Disclaimer: Hawaii Five-0 and its characters belong to CBS. I just enjoy putting my own twist to this universe.

The Troubles of Matthew Williams

The next morning Steve and Danny arrived at the CIA building on the outskirts of Honolulu. Adam met them at the door. Steve introduced the two men as Adam handed them security badges as they signed in at the main desk.

As Adam was leading them to their lock up he briefed them on what he knew. "Your friend Bill Houseman arrived early this morning and met with Mr. Williams. So far, your brother doesn't seem to want to cooperate with us Detective Williams."

Danny sighed. "Call me Danny. I'm not surprised that Matt isn't cooperating. He doesn't like admitting when he's done something wrong or particularly stupid."

Steve placed a hand on Danny's arm causing him to stop. "Let me talk to him first." Steve held up his other hand before Danny could interrupt. "Let Matt vent his spleen on me first. I'm the one who helped capture him."

"I helped you Steve. I told you about the charter flight. He's my brother and my responsibility." Danny looked down fighting tears of anger, frustration, sadness and helplessness.

Steve moved his hand to Danny's shoulder, squeezing gently as he leaned down so he could look his partner in the eye. "Danny, what is it you always tell me? You're not responsible for Matt's decisions or actions. Ah, ah, ah. He may be your little brother, but he's a grown man and has to take responsibility for his decisions. Just like I have to let Mary take responsibility for her decisions. It goes against the grain for us big brothers. I'm here for you, and you know that Chin and Kono have your back too." Steve waited until he could see that Danny would eventually accept his words before continuing. "You can watch and if you don't like what I'm saying, have Adam stop me. Okay?"

Danny looked into his partner's eyes seeing the worry and care Steve felt for him. He knew Steve was right, it was just hard. He was the big brother; he was supposed to look out for his younger siblings. Danny nodded trusting Steve. Steve squeezed his shoulder but didn't say anything more on the subject.

Adam had moved ahead seeing that the partners needed to talk. So he offered what privacy he could. When the two men joined him he indicated the door on his right. "Danny, this is the viewing room. Your brother and his lawyer are already in the interrogation room. Would you like some coffee before we begin?"

Danny shook his head. He didn't think he could eat or drink anything right now. "No thank you Adam. Has the agency offered Matt a deal?"

Adam nodded. "Yes. In exchange for his testimony, we'll place him in WitSec. If your family would like to see him before we make him disappear, I can arrange it."

Danny nodded too overcome to speak. He knew that most agents or agencies wouldn't offer that for a witness, too dangerous.

Steve spoke for Danny. "Thanks Adam. I appreciate you going out on a limb like that. Is that the interrogation room?" Steve pointed to the door to Adam's left.

"Yes. You should know that Mr. Williams had tried to make Mr. Houseman leave but he wouldn't. Told Mr. Williams that he was hired by someone else and he had no say in the matter."

Steve smiled slightly. "That sounds like Bill. Are you ready Danny?"

Danny nodded and walked into the viewing room.

Adam patted Steve on the shoulder as he handed Steve some folders. "Don't worry; I'll take care of him. This is the information you requested."

"Thanks." Steve squared his shoulders putting on his game face before entering the interrogation room. He studied Matt for a moment seeing the mutinous set to his jaw. Ah, the good old Williams stubbornness. He could handle that. He nodded at Bill. "Morning Bill. Thanks for coming."

"Any time Steve. Mr. Williams doesn't want to talk, not even to me." Bill wanted to shake his head at the younger man's stupidity but remained quiet.

Steve sat down placing the folders Adam gave him down as he nodded thoughtfully. "Still doesn't want to talk? That's okay, I'll talk." Steve opened the first folder flipping through it quickly. He continued to peruse the papers seeming to ignore Matt.

Matt became restless waiting for McGarrett to talk. After about five minutes he couldn't take it anymore. Williams were not known for being able to stay silent. "Where's Danny? I have some things to say to him."

Steve looked up at Matt face blank. "I'm sure you do. Before you talk to him I think there are some things you need to know. First, I'm the reason you're here. I called my friend Agent Pierceton wanting to know more about what the two FBI agents had told us. Once I had the facts, I made sure that you would be arrested if you didn't listen to Danny."

Matt leaned forward. "I know Danny helped you. It's the only way you could have known about the charter flight, I used a name only Danny and I could know. So don't try and cover for my interfering brother."

Steve snorted. "Do you really think that I would need Danny's help to catch you? I've caught terrorists and assassins who outclass you in running from the law before I ever met Danny. Once I knew that you were in trouble I arranged to have you followed. Once you reached the airport, a simple phone call to the charter companies told the agents which plane you were going to be on, no matter how good your alias. Make no mistake, Danny was willing to help because he loves you and wants to make sure you stayed alive. My friend agreed to wait on the plane while Danny tried to get you to do the right thing. You walked on that plane breaking your brother's heart. You're damn lucky it was Agent Pierceton on that plane and not me. I might have broken a couple of your bones for hurting Danny."

Matt interrupted. "How sweet, the big bad Army guy wanting to defend his lover." Danny once told Matt that his mouth would get him in trouble one day, and he wouldn't be able to schmooze his way out. Matt realized that today might be that day when he suddenly found himself pulled out of his seat and lying halfway across the table with the chair hanging from his wrist facing an enraged Steve.

Steve had finally lost his temper, grabbing Matt by the collar to pull him across the table to snarl in a menacing voice. "Never talk about Danny like that! He's ten times the man that you are Williams. He's my best friend, and the brother I never had. If I wasn't straight, I would be honored to have a man like Danny as a lover." Steve shoved Matt towards his seat feeling some satisfaction when Matt missed and ended up sprawled on the floor with the chair on top of him. "If I hadn't met your parents during Danny's custody trial, I might wonder if you were really a Williams with your attitude but you look a great deal like your father. I have to wonder what you thought your stupidity would do to your folks and Grace. How is Danny supposed to tell Grace that her Uncle Mattie is a criminal and tried to run from his problems instead of facing them? What about your folks? What will they think? Do you realize that if you had stayed on your path you would have ended up dead?" Steve didn't shout, but it was a close thing. He was tempted to beat some sense into Matt Williams but wouldn't do that because it would only hurt Danny.

"You don't know that." Matt said weakly as he pushed the chair off and got up.

Steve's scowl deepened. "I do know. I was dealing with drug lords and scum like them while you were still in high school. Don't forget about Kipton and Markowitz. They would have killed you and not looked back. Then Danny would have had to tell your family that you were dead." Steve sat back studying Matt. His words were finally getting to him. Time to make his point while Matt was off balance. "You're right Fuentes might not have killed you, instead he might have threatened Grace, or your folks, to keep you in line, force you to launder more money. Maybe they would have forced Danny to lose evidence or even look the other way when Fuentes' people were selling."

Matt glared at Steve stating defensively. "No, it wouldn't come to that. It was a onetime deal."

Steve stared at Matt incredulously before scowling again. "You really expected to deal with a drug lord once and then walk away? What planet do you live on Williams? No one walks away from a drug lord and lives to tell the tale. You either work with them or you die. No other options are made available."

Steve rubbed a hand over his face before pulling out some photos placing them face down in front of Matt. "Your big brother is a cop, yet you get involved with a drug dealer. I don't get it. Why would you think that would be a good idea? Do you know the cost of harvesting the drugs? Do you know the cost to the addicts?"

"I wasn't involved in that. I was just going to move some money." Matt continued to be defensive, still not wanting to take responsibility for his actions.

Steve took a deep breath to stay calm, he didn't want to hurt Danny any more by doing something more damaging than simply dragging Matt over a table. The temptation to beat Matt was growing. "Where do you think the money that you were planning to 'just move' came from Matt? Let me show you." Steve flipped over each picture as he described it. "These are children who were rescued from one of Fuentes' drug fields. He would have worked them to death. The first girl looks like she's the same age as Gracie. This one is from a village that refused to help Fuentes. He had all of the children executed for the adult's defiance. This is a picture of a teenager who overdosed on some of Fuentes' smack. He's brain damaged from lack of oxygen when he stopped breathing. He had a bright future; he was going to college then medical school. Now he can't remember how to feed himself. LOOK AT THEM!" He pushed the pictures towards Matt who had closed his eyes to avoid looking. Steve sneered. "What's the matter Mattie was it easier to do business with Fuentes when you didn't think about what the man did to make money, or the people he killed or the lives he ruined?"

Steve needed to pace so he pushed back his chair to stand up making Matt flinch. "You have a choice Matt. The evidence against you is solid; you will be convicted of embezzlement. You go to prison; Fuentes will have you killed to keep you quiet. A dead man can tell no tales. Or you can agree to testify against Fuentes and my friends will make sure that you disappear. You will live your life in Witsec."

Matt practically whined. "I'll never get to see my family again if I go into WitSec."

Steve spun slamming his hands on the table making Matt jump again before speaking in a raised voice. "What did you think would happen when you got on that plane? Did you think that you were in the movies where the really bad guys lose and the not so bad guy can walk away? Did you think that you could just show up in New Jersey and say hi to the folks? Call your mom on Mother's Day? Show up for the annual Williams Fourth of July cookout? You would have been a wanted man! The FBI and the drug cartel would have chased you until they caught you and killed you! There is no way you would have seen your family again. You would have been lucky to remain alive until next Christmas! Fuentes might have gone after your family, killed them as a means to hurt you! Wake up Matthew! You fucked up. Bill has the details and can help you. This way your parents will know that you're alive and are doing the right thing. I suggest you take it. I'll give you two time to talk before letting Danny in here."

Steve left the room disgusted. How could the brother of a cop be so naïve or stupid? Danny was intelligent, with lots of integrity. It was instilled by his parents, so what happened to Matthew? He shrugged off those thoughts before opening the door to the observation room. Danny would need his support not his anger.

Danny had watched the interaction between Steve and Matt with increasing distress with equal amounts of anger thrown into the mix. His folks would be devastated that Matt did something that went against everything they believed in, beliefs they had taught their children. Why hadn't Matt listened to Danny and turned himself in? It was probably for the best that Steve went in first; Danny might have pulled a McGarrett and hung Mattie from the roof of the building knowing Steve would have helped.

Danny knew that at any other time he would have been impressed with Steve's restraint when Matt made that stupid crack. Steve might have pulled anyone else completely across the table before doing something just shy of legal to the suspect.

Where had Matt gotten the idea that he could just walk away from a drug dealer? Right now he wished Steve wasn't so thorough, he really didn't want to know about a victim who was like Gracie. Logically he knew that Steve was using this information to crack Matt. Danny would have used similar methods with someone in Matt's shoes. Watching Matt, he sees that Steve has finally gotten through to him. Steve knows it too and leaves Matt with Bill.

Adam admired Danny for making sure his brother was arrested instead of letting him get away. He would have understood if Danny couldn't go through with it. It took a unique kind of strength to do the right thing at times. As Steve left the interrogation room, Adam left Danny alone to give the friends some privacy.

Danny rubbed his face as Steve entered the viewing room. Steve walked up to Danny placing his hands on his shoulders offering comfort. "How are you holding up Danny? Do you need anything that I can get for you?"

Danny shook his head sighing. "You've already done more than enough to help. Now it's up to my idiot brother to do the right thing."

Steve pulled Danny into a tight hug thinking that Danny was bringing out the old Steve who wasn't closed off to the world. The Steve that existed before his mother was murdered. "Matt will take the deal. I could see it in his eyes before I left the room. I asked Adam to make sure that your family in Jersey is protected in case Fuentes goes after them. Lani has a new helper thanks to Kawika who also procured a volunteer for Grace's school. No one will get near Grace when she's not with us."

Danny hugged Steve tighter. "Thank you. I wouldn't be able to get through this without you or the others. I'm still not sure how I'm going to tell my folks or Grace."

Steve pulled back leading Danny to the chairs in the room and sitting down with his friend. "You'll find a way and I'll be there to help if you want. Maybe it's time for 5-0 to take a break. You, Grace and I can go to Jersey and visit with your family. I'll make sure that you and Grace can go even if I can't. I think you'll be able to help each other."

Danny covered his eyes trying to contain his emotions. Matt may have spent six months keeping Danny from going over the edge, but Steve was not only "being there" for Danny he was actively pulling him away from the edge. Danny felt a strong hand on his shoulder offering silent support. Danny whispered. "Thank you."

"No problem Danno." Steve replied than remained quiet allowing Danny to pull himself together.

Danny managed to pull himself together and was drinking some coffee procured by Steve when Bill signaled that he and Matt were ready to talk about the offered deal. Danny stood squaring his shoulders preparing to meet with Matt.

Steve stood with him. "Do you want me to come with you or do you want me to watch from here?"

Danny looked up at Steve, gratitude in his eyes. "I need to do this. I'll be okay Steve."

Steve nodded, squeezing Danny's shoulder before letting him walk out the door.

Adam joined Steve. "How's your partner doing?"

Steve sighed. "He's holding it together, but I don't know for how long. This is killing him. You know, I met his folks and they are good honest hardworking people. This is going to devastate them." Steve glowered when he turned his attention to the interrogation room and Matt Williams. He wouldn't mind taking Matt and dangling him from a roof or tossing him in a shark cage. Steve pushed those thoughts aside so he could listen to the conversation between Danny and Matt.

Danny walked into the interrogation room quietly and sat in the seat facing his brother. Matt looked like he felt, broken. "Well, Mattie, what's it going to be?" Danny was not one to beat around the bush, unless he was ranting at Steve.

Matt stared at the table refusing to meet Danny's eyes. "I'll take the deal. I just want to know how you could turn me in Danny. You're my brother. I helped you when Rachel left you."

Danny nodded. "Yes, you did help me when Rachel ripped my heart out. I will always be grateful to you for what you did. Now you're the one ripping my heart out. I offered to help you out even though your actions go against everything I believe in, everything we were raised to believe by our folks. I was willing to risk my career to help you and you threw my offer back in my face. You were going to run away instead of accepting the consequences of your criminal behavior. You even expected me to let you go. What made you think I could do that Matt? I'm a cop; it's who and what I am. You broke the law and I did my job." Danny stopped he was starting to yell and he promised himself he would stay calm. Danny rubbed a hand over his face tiredly. "I'm glad you're taking the deal Matt. At least Mom and Dad will know that you're alive even if they never see you again." There wasn't anything else Danny wanted to say. Steve had pretty much said it all. Danny stood up to leave heading for the door; he turned back when he reached the door. "I won't tell Mom and Dad that you were going to run. You're criminal actions will hurt them enough, they don't need to know that the son they raised was too much of a coward to face up to his mistakes."

Matt slumped in his seat further after Danny left. He'd really screwed up. He'd never even thought about how his actions would affect his parents. Danny and especially his partner really drove home how much he had screwed up. Danny had accused him more than once of being stupid and selfish. His older brother was right.

Steve met Danny outside the interrogation room. He placed a hand on Danny's shoulder squeezing firmly. "Let's go home Danny. Chin and Kono can handle the office today. I'll call the Governor to see if 5-0 can take a week off. Then we can make flight arrangements to go to New Jersey."

Danny nodded. "I'll need to call my folks when we get home. I'll have to tell Grace this afternoon after school."

Steve patted Danny's shoulder. "I'll be there to help anyway I can Danny. You don't have to do this alone."

"I know. Thank you."

"You don't thank family for being there for you Danny." Steve turned to Adam who was standing a discrete distance from the partners. "Do you need us for anything else Adam?"

Adam shook his head. "No. I can handle it from here. Let me know what arrangements you make to go to New Jersey and I'll see about setting up a meeting with your family Danny."

"Thanks Adam. You've been a big help."

"You're welcome. Take good care of each other Steve, Danny." Adam moved and stepped into the interrogation room to speak with Matt and Bill.

"Let's go partner." Steve led a quiet and despondent Danny out of the building.

TBC