A/N: Hello everyone!

Thank you so much for all the reviews and the alerts. I was just overwhelmed by the interest in this story! I'm so happy people are reading it! You make me keep going.

Here is chapter two, very Danny and Kono centered, but it's all about the working relationship and almost a brother and sister playfulness between them. I hope you like it.

As always I don't own anything.

If you can, leave a review!

Thanks again.

Chapter 2: A Side Project

Kono walked into the Five-O office, the following morning, to find Danny leaning over the Smart Computer, deep in thought, his brow furled as he shifted through pictures and files. Danny wasn't usually the early riser; he liked his sleep, was more of a night owl and usually spent his time in his own office, leaving the technology to Kono and Chin. He was never late, by any stretch, but he didn't like to be the first one in and as Kono walked through the empty office space, she saw the oddity in the situation. Danny had a computer in his office, he had access to all his files there and usually left the big computer and all the high tech equipment alone, but today he was busy, expertly shuffling through the technology, oblivious that she had joined him, as she shot images and files around the room to other monitors that hung off the walls.

"Stop thinking so hard Danny, there is smoke coming out of your ears," Kono joked as she placed a hand on his shoulder and hipped checked him to one side.

"You're funny," Danny stated sarcastically but continued his work.

"Do we have a new case?"

"Nah, not yet, I'm just curious about something I heard yesterday," Danny answered. "This is all off the record, my own investigation. It's probably nothing."

"You're searching the foot hills and farm land because you're curious?" Kono asked suspiciously, "while using our satellite access?"

"Alright," Danny stated rubbing at his temples, "I could use a fresh perspective but it could be nothing, it's probably nothing or I'm just jumping to conclusions."

"I don't know what you are talking about, but if your instinct is telling you it's something, then it's probably something." Kono smiled and looked more closely at the images. "Trust yourself Daniel Williams, you haven't steered yourself wrong in a long time, don't be doubtful. What am I looking at?" she asked and looked down at the map and a familiar area of the island.

"Alright, I have this friend…"

"Shocking, Daniel Williams has a friend inHawaii?" Kono joked.

"Shut up!" Danny laughed.

"You're becoming one of us," she giggled.

"This is why I wasn't going to tell anyone," Danny sighed, but she had brought a smile to his face.

"I'm just bugging," Kono added, "I really do want to help."

"Alright," Danny stated as he rolled his eyes at Kono, "my friend owns a farm, it's more a boarding stable."

"You're a cowboy at heart, aren't you?" Kono asked excitedly, "I knew there had to be something or you and McGarrett wouldn't get along as well as you do!"

"Focus Kono!" Danny scolded.

"Sorry."

"Anyway, she's having water issues," Danny explained and zoomed in on the map of the area, "this river runs down from the mountains right through her property and feeds much of her land. We've also had a lot of rain, enough to keep the water flowing and her crops growing, but her well is dry and she had to import clean water to the farm."

"Something is tapping her well," Kono stated.

"So I'm not crazy, it does seem suspicious?" Danny asked.

"Very suspicious," Kono answered, "but why and does the well look tampered with?" she asked.

"I couldn't investigate without being obvious. I rode out along the irrigation ducts and didn't see anything suspicious." Danny explained, "She's bringing water in, not leaving it in the well, but in a storage tank for the horses and she's pumping water to irrigate her fields from the river.

"Something isn't right Danny, but we can't begin to speculate without further investigation. Would your friend let us snoop around?" Kono asked.

"We'd have to go out on our own time. She probably wouldn't mind, but at the same time she told me not to worry," Danny said as he shifted before the table and turned to look Kono in the eyes.

"That wasn't the right thing to say to a Williams," Kono smiled.

"Yeah, I know, it's like my kryptonite," Danny sighed.

"It's not a weakness, it just the way you are." Kono said sympathetically.

"I just can't let things go, but I really feel like something is going on here that does merit some looking into."

"I completely agree with you," Kono smiled, "and I'm on board."

"I'd like to keep this on the down low, Kono, at least until we know what we are dealing with." Danny said seriousness written all over his face.

"You're secret's safe with me, but I don't know how much help I'll be out on the range. I've never ridden before and I don't know much about farming," Kono explained sadly.

"That's not the problem; I've been riding all my life. I can teach you. It will be nice to have a second pair of eyes, however, and it's going to be more detective work than anything else." Danny smiled.

"I'm totally in then," Kono stated happily, "but you know, Chin did search and rescue training in the mountains. He's got a pretty good handle on that kind of tracking and he rides, not as much anymore, but he used to. You may want to get him involved."

"I don't know," Danny sighed, "if I get the team involved, I have to get McGarrett involved, and I don't know if I want the navy invading my one quirky release. You know what I mean?"

"You think Steve would judge you for riding?" Kono asked.

"It's not that, and I don't just ride. I have a persona to keep up. I'm Mr. Jersey. Steve doesn't need to see the country child and the rodeo skill. He needs to believe that I am the city slick, street savy detective that he's always believed me to be. Also, he thinks I hate the great out doors, what would he do if he found out that I can track like a pro and rope and tie a calf in 14 seconds?" Danny asked with a sly smirk on his face, "super man has his secrets, why can't I have mine? I also worry that if he found out he'd bite my head off for not telling him sooner, like I don't trust him or something, but I do."

"I can see where Steve would be hurt by the secrecy, but I see your point too," Kono smiled, "and I don't believe all the rodeo stuff, you're pulling my leg on that," she added and punched him in the shoulder. "You are lying right?"

"I'll never tell," he winked, "the truth is I was a junior rodeo champ in the Eastern most state on the circuit. My grandparents, on my father's side, owned a cattle farm and I spent my summers on the ranch up until I moved out here. Grace has been around horses and cows since she was a baby and Rachel rode, English, but still it's something we all did together." Danny explained.

"So, you're Kahuna then?" Kono asked in disbelief.

"If you mean pro, then yes I am." He smiled.

"That's incredible Danny," Kono smiled, "that is really something to be proud of. I'm glad you kept it up."

"It was one of the first things I looked for when I got here. I needed the ranch, it helped with so much after I came here. I met Gloria at a farmers market within the first week of being inHawaii, she took me out to her farm and I've been going ever since." Danny explained. "I even had my horse, the one I bought when he was only a foal, and broke and trained. I had him brought out here. He's a champ too; I have some serious titles on that horse. It cost so much to bring him across country and then aboard a ship across the pacific, and I worried like a father with a sick child, but Target made it alright and is thriving inHawaii." He laughed, "I could have bought a house when I got out here, or another horse for that matter, but instead I opted for a shitty apartment and MY beautiful black Arabian."

Kono laughed at the story, but she was touched by the sentiment in which Danny told it. It was clear that a major part of his life had been a secret to them all, but he was proud and independent, "I can see why you'd want to keep that from Steve," she smiled as she wrapped her arms around Danny in a bear hug.

"We fight for dominance enough," Danny laughed returning the hug. "Let the super SEAL think he's the only adventurer on the team and I'll just live the quiet life of a gentlemanly cowboy."

"I wanna meet Target, when can we go to the farm?" Kono asked excitedly, "I'm on board one hundred per cent. Just tell me what you want me to do and take me to the farm, please!" she begged.

"Alright, we'll go out after work to investigate," Danny laughed.

"Yes!" Kono cheered.

"But, for now, we have a state to protect."

"Whatever you say, Detective," Kono winked and touched her nose, "I will not say a word." She added and began shuffling around to find something that was more official Five-O business.