The Love of Lightning and Ocean

Broken

A/N: I guess I’m in an angsty mood or something, because these plots . . . Anyways, I’m starting to work my way into seasons three and four, if you haven’t noticed. I now have all of the seasons at my house, so expect the ideas to flow. ;)

* * *

I sighed, wondering once again if this was a good idea. McGarrett might not take this well; he could lash out at me, saying he didn’t need any help. He’d be extremely pissed off, and may not exactly talk to me for a while. Yet, he could also be better, and heal just the tiniest bit. But the chances seemed slim, and lately, they were getting smaller and smaller.

He was worrying me like crazy. Getting no sleep, most nights. Nightmares growing in number. Sometimes, he didn’t even make it to bed, just slipping away in the chair downstairs or on the couch, leaving me in the cold bed upstairs. The first time I had thought nothing of it. It had been a long day, and I could tell it had wore on McGarrett both physically and mentally.

Lately, it’s been pretty much every other night, and when he did make it to bed upstairs, sleep didn’t always come. He was distant with me sometimes, like something was on his mind. I tried to get him to talk to me a few times, but so far, there was nothing.

And that nothing was what drove me the craziest. All I wanted to do was help him and see the old McGarrett shine again. I mean, yeah, there were times when he still joked and poked fun at us all. But when it didn’t seem forced, it was a darker humor than I liked. Darker was his whole personality, in one word. And even my light, so precious to him, couldn’t fight it alone. No matter how much I wanted it to.

I straightened. This had to - needed to - happen. I walked into the office, hoping for the best. One domino. It only took one to topple a carefully placed line. And that day, the first one tipped and destroyed everything, the things I knew and loved, in it’s path.

* * *

McGarrett’s POV

“Hey, Grover. Got a case?” I was sitting on the beach with a beer, relishing the Hawaiian sunset, when the Chicago native approached. Phoenix was at Danny’s; something about a movie, if I remembered correctly. She seemed a bit nervous, but I brushed it off. Probably finals for school in a few days. Regardless, I let her go have her fun with her brother.

The man shook his head. “Actually, I’m here on personal business.”

“Personal business?”

“Yeah. I was recruited, actually.”

I handed him a Longboard without having to ask, now fully curious. “Recruited?”

“Phoenix talked to me this morning.” he said slowly. My blood ran cold. What was she doing? Suddenly I remembered her anxiety before she left. Whatever it was, she was worried I wouldn’t like it. Already I treated him with distance.

“Yeah?” I replied cooly.

“She said you haven’t been sleeping, and asked me to talk to you about it.”

My blood boiled in anger. How dare she ask someone to play therapist. “I’m fine, so there’s no need to talk. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.” I started walking away.

“She’s scared.”

I stopped in my tracks, but I didn’t turn around. Voice filled with disbelief, I asked, “What?”

“She told me that you're her best friend, but you don’t confide anything in her anymore. And that you’ve been having nightmares. And although she didn’t say it, I could tell she was trying not to take it to heart. But it’s hurting her; hurting her more than it should.”