Author's note: OK, this is my turn to tackle the season finale. I'm sure my story is nothing like the second season opener will be. This story doesn't have nearly enough action, for one thing. My story is more about the guys getting back together and figuring out what the heck just happened.

— H50 —

Thin Ice in Honolulu

Chapter 1: They Take a Lot of Planning

— H50 —

Honolulu Police Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly braced himself before knocking on former Five-0 Detective Danny Williams' door. When Danny saw who was on the stoop, he came out with a rush, fist swinging. "You son of a …"

But Chin was prepared. It was a character flaw — Danny's own words — that when he was personally pissed, Danny swung for the face. When it was business, he could be more controlled, more creative and less predictable, but when his emotions were involved, he forgot about the potential for hand damage.

Chin caught Danny's flying fist in his left hand and pulled the smaller man forward with his right, muffling Danny's curses against his chest and trapping Danny's left hand between their bodies. Chin was painfully aware that he was still leaving himself open for retaliation — a knee in the groin or a head butt to the chin, but he hoped for just a moment to plead his case.

"Danny, please, give me a chance to explain," Chin hissed in his friend's ear. "I told you once I was in your corner a thousand percent. I still am, brah. The uniform doesn't matter. I'm still Five-0 at heart."

"Let me go," came the stifled reply.

The lieutenant released his friend, taking a cautious step backwards in case of resumed hostilities. Danny looked like hell, Chin thought. His angry eyes were rimmed with red and his face was haggard.

"You picked your side when you shoved Steve in that police car," Danny accused. That was the moment that rankled.

Chin spread his hands. "Brah, anyone else would have shot him. He choked an HPD officer unconscious and knocked out three members of Jameson's security detail. He was standing over her body with a smoking gun! He was lucky I got to him first! Danny, think! You know me. You know we've been set up. This was my chance to get on the inside where I might be able to help. I already asked Charlie Fong to collect evidence from Steve and I've been supervising the crime lab at the scene. Sooner or later someone's going to tell me I'm too close to this, but right now I'm the arresting officer and it's hard to freeze me out."

Danny used both hands to comb back his mussed blond hair. He was a passionate person who wore his emotions on his sleeve but he wasn't stupid. He was a damned good detective and was particularly good at reading people. Instinct, experience and friendship — everything told him that Chin was telling the truth. Unfortunately, that didn't improve the situation much. They were all still screwed.

"You'd better come in," the exhausted detective said.

Danny flopped down on the couch, rubbing his tired eyes.

"I don't know why I'm so mad at you. You're no worse a traitor than I am," the Jerseyan said sadly. "I let Steve down, didn't back him up when he needed it."

"No one can control Steve McGarrett when he's on a rampage, but I don't understand. How did it go so wrong, so fast?"

Danny reached for the open bottle of beer on the table in front of him. He didn't pick it up; he just rested his forefinger on the rim, drawing Chin's attention to it.

The beer was untouched, still full up to the neck, though it had been open long enough to grow warm and lose its condensation. Danny had been too deep in his thoughts — drowning in his unfathomable thoughts — to drink it.

He tapped the bottle. "This was my life yesterday, full and fizzy. Yesterday, I was happy. And today …" He snatched up the bottle and hurled it viciously across the room. It shattered spectacularly against a corner of the kitchen counter, sending shards of brown glass and foaming amber spray across the room. "… This is my life today."

"Danny!"

Tragedy was frozen in Danny's eyes. "Yesterday, Rachel told me she was pregnant with my child."

Speechless, eyes wide, Chin dropped into a chair across from his distraught friend.

A smile twitched on Danny's face in response to Chin's shock. "Yeah, I know," he said wryly. "Sleeping with another man's wife. But I didn't feel like that. I felt like I was reclaiming what I never should have lost. I never wanted to get divorced. I never stopped loving her, you know."

Chin just nodded.

"In the morning, Rachel said Stan was coming back and she was going to tell him about us. Later …" Danny pulled a piece of paper out of his wallet and slid it across the coffee table. It was a boarding pass for a flight to New Jersey dated today.

Chin's eyes opened wider.

"While we were investigating Laura's death, Rachel called me, said it was urgent that we meet. She told me she was pregnant and she didn't want to stay in Hawaii, which was Stan's home. She wanted to go back to New Jersey, right away.

"I was reeling, everything was happening too fast to think. I said, yes," Danny told his friend baldly. "It was my dream, Chin. Rachel and Grace back and a new baby on the way. I didn't want to leave Five-0, but …"

"But family comes first." No one understood that better than Chin.

"I was going to fly home with her, get her settled, then come back and finish up my outstanding cases. But everything spiraled out of control," Danny said.

Chin nodded, not wanting to interrupt the flow of Danny's thoughts. Something more than Steve's arrest had put that grief-stricken expression on his friend's face.

"I went to Steve's house to tell him, and he almost shot me. He'd broken into the governor's office and found evidence from the Champ box and evidence that not only proved Laura sent Steve the envelopes, but that Jameson knew about it."

"Phew!"

"Tell me about it!" Danny brushed back his hair. "Steve was wild, but I thought I'd talked him down." He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. "I should have known better. I should have stayed with him. I should have sat on him. But I had Rachel on my mind."

"So Steve went totally off the rails and we couldn't rescue him," Chin said. "And I had to arrest him on suspicion of murdering the governor."

"And I missed my flight."

For the first time, Chin realized there was a packed suitcase next to the door. Danny must have had it in the trunk of his car.

"So I came home," Danny said. A tear trickled unnoticed down his cheek. "I turned off my phone, opened a beer and sat down to think. It was my first chance to think, my first chance to breathe, since the car bomb went off. I was wondering how everything could happen at once and thinking about how pissed I was at you, and I remembered what you said about coincidences."

"They take a lot of planning." The lieutenant inhaled sharply. "No, it can't be. No."

"Yes," Danny said with resignation. "Wo Fat wanted to scatter Five-0 in all directions. He hit all of us at once. All of us."

"All?"

Danny looked up sharply. He realized Chin had left Five-0 before Ahuna showed up. "Chin, IA came just after you left. They're investigating Kono about a theft from the asset forfeiture locker."

"No!" That was a nightmare. Chin had just gotten out from under IA's suspicion, now Kono was dragged in. Worst of all, she was really guilty.

"The detective — Ahuna? — he said they had a witness," Danny said. "I told Kono to keep her mouth shut. I told her we'd get her out of this." He scrubbed his head with his hand. "And then everything went to hell. I didn't even check up on her, poor kid."

"I knew that part of the burned $10 million turned up," Chin said. "I told Steve. They probably traced some of the serial numbers back to the $10 million. Kono said there was an old woman who saw her, who said she was going to report her."

"But why did they associate that call with the asset forfeiture locker? Why pick out Kono of all the girls on the island? Why did they figure that day was the day the money was taken? It doesn't make sense, unless someone pointed the investigation at her," Danny argued. He'd had too much time to think about this.

"So, it was no coincidence they found the burned money yesterday, kick-starting the investigation that pulled in Kono," Chin realized.

"On the same day that Laura was blown up, leaving Steve's forged fingerprints all over her apartment," Danny said.

"On the same day HPD offered to reinstate me," Chin said sourly. "Probably the governor's suggestion."

"And we can't forget the haole from Jersey," Danny said bitterly. "Use his own family to distract him from his Five-0 family. Send him back home fat and happy and assume he'll forget about the crazy Navy SEAL who always got him in trouble."

"You can't be right," Chin protested halfheartedly.

"I am right. There is no baby. That was just bait," Danny said bleakly. "Rachel is working for Wo Fat."

"No, brah, not 'working for'," Chin said kindly. "They probably threatened her."

"Mm," Danny unhappily agreed. "If it was me, I'd have said something like, 'Take him to New Jersey or we'll kill him, and you and your daughter, too.'"

Chin was puzzled for a minute. That should have made Danny happier to think Rachel was trying to protect him, then the lieutenant got it.

"Shit! You've got to go! Your life won't be worth a shaved ice if you don't. And Grace and Rachel will be in danger."

Danny nodded. "I can't see any way around it. I've got to go to New Jersey and leave Steve and Kono in the lurch." His lip raised in a snarl. "But I'll be back once I make sure Rachel and Grace are safe and then Wo Fat will be sorry he didn't simply send a sniper after me."

"That would attract too much attention, brah. He prefers to dispose of his enemies subtly."

"Screw subtle," the Jerseyan growled. "I'm going to go McGarrett on his ass."

— H50 —

Chin checked his phone messages, found the one from Kono and called her back. "Cuz, I just heard about IA, are you all right? Tell me what happened." He listened for a while. "Suspended, pending investigation," he relayed to the detective. "No, I'm with Danny. No, we're not fighting any more. You did? Yeah, I know, he looks shell-shocked." He held his hand over the microphone. "She saw Steve when they were booking him. What?" he said back into the phone. "She did? Good for her. All right, I'll be over in a few. No, just me. Danny's got business. I'll explain when I see you. Keep your chin up, cuz. We'll get through this together."

"So?" Danny asked when Chin ended the call.

"IA put her in a lineup. She thinks that old woman picked her out."

"That doesn't prove anything," Danny said in disgust. "So Kono was loitering in that neighborhood wearing a funny costume on Christmas Eve. The money could have been taken any time. There were years it was unaccounted for. She never went in the vault, never touched the money. They'll never have enough evidence to convict her."

"But they can take her badge," Chin said. He, of all people, knew they didn't have to have evidence, only suspicion.

"So, why did this old lady come forward now or how did they find her? Was she a lookout for Wo Fat? Or am I just being paranoid?"

"It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you, brah," Chin said drily. "And they're definitely out to get you."

"You relieve my mind," Danny answered just as drily. "I've got another one for you to watch. Who warned you that HPD was coming for Steve?"

"Duke … you think?"

Danny shrugged. "I don't know anything, but why did he call you? That gave Steve a chance to get away and get into more trouble. Is that what Wo Fat wanted? Steve on the run?"

"I hate to think it, brah," Chin said, shaking his head.

"If Rachel could be working for Wo Fat, anyone could," Danny said flatly. "Where's Kono now?"

"With Jenna. Our little analyst managed to rescue most of the data we'd collected."

"Good girl. Here, you can add some more." Danny fetched a thumb drive out of his suitcase. "This is a copy of what Steve photographed in the governor's office."

Chin whistled. "Dangerous stuff."

"Just take that as a given," Danny advised. "We're not just skating on thin ice, babe. We're skating on thin ice under the Honolulu sun." He handed Chin the drive. "Take it to Jenna. I have more. I even mailed one to my mother in Piscataway for safekeeping."

— H50 —

"So, we're good, brah?" Chin asked as he stood on Danny's doorstep.

"I understand what you did, but …" Chin turned and Danny's fist caught him on the cheek. The lieutenant went down, looking up at his friend in surprise.

Danny massaged his bruised knuckles. "That's for not giving me a heads up," he said with a tight but genuine smile.

And for their smokescreen, Chin realized without resentment.

— H50 —

The bruise on Chin's cheek was growing as dark as his HPD uniform when he faced the press conference with Danny standing stiff and unfriendly at his side. Chin answered questions about the governor and McGarrett, being careful to use all the right words — suspect, alleged. No one asked about Kono, for which Chin was grateful. At least that investigation wasn't public.

"Detective Williams, are you involved in this investigation?" one reporter asked.

"That would be a conflict of interest," Chin said hastily.

Danny sneered at him. "I won't be involved in railroading, I mean investigating Steve McGarrett," he told the reporters. "I have a family emergency in New Jersey. I was supposed to leave yesterday …" They could probably check that. "But with everything going on, I missed my flight."

"I'll be taking the detective to the airport this afternoon myself," Chin said with a stern look at Danny.

"Always so thoughtful," Danny said sarcastically. "I seem to have worn out my welcome in Honolulu," he told the reporter. "Know about any openings for an unemployed detective?"

— H50 —

The press conference was over, but one sharp-eyed woman decided to scratch her bump of curiosity. She wended her way to Chin and Danny.

"That's quite a bruise, lieutenant. How'd you get it?"

Chin touched his tender cheek. "With all that was going on yesterday, I don't remember," he said stolidly.

"And you, detective. Your hand seems to be bothering you. Did you hit something?"

"You know, with all that was going on yesterday, I really don't remember," Danny said blandly, wondering if she worked for Wo Fat. He suspected everyone now.

Danny's phone rang and he excused himself.

"Rachel. Yes, I'm sorry I missed the plane. I guess you know why. It's been all over the news," Danny listened for a moment. "No, I promised. I'm coming. I'm booked for this afternoon. I'll get in tomorrow morning. I'll see you then. We've got a lot to talk about, babe."

— H50 —

Three HPD officers made a point of telling Steve that his friend was going back to New Jersey. They meant it to hurt, but Steve was relieved. Ever since he'd seen Kono giving up her badge in HPD, he'd felt a tremendous weight of guilt for getting his team into trouble. He was glad Danny was safe, he told himself. He was glad.

But lonely.

"Your lawyer is here," an officer said, breaking him out of his introspection.

Though he hadn't called a lawyer, Steve went docilely. Anything to get out of the holding cell.

"Commander McGarrett, remember me?" asked the woman in the interview room when they were alone.

Steve remembered a desperate phone call, a woman and her son fleeing a car targeted by a mad bomber.

"Meachum, right? Diana Meachum," Steve said.

"That's right. I'll be your attorney, if you're agreeable."

"Thank you," Steve said. "Can you tell me if my friends are OK? I know Chin's gone back to HPD." Though the lieutenant had murmured words of encouragement to Steve when he removed the prisoner's handcuffs. "And I heard Danny went back to New Jersey." He half-hoped that was some kind of cover story, but the lawyer just nodded her head in agreement. "What happened to Kono? She was under arrest?"

"She's being investigated for stealing $10 million. She's been staying at a friend's home, Jenna. Ms. Kalakaua said she's housesitting while Jenna goes home to Virginia. But Lt. Kelly told me really Kono is trying to avoid her nosy family."

Steve tried to smile at the little joke, but the thought of Kono separated from her family the way Chin had been was just too sad.

So Jenna was gone, too. Steve wondered who that left to help him. Someone was, or the lawyer wouldn't be there. Curiosity stirred his apathy.

"Who sent you?"

Meachum smiled to see the faint sign of animation on the weary face before her. "I'm not supposed to say, but I do have a message for you: 'Still got your back, babe'."

The smile started on Steve's lips then flashed across his whole face until his eyes blazed with renewed energy. He wasn't forgotten. Even if Danny was going home to Jersey, he was still looking out for his partner.

"Let's get started," Steve suggested to the lawyer. "It's a long story."

— H50 —

Next chapter: Denial of Service Attack