Disclaimer: I don't own H50

Author's Note: Ok guys, here it is! The sequel to my "On the Street" story! Thank you for all of you who reviewed/favorited/alerted that story. I hope you enjoy this one! (if you haven't read it, you should! Lol though you could probably understand this one without reading that one. But you should still read it. XD)

Chapter One

It was a brisk spring morning in New Jersey with cars hustling down the road, street vendors yelling on the streets. The air was heavy with the smell of exhaust and hog dogs and too many people in too little space but the inhabitants were so use to it, they didn't even notice. It was just another day.

For Claire Williams, it was not just another day. Even though the sun was shining outside her kitchen window, she couldn't feel more blue. She was currently laying on her kitchen floor, trying not to move as the throbbing all over her body protested even her breathing. Each breath was shallow and riddled with pain. Her eye was swelling and her throat burned under the bruises that were forming in the shape of a large hand around her neck. She would need to pull out a scarf to help hide this latest round. If she didn't want the bruise on her eye to get so bad she couldn't conceal it, she'd have to get herself up and to the freezer for an ice pack soon. If he returned and she was still on the floor, it would only infuriate him further and she would have even more bruises to worry about. But still, she remained where she was.

She didn't really know how her life came to be this bad. She was a Williams, a tough, take no prisoners, be in control Williams and yet she'd managed to lose everything and become the quiet, submissive girlfriend that she swore she would never be. Now, she needed help. As a Williams, it didn't come easy to ask for help and she'd been determined to make it though this on her own. That is until last night when her big brother, Danny, called from Hawaii to check on her. Their brother, Matt had really screwed up his life and in the aftermath, caused Danny some real heartache. He'd called to check on her, to apologize for not being a better brother and to let her know that he loved her. Claire had almost told him the truth, but she didn't.

Instead, she told him how everything was ok. How she changed jobs since the last time they had spoken and was now a dance instructor at a local studio. How Glen just got a promotion at work and they were thinking about buying a house. How she missed him and they really should talk more.

Glen had gotten home just as she said good bye. He ripped the phone from her hand and looked at the caller ID. Furious with her for talking to her family, which he had strictly forbidden, Glen had knocked her around and left her on the kitchen floor as he stormed out of the house.

But hearing her big brother's voice after nearly two years of not speaking to anyone in the family, hearing that he still loved her, had stirred something in Claire. As she lay on the kitchen floor, broken and bruised and so low the only place she could go was up, she mustered up the resolve and determination that had been buried for so long. Her brother had reminded her of one thing: that she was not alone.

Carefully, she pushed herself up off the floor, grimacing as the bruises dotting her body screamed in protest. A glance at the clock above the stove told her it was ten o'clock. Glen would come home for lunch to check on her in two hours. As she shuffled down the hall to the bedroom and pulled out a suitcase, she was determined to be long gone by then.

…

"Danny, come on!" Leilah rolled her eyes to the ceiling and stood, hands on hips, in Danny's small apartment, waiting for him to come out of the bathroom. "You've been in there gripping about getting shot for an hour. Our reservation is for seven and we're going to be late if you don't get a move on."

The bathroom door opened and a very annoyed Danny stepped out. Leilah could see the bandage wrapped around his arm as he shrugged into his crisp white shirt. She couldn't help but grin at the sight of his bare chest under the open shirt, with his black slacks hung loosely on his hips.

"Alright, alright," Danny muttered as he looked around for his tie. "Of course, I wouldn't have to complain if I had a normal partner, that did normal things and didn't try to turn every little situation into a damn Wild West shoot out. He could have at least warned me to duck before instigating the whole incident."

Leilah smiled as she picked up Danny's tie and wrapped it around his neck. She rested her hands on his chest, enjoying the feel of the muscles rippling beneath her fingers before she began buttoning up his shirt, "Let's not think about it tonight. You promised me a nice, romantic dinner with no talk about work."

As she buttoned the last button, Danny slid his arms around her and pulled her close. He placed a light kiss on her lips before kissing just below her ear, "We could just skip to desert."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Leilah grinned as she kissed him back. The idea of dinner becoming far less appealing as Danny backed her up to the wall and deepened the kiss. His knee slid between her legs and she curled her fingers through his hair. Danny's hand dropped to her thigh and he slowly began working his way back up when a knock at the door pulled them apart.

"Damn it," Danny muttered, resting his head on Leilah's shoulder. "That Steve has the worst possible timing ever! I'm not going to let him in. He can sit out on the porch all night for all I care."

"If you don't get it, he'll pick the lock and come in anyway," Leilah reasoned.

With a groan, Danny ran a hand though his hair to straighten the mussed locks and opened the door, ready for an all out rant aimed at Steve and his horrible timing. Only, it wasn't Steve standing on his front porch. A woman a few inches taller than himself with long blond hair stood there. She wore large sunglasses, a thin scarf, jeans and a t shirt under a light jacket. A large suitcase rested on the ground beside her.

"Claire?" Danny finally found his voice, his brow crinkled with concern and confusion.

"Hey Danny," She gave him a nervous smile before her gaze drifted back to Leilah who had come to stand behind Danny. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything." Claire fidgeted with the zipper on her jacket. "I should have called first."

Danny opened the door wider to let her in and reached for her suitcase, "Don't be silly, come in. Come in. What are you doing here?"

Danny ushered Claire to the couch, which was currently folded up into a couch rather than his usual bed. Leilah went to close the door only to have a hand shot out and stop her. Steve grinned at her, glancing down at her little black dress.

"Am I interrupting?" He teased.

Danny glanced over his shoulder, "Oh, geez, I should have known you would find your way here, too. Well, come in, you're letting the mosquitoes in."

Steve sauntered in and spotted Claire, now perched nervously on the couch; Danny was busy stowing her suitcase in the corner. "Hi," Steve held out his hand, "I'm Steve McGarrett."

Claire glanced at his outstretched hand but didn't shake it. If Steve didn't know any better, he would say she looked fearful, "I'm Claire. Claire Williams."

Steve's eyebrows shot up, "You're Danny's sister? You never told me you had a sister, Danny. Though I should have known, she dresses like she's from the mainland."

"Be nice, Steve," Leilah also held out her hand and this time, Claire tentatively shook it. "I'm Leilah. Steve and I both work with Danny."

"But only Leilah gets overtime hours with him," Steve winked at Claire and was glad when her lips broke into a small smile. He may not have been trained as a real cop, but he could definitely tell there was something going on with Claire. She was tense, nervous and only made eye contact for a second before looking to the floor.

Danny could sense it, too. He took a seat beside his sister and held her hand in his, "Is everything ok?"

"Um," Claire glanced at Leilah and Steve but it was impossible to read her expression with her eyes still hidden behind her sunglasses. "I-I just," Her voice faltered as she turned back to Danny. Taking a deep breath and telling herself that she could it, she had to do it, she pushed the words out of her mouth, "I need help, Danny."