filled with concern instead of the anger or annoyance that usually accompanied that very same question. "Are you alright?"

Was he alright?

To be honest, Steve had no idea what exactly was wrong with him today. He had felt a little better after his usual morning swim, the cool water of the Pacific helping a bit to suppress the worst of the pain but the annoying buzzing in his head just didn't want to go away, not even after swallowing a few pain killers. It wasn't really a headache and it was actually hard to describe what he was feeling; it was like someone was constantly whispering in his ear and the more Steve strained to understand the words the more the voice seemed to fade away.

"Steve, are you alright?" Danny's surprisingly quiet voice disturbed his musings once again and Steve felt a touch on his forearm, his friend's fingers providing a comfortable pressure against his skin.

Barely able to make out the words over the annoying buzzing in his head, he took a deep breath and answered with a slight nod. "Yeah, just a headache," he murmured, trying to reassure his partner with a forced smile. He knew that Danny probably didn't believe a single word he was saying but at the moment Steve just couldn't find the energy to search for the reason of his indisposition – not with the memories of his Dad lingering in his thoughts and certainly not with their current case and the imminent raid that required his full concentration.

"Are you sure?" Danny's voice was still gentle and filled with genuine concern and even before the other man removed his hand from his arm, Steve knew what he'd suggest next. "Why don't you wait in the car? SWAT is already here and Duke brought at least another twenty men with him, I'm sure we'll manage without you."

"No, I'm good," Steve replied immediately as he finally turned his head to look at his friend, not really surprised about the worry he saw in the other man's eyes. He took a few deep breaths and pushed the fatigue to the farthest corner of his mind, trying to make his smile a little bit more believable. "Honestly, Danny, you don't have to worry. I didn't sleep so good last night," Steve finally admitted, knowing that their conversation was far from over and that Danny would probably force him to go home as soon as he got the chance. "It's just a headache."

Not giving Danny the chance to reply, Steve opened the door and exited the car, narrowing his eyes against the bright sunlight. Hurrying to join his team, he left his partner behind as he gritted his teeth against the constant buzzing and whispering in his head.

Throwing a worried look at his partner every now and then, Danny kept silent during the whole drive to the old warehouse, totally against his usual behavior. He knew that Steve hadn't felt so good the last few days but knowing about the meaning of today's date for his friend he had decided to give him a little space. Danny knew how it felt to mourn for a family member and that it was sometimes just better to be alone with his memories.

But when he now took in the pallor of Steve's face and watched the other man closing his eyes and wearily leaning back in his seat, he couldn't hold his tongue any longer. "What's the matter with you today?" he finally asked, trying to keep his voice as gently as possible; the way Steve pinched the bridge of his nose and the constant frown on his forehead told Danny that the taller man was probably nursing one hell of a headache. "Are you alright?"

Danny knew for sure that something was wrong when Steve didn't answer his question immediately but just sat there with his eyes closed, the lines of stress on his forehead only smoothing slightly as he breathed slowly and deeply through his nose.

Looking out the window Danny saw that the rest of the team were already gathered in front of the large, black SWAT transporter, ready for action and only waiting for their leader; he exchanged a brief look with Chin and gave the older man a sign that they would join them soon.

"Steve, are you alright?" he quietly repeated his question, placing a hand on the other man's forearm as he waited for an answer, his brow furrowed in genuine concern. Danny suppressed an annoyed little sigh when he saw the forced smile on Steve's face and the slight nod of his head; his Neanderthal animal of a partner would never admit that he wasn't alright, never showing how he really felt.

"Just a headache," Steve murmured, as expected downplaying his condition.

"Are you sure?" Danny asked, only very hesitantly removing his hand from Steve's arm. "Why don't you wait in the car? SWAT is already here and Duke brought at least another twenty men with him, I'm sure we'll manage without you," he suggested although he knew that Steve would never agree to stay back.

"No, I'm good."

Steve's standard answer did nothing to sooth Danny's worry and when Steve finally turned his head and locked eyes with his partner, Danny wasn't really surprised that that the lines of pain were back on Steve's forehead. "Honestly, Danny, you don't have to worry," Steve added and his faked smile brightened a little bit when he admitted that he hadn't slept very well the night before. "It's just a headache," he repeated and before Danny was able to say anything else, Steve exited the car and walked toward the rest of his team with large, firm strides.

"It's just a headache, he says," Danny murmured with another little sigh, raising his eyebrows as he looked after his friend. He briefly scrubbed his hands over his face before he climbed out of his Camaro and slowly followed the taller man. Danny couldn't help but notice Steve's tensed posture and the way he kept his shoulders a little bit too straight; McGarrett might perhaps be able to fool the others but Danny knew his partner well enough to see that the headache was bothering him more than he cared to admit and he swore to himself that he'd make Steve go home and rest as soon as this case was over.

Walking over to the rest of his team, Danny was just about to readjust the fasteners of his Kevlar vest when he heard the quiet sound of footsteps behind him. "What?" he asked in surprise, whirling around when someone softly called his name.

The premises should have been fenced off for everyone but HPD and Five-0, and as far as he could see all the police officers were gathered in front of the SWAT transporter; looking around Danny breathed out a nervous little giggle when he found the entire area around the old warehouse completely empty. "What the hell?" he growled under his breath, narrowing his eyes as he slowly turned around his own axis. A sudden gust of wind tousled his hair and Danny swore that, for a brief moment, he actually felt a touch on his shoulder.

"Danny, are you coming?"

He winced at the sound of Chin's voice but the interruption chased the weird feeling away and another moment later Danny wasn't sure anymore if he had really felt anything.

"Coming," he replied loudly, once more looking over his shoulder before he forcefully shook his head and finally stepped next to his partner. Trying to concentrate on Steve's voice, Danny only listened with half an ear to the explanations their boss was giving the SWAT team; they had already thoroughly discussed the plan of action and Danny knew exactly where everyone had to be and what they had to do, so he couldn't prevent his thoughts as they travelled back to the strange feeling he had just had. There was no one around and yet he had been so sure that someone was standing behind him and calling his name. A shiver of foreboding ran down his spine but at the same time he felt secure, guarded; the dichotomy of those feelings caused him to shake his head in confusion and he wearily wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead.

He had absolutely no idea what was going on but before Danny could sort out his feeling about the weird sensation, McGarrett gave the sign to attack and soon the raid was in full swing.

"Well, that was fast," Danny said contentedly, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he removed his Kevlar vest and tossed it into the trunk of his Camaro. He turned around when he heard Chin breathe out an affirmative snort and grinned slightly. "And not even danger magnet McGarrett managed to ruin the day this time."

Silently nodding, Chin briefly returned the smile and looked expectantly at Danny for a moment before he jerked his head toward their boss. "Any idea what's wrong with him these last few days?" the older man asked quietly, a hint of concern coloring his usually Zen-like voice.

Slamming shut the trunk lid Danny shoved both hands into the pockets of his pants and pensively nibbled on his lower lip; he slightly turned his head, frowning when he threw a look at his partner who was standing a few feet away, just about to remove his own vest as he talked to the SWAT captain, probably thanking the man for his help. Even from the distance Danny could see that Steve's fingers were slightly trembling when he raised his hand to wearily rub his temple. Worriedly watching his friend for a moment Danny finally heaved a deep sigh and turned his attention back to Chin. "You know him, it's almost impossible to make him talk even on one of his better days," Danny tried to explain with an almost invisible shrug of his shoulders, briefly waving his right hand through the air before he shoved it back into his pocket. "He wouldn't tell me but I guess it's about his father's birthday."

"Yeah, I thought so," Chin nodded sadly, for a moment caught in his own thoughts about John McGarrett; he had always highly appreciated the man and he still dearly missed him, not only as his mentor but also as a friend.

The two teammates stood in silence, Danny's eyes still trained on his partner. He slightly shook his head in confusion when he felt the sudden urge to be at Steve's side; the feeling of imminent threat was constantly increasing and it was almost like someone was physically shoving him towards his friend.

"I think I'd better check on him," he murmured when he watched Steve scrubbing his hands over his face and hair before he wearily leaned against one of the wooden crates behind him, looking every bit as if he was ready to drop down without that support. Briefly averting his eyes from Steve when he remembered that they still had a case to close, he turned back toward Chin. "Do you mind if you handle things with HPD?"

"Don't worry, I have it covered," Chin interrupted him without hesitation, flashing Danny a reassuring smile. "Go. Make sure he's alright."

"Thanks," Danny replied absently, already on his way toward his partner, the feeling that the other man needed him almost overwhelming. He slightly grimaced in annoyance when he saw Steve giving him a little sign, of course he would just tell him again that everything was alright but this time Danny wouldn't let himself be fobbed off so easily. He had kept a close eye on his friend during the whole raid and even if he had to admit that Steve had handled things with his usual dedication and flawlessness Danny just knew that something was wrong.

Danny had barely covered half the distance when Steve suddenly doubled over, blindly reaching for the nearest crate for support. His Kevlar vest slipped from his hand and dropped to the ground and Steve groaned in agony as he pressed his flat hand against his temple.

"Shit," Danny growled worriedly, sprinting the last few steps to his partner. "Steve," he shouted, immediately grabbing Steve's upper arm with one hand to keep him upright, his other hand lightly pressed against the small of his back where he could feel the sweaty fabric underneath his fingers and the slight tremor that racked Steve's body. "Steve, what's wrong?"

Instead of answering the dark-haired man just groaned Danny's name between rapid gasps, his eyes tightly squeezed shut and a fine sheen of sweat covering his pale face. Unconsciously pressing his fingers into the skin of Steve's arm, Danny desperately tried to find out what was wrong, calling Steve's name over and over again in an attempt to get his partner's attention.

"Steve, come on, talk to me. What's wrong?" Danny asked, and he was just about to call for help when the trembling suddenly stopped and Steve stood up straighter with a surprised pant, shakily breathing in and out as he stared down at the smaller man.

"Steve, can you hear me?" Danny tried again, deeply worried about the sudden change in Steve's condition. His partner was still staring at him wide-eyed but it was clear that he was not really able to take in his surroundings. "Hey buddy, talk to me, what's wrong?" Danny asked, tightening his grip around Steve's arm as he let his gaze travel up and down Steve's body. He had absolutely no idea what was wrong with the other man, checking if he might have been shot or otherwise injured during the raid.

"I'm good," Steve's hoarse voice disturbed Danny's examinations and his eyes shot upwards to meet his friend's gaze. "It's gone," McGarrett murmured, slightly shaking his head as he averted his eyes and looked around in confusion. "It's gone."

"It's gone? What's gone?" Danny repeated louder than he had intended, his worry increasing another notch when he heard Steve's incoherent ramblings. "Steve, what are you talking about? Come on, man, you're scaring me here," Danny pressed on, not caring that his voice was laced with real fear that skyrocketed again when Steve just shook his head and started to smile. A billion different thoughts rushed through Danny's mind, starting with a possible stroke right through to a bunch of other, more or less absurd medical problems.

Closely watching his partner as he waited for an answer, Danny didn't know if he should be worried or annoyed about Steve's strange behavior. The lines of pain on the other man's face were gone and he looked a lot better than before, even if his complexion was still a lot paler than usually. "Steven, would you just please talk to me?" Danny asked when Steve's smile brightened a little bit, reluctantly loosening his grip around his upper arm a little bit.

There was a moment of silence and Danny was honestly contemplating the possibility to violently shake an answer out of his friend but then Steve's breath hitched in his throat and his eyes widened slightly. "No," he whispered, the tone of his voice so fragile and childlike that Danny instinctively stepped a little closer.

"What do you mean, no?" Danny tried to clarify Steve's statement, following the taller man's movement when he slightly turned around, apparently looking for someone or something. "No, you're not talking to me?"

Whatever Danny wanted to say next, his words were drowned out by the loud sound of a gunshot, cruelly disturbing the silence of the late morning. All sounds and voices around him seemed to stop for the amount of a heartbeat before hell broke loose when all the policemen started to move as one and shout at each other.

(tbc)

Already starting with a little cliffhanger... hope you liked the first chapter. Thanks a lot for reading, more soon!