A/N: reading through this next chapter, it occurred to me that is has been a very long time since I've watched the first episode, so just fair warning - this is AU and any little details you think I got wrong I probably have, either intentionally or unintentionally! I may go back and do some editing if I change my mind about little things in the chapter, who knows. For the next week the goal is to wrap up the ending to my other Hawaii Five-0 fic, and (very unlikely but still possible) another chapter of my Firefly fic. :)

To the people who reviewed/commented, I adore all of you, thank you for your support and input! Enjoy the next chapter everyone and let me know what you think.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So he's got ties to smuggling? Think he's hiding out in the docks somewhere?" Meka said, looking over the notes and evidence Danny had collected.

"Yeah. I mean, it's a logical conclusion to jump to. Biggest illegal trade is with China. Proximity, you know? So I figure, we scope out the boats and freighters heading to China in the next week. He's probably aware of the sting on Doran, he'll be looking to get out quick, but maybe not too quickly lest he draw attention to himself. I'd question the dock workers, but it's too risky. If any of them are in on it, they could tip him off and we'd lose our chance."

"Right. We spook this guy, we're screwed...but Danny, we gotta handle this carefully. I trust your instincts, but just the two of us? Not officially on the case, not officially on the clock...if things go wrong, and we're the reason this guy does run...?"

Danny sighed. "I know. I know. A lot of things can go wrong...and if they do, that's on me. I'm not dragging you through the mud with me, Meka, I just want to get this guy and his son some justice. The right kind of justice. Because you know the minute McGarrett finds this Hesse guy he's dead, right?"

Meka nodded.

"That, to me, is not justice. That is revenge. McGarrett may think he wants revenge, but dead is dead. And the whole case, the whole murder...I dunno man, it just stinks of something bigger. It'd be better for everyone if this guy gets captured and put behind bars where he belongs."

Danny dragged a hand over his face, eyes tired from pouring over details all night.

"Worst case scenario, you were not with me. You and me, we were doing different things. I'm not letting Billy grow up without a father just because he was unlucky enough to get partnered with a hard headed dumbass who was stupid enough to risk his job over a case he isn't a part of."

"Hey. I'm not letting you do this alone." Meka reminded him.

"I know. And I appreciate it. I just want to make sure you don't regret it." Danny responded with a worried look in his eyes.

"So let's do this smart."

"Okay. Here's what I think we should do..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Steve had gotten nowhere with Sang Min. Even with the low blow Steve tried to push with his wife and son. The snakehead refused to answer their questions, spitting at them and remaining silent. So now he had the poor man tied to a chair in their interrogation room while he fumed and tried to think of a new angle, anything that he could say or do to get the little weasel to talk.

Kono and Chin conversed quietly across the room from him; Kono was studying up for her final exams with the HPD academy, and Chin was guiding her through some test questions. She'd make a good cop, he knew.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two hours into the stakeout the next evening a man caught Meka's eye. Lean, 5'11". Head suspiciously covered up by a hood, headed with hands in pockets towards a freighter. All the freight workers had headed home for the evening; only fishing boat crews worked night shifts. Things were already looking promising.

He nudged Danny and pointed out the figure, passing his binoculars.

"The Edmund H...when's that one shipping out again?"

Meka checked the copy of the records they'd skimmed from the port.

"Tomorrow morning."

"Shit. So we don't got much time..." Danny cursed.

"Well ok then. Let's get in a bit closer on foot with the camera equipment. If we can get a visual on any suspect activity on the freighter, we can call it in."

And that was when everything went to hell.

They had waited ten minutes after the man had boarded before quietly moving towards the boat. Meka held the camera equipment, Danny his firearm held low and to the side so it wouldn't reflect towards the boat from the occasional lighting around them.

"I need to get up high." Meka hissed at him. "Otherwise I can't get a shot of the upper deck or interior with the lens."

Danny had given him a leg up so the big man could scale part of a fence up to the top of a cargo box. Laying low, he began snapping shots.

"Got everything?" Danny said quietly as Meka propped himself back up in preparation to get over the edge of the cargo container and shimmy back down to the ground.

Meka opened his mouth but before he could say anything a shot rang out and a bullet tore through his extended leg. He cried out and tumbled, Danny throwing his weapon to the side and breaking his fall as best he could. Both men fell to the ground with a thud.

"Guhhh..." he clung to the leg, blood flowing steadily. Danny grabbed at his curled figure, head whipping around to make sure that no one would immediately shoot at them from their position.

"Let me see, Meka. Come on..." Danny let out a growl in frustration. "Okay, it's a through and through." Thudding steps began to draw near.

"Okay, let's go, let's go...you need to walk, Meka, we gotta go." The man moaned as Danny dragged him upward, propping him up as they limped away. They rounded the corner of another cargo box. Bullets whizzed by, pinging off metal and ricocheting. Danny threw Meka forward against the wall then turned, firing off shots into the dark where he saw movement. Meka fumbled with the camera, popping the SD card out and shoving it into an evidence bag and into his pocket before pulling his gun from his thigh holster.

"I didn't know they saw me...must've been a guy higher up I missed." Meka groaned.

"Or they had video cameras. Dock workers could've spotted us. Either way it wasn't your fault." Danny shot back. He tried to keep the shaking in his hands and arms at bay. Flashbacks to a day long ago where similar circumstances had killed his partner flooded his head. He couldn't think about that. Couldn't panic or freeze. He needed to think clearly if he was going to get them out of this alive.

"Meka, you got your radio? Call for backup."

More shots fired. Meka fumbled for the radio at his belt.

"Shit. Must've unclipped when I fell."

Danny swore. "Okay. Cover me."

They traded places, Meka kneeling on one knee as Danny grabbed his radio.

"This is officer Williams, pier 28, at the Oahu eastern port. Shots fired, officer injured. Request for immediate backup."

"psszzt...sorry officer Williams, please repeat?" A voice crackled after a pause.

"This is officer Williams. Pier 28. Oahu. Eastern. Port. Request for immediate backup."

"..."

Danny was livid. What was taking so long?

"I repeat, request for immediate backup. Officer down."

"...confirm location, please." Meka fired more shots then pulled away, looking at his partner, face contorted in agony.

"They're getting closer." He said through gritted teeth. "What's taking so long?"

But Danny knew. His worst fears were coming to fruition and his stomach dropped at the realization.

"Pier 28. Oahu Eastern Port. Multiple suspects. Please. Send. Backup. We can't move from our current position."

"..."

No response. Danny thought quickly, glancing around. It may be the only way to get them out of this alive..

"Okay, Meka, swap with me."

They swapped, Danny shoving the radio into his partner's hands and firing shots wildly around the corner before taking a pause.

"You gotta lower yourself into the water." He pulled at his waist, removing his belt and throwing it to the man. "Use that to slow the blood. Get in the water, swim under the pier where they can't shoot at you..."

"But—"

"Don't argue with me, just do it. Keep calling for backup when you've found a safe spot, I have a feeling you'll have more luck with dispatch. just GO NOW. I'll be in the water right behind you."

Meka shook his head in disbelief but quickly wrapped his leg, gritting his teeth as he tightened the belt. Dragging himself to the edge of the pier, he tried to lower himself into the water as quietly as possible. With any luck, the men shooting at them wouldn't hear that they'd gone into the water and would be confused long enough for the two men to find a good enough hiding spot to avoid getting killed.

But they were grossly outnumbered, and before Danny knew it he'd shot one man only to run out of bullets and was tackled by another who had finally gotten too close. The man's gun was kicked out of his grasp as Danny flailed wildly, managing to throw him backwards into another goon. He got back up and bull rushed Danny, managing to shove him up against the cargo box. The back of Danny's head thudded up against the metal, momentarily causing his vision to blacken. Dizzy he fell to the ground, trying to kick at anything nearby. A thud and a grunt told him he'd managed to sweep someone's feet, but as he attempted to stand back up a sharp pain suddenly cut into his arm, then he cried out as a knife was plunged into his side. He fell back, stumbling and his breath caught as the back of his heel caught the edge of the pier.

He went into the water with a loud splash.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Meka's heart dropped when he saw his partner plunge into the water just a few yards away from him. He knew if he made an attempt to grab the man, he'd risk alerting the smugglers to the fact that he was still there. But Danny had never given any indication that he knew how to swim, and if he'd been injured...

An arm popped up out of the water and he grabbed at it, holding onto a pier pillar with one arm and leaning out to pull Danny under the pier. Danny gasped, unable to remain quiet.

Male voices rang out above them and Meka knew they didn't have much time before they were found. Danny thrashed and shook, quickly going into shock from being stabbed. He shoved the evidence bag and the radio up, wedging them between a support beam under the pier. Clutching Danny to him he felt for the wound. Danny sobbed when his hand found the spot and he applied pressure.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry...I know it hurts...you gotta stay with me buddy. Come on...for Grace. Stay with me."

Meka was almost relieved when he saw men in a small motorboat approach, flashlights shining. His leg could barely support the two of them in the water. They'd die in mere minutes trapped here, and he'd much rather be put down quickly than drown, he thought morbidly.

But to his surprise, the boat approached and guns were lowered as hands roughly grabbed the two of them, dragging them on board.

His thoughts were silenced with a sharp blow to the head, and darkness rushed in.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Steve groaned, head in hands. It was late. Really late. And they'd made absolutely no progress. Sang min was now drowsing lightly as he sat upright still restrained to the chair.

A hand suddenly gripped his shoulder, catching his attention. It was Chin, looking down on his sorry form with empathy in his expression.

"Kono's taking a quick catnap, brother. Let's go get some coffee, then we'll get back to it, eh?"

Steve nodded glumly and let his legs follow the Hawaiian down the steps. He really wished they could move out of HPD and into their more permanent headquarters at the palace.

When they entered the bullpen, there was something strange going on. The cops on the night shift were huddled around the dispatch desk, and as they got closer, both men picked out several words.

"Stupid haole...what the hell...docks..."

The man at the radio dispatch desk was looking petrified. The reason why became clear as Steve realized a cop had a firm grip on the man's hand, holding it down on the phone and preventing him from responding.

"What's going on here?" He demanded, walking over to them with Chin trailing behind silently.

"Nothing, sir." Another cop responded rudely, then looked away cowed as Steve glared at him.

"Really? You're going to give me that? What. Is. Going. On." He looked solidly at the dispatch officer and the man holding him down.

"I...I.." the dispatch officer stuttered.

"We were just waiting to hear back from a patrol vehicle before responding to a request, sir." The man released his grip on the dispatch officer's hand, glaring back at Steve.

"What was the request?" Chin asked, tone deceptively mild.

The man gritted his teeth. "A call for backup from the docks...they weren't even on duty, it's probably nothing."

Steve raised an eyebrow at this. "Excuse me? They called for backup, on duty or not. What the hell is going on down there?"

The dispatcher had finally gathered up enough courage to respond and interrupted before the other officer could get in another word.

"Officers Hanamoa and Williams requested backup a minute ago reporting gunfire and an officer down. Multiple suspects."

"What?" Steve exclaimed. He stared at the men, who now all appeared sheepish. "Who's on patrol? Why the hell are you waiting to respond?"

"You don't—" The glaring cop tried to begin.

"What's the location?" Steve barked at the dispatcher.

"Oahu Eastern Port, Pier 28."

"I want at least two units following. Immediately, you understand?" He looked around, finally seeing heads nod. "Let's go. You. Follow up with the patrol car and send them to the scene. Let the two know help is on the way."

And with a whirl Steve headed out of headquarters, Chin close on his heels. They hopped into the car and Steve drove off, Chin grabbing the radio. "Okay. Dispatch, you able to get a hold of officers Hanamoa or Williams?"

"No sir. I just hailed them. They haven't responded since the last request three minutes ago."

"Shit." Chin muttered.

"Who's the patrol car en route? What's your eta?"

"...ten minutes, Sergent." A new voice responded over static.

"Chin, you know either of the two officers?" Steve asked as they swerved around another street corner.

"Well Hanamoa's a local boy...never met Williams. You have though, right?" Chin asked, a confused look on his face.

"...Williams? What's his first name?"

"Daniel. The haole you kicked off our case?" Chin sighed. Steve had a one track mind.

"Danny? What's he doing out at the docks this time of night off duty?"

"No idea, man. Let me call Kono, ask her to look up the cases they've been assigned to."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Sorry Boss, nothing's sticking out at me. Apparently Officer Hanamoa just got back on Tuesday from the mainland. They weren't working on any cases that had to do with illegal trading or would bring them down to the docks for surveillance."

Chin frowned at Kono's statement. "Okay...so let's look at this a different way. We know they were looking into something, otherwise they wouldn't be down there in the first place. If it's not something they're working on right now, could it be another case in the precinct?"

"Well technically we are." Kono's voice piped up over the phone.

Steve looked at Chin. "Sang min?" he queried.

"Yeah boss, he's the only current smuggler we have in custody that has suspected ties to the docks."

"And he was the original investigator on your father's murder." Chin murmured thoughtfully.

"What, so you think he was still trying to work the case on the side?" Steve asked incredulously.

"We'll find out. ETA two minutes."