Disclaimer: Hawaii 5-0 and characters belong to CBS, would be nice to live in Hawaii and work for 5-0 alas, that's not the case.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, alerted and favorited this story. I'm glad that you are all enjoying it. Also, thank you to Shakespear Lemonade for betaing this chapter. Any mistakes left are mine.

Confrontations

A week after Five-0 had been allowed to view "Operation Payback" Steve stormed into the palace to see the governor. Any people he encountered on the way into the outer office quickly got out of the way. Many would later say that they could see the storm clouds over his head he looked so angry. Danny, Chin and Kono were keeping pace with Steve showing a united front. The three other team members were as angry as Steve. Steve's fears about Lori had been realized the night before.

Five-0 had been investigating the electronic theft of several prototype computer games worth millions. Between Chin and a CI (Toast) the electronic trail had been traced to a computer genius by the name of Ben Wong. Toast had been adamant that Ben Wong had the genius to be a hacker; but he would never actually lower himself to actually hack unwanted into any system. He preferred using his genius to thwart other hackers. Therefore, Ben Wong spent years working with different businesses to prevent hackers from stealing information or planting a virus in the company's computer systems. A background check agreed with Toast. The man was clean, except for a couple of parking tickets. He worked as a consultant doing exactly as Toast claimed. Mr. Wong was very successful and well liked by his clients. He was married with children, and financially secure.

During the investigation, Five-0 had found out that Mr. Wong had seemingly disappeared two days before the theft. No one that knew him, client, friend or family had heard from him. Steve and Danny headed to the Wong's home to talk to his wife. The house was empty. The next door neighbor, Mr. Liu, came forward when he noticed the badges on Steve and Danny's belts to say that he hadn't seen the Wong family for several days. Steve and Danny immediately became concerned that the family had been kidnapped to force Mr. Wong to steal the games. Steve asked the neighbor if he knew where a spare key might be hidden. The man gave them a spare key that he held onto for the children in case they lost their key. Steve and Danny's suspicions seemed to be confirmed during the search of the home. The back door had been forced open and there was evidence of a struggle taking place in the family room. Forensics was called to collect any evidence that could be found.

Steve and Danny completed their search of the Wong's home before speaking to Mr. Liu again. He remembered seeing a strange man the day the Wong family disappeared. He agreed to go to HPD to look at mug shots or work with a sketch artist if necessary.

Meanwhile, Chin, Kono and Lori were looking for someone who would be capable of kidnapping the Wong's and fencing the stolen games. Chin and Kono narrowed it down to two men. The first was Alekona Hekekia a man known to be a big seller in the black market, but the police had never been able to get any solid evidence against him. The second man was Robert Cheng another man who sold black market items to anyone. He was also known to threaten families to keep himself out of jail.

The four members plus one discussed the two suspects in relation to the knowledge that the entire Wong family was missing. Putting the information together they felt that Cheng was the most likely suspect. All except Lori agreed. She disagreed even though she didn't have an alternative suspect yet. While they were talking HPD sent the identity of the man Steve and Danny's witness identified. His name was Kale Mahelona. He was known Robert Cheng's enforcer, but had never been convicted of any of the numerous charges brought against him. This piece of information pushed the investigation towards Robert Cheng being responsible for the theft and the possible kidnapping of the Wong's.

Lori felt that Five-0 should investigate more before concluding that the culprit was Robert Cheng. This thought still ran through her head despite the eye witness' identification of Mahelona. She was convinced that Five-0's previous success was due totally to McGarrett's bull in a china shop approach to investigation as well as his disregard of proper procedure. Due to this belief she stubbornly refused to acknowledge that the information and conclusions made by the rest of the team were actually well presented and made sense. She also didn't let herself see that Steve had been staying on the straight and narrow path of following procedure. Lori believed that this "new" McGarrett wouldn't last.

Steve had sent Lori, Chin and Kono to search Wong's office and question his staff. This would keep Lori out of the way of the real criminals and keep the governor happy. Meanwhile, he and Danny would pick up Mahelona.

Steve and Danny had apprehended Mahelona with only a car chase ending at an HPD roadblock. Mahelona wouldn't talk until Steve threatened to hang him from a helicopter. Mahelona had laughed until Steve made a call asking to borrow a chopper. Many in the criminal element had heard about McGarrett's less than orthodox methods of interrogation, he wanted no part of being dangled from a chopper so he talked. He did help kidnap the Wong family for Cheng. Unfortunately he didn't know where they were being held because they had been moved since the theft.

Danny had looked at Steve reprovingly after the interrogation only to laugh when he found out that Steve had called his voicemail box.

Later Five-0 regrouped at HQ to research Cheng's real estate holdings to find a building that could hold the Wong family. Chin located three properties that he felt would make the best places to hide kidnap victims. Steve and Danny eliminated one of them based on the information from Mahelona, though they would still have it investigated just in case. With the information that Five-0 had gathered, Chin headed for the courthouse to get warrants for the three properties. While waiting for the warrants, Steve coordinated with HPD to send out a group to each property so they could locate the Wongs. SWAT would be on stand-by until the Wongs were found than a plan would be created for the families rescue. Five-0 headed for the most likely property that held the Wongs.

Steve had timed the surveillance as close to dusk as he could since all three properties would be difficult to approach in daylight due to the lack of places for HPD or Five-0 to hide. Five-0 arrived at their destination and approached as close as they could. The team pulled out their surveillance equipment and got to work. Steve had a pair of high powered binoculars to observe the building for activity. Chin was using an infra-red device to detect heat sources in the building. Danny was using a high powered listening device in the hopes that he could pick up any verbal information. He did pick up voices but the perps were speaking in Chinese. Steve saw a man matching the mug shot they had of Robert Cheng. Chin found four heat signatures that were grouped in one room, unmoving whom he believed to be the Wongs. He also detected 10 other heat signatures, one standing outside the room where the Wongs were being held.

Kono called for backup when it was determined that this was the right place. Danny handed his headset to Steve hoping that the men were speaking Mandarin because Steve spoke it fluently. While Steve listened Danny and Chin were discussing the best way to approach the building based on the placement and number of Cheng's men.

Danny stopped talking when he noticed the hard angry look on Steve's face. Steve pulled off the headset and told the others that the perps were preparing to kill the family. Steve knew that they didn't have time to wait for back up and started issuing orders. Lori protested that they were outnumbered and needed to wait for back up. Steve had stonily reminded her that backup was at least fifteen minutes out and that they family was going to be killed any minute. If they waited the family would be dead. Steve wasn't going to let innocent people get killed if there was something he could do about it. Based on the building schematics Steve pointed to five entry points and who he wanted at each entrance. The others nodded accept Lori whom he glared at until she nodded. Steve then gave the signal to head out. Each member of Five-0 glared at Lori before they spread out and approached the building. What none of them saw was Lori staying put. As a result, a perp that Lori should have been there to take down was able to shoot Danny. Fortunately, it was just a graze, only because he moved at the last second. Steve was there to back up his partner and took care of the perp. Danny waved Steve off as he returned to his feet and continued moving.

Once Steve was sure that Danny was being tended by the EMT's he sought out Lori. He found her standing by the equipment as if nothing was wrong. She stiffened but stood her ground when she saw him coming. Steve loomed over her and spoke in a low dangerous voice. "Where were you were during the raid Officer Weston!"

Lori did her best not to shrink back from a clearly enraged Steve McGarrett. "The raid didn't follow protocol and going in without back up was suicidal. I'm not suicidal Commander"

Steve stared coldly at Lori letting her squirm a little before responding. "The raid was against procedure? We had search warrants; we had innocent people at risk. I, as the leader of Five-0, determined that waiting for backup would be risking the lives of children. I will not sit on my ass while scum like that kills a child. It's not against procedure to enter a building without backup when innocent lives are at risk. I also made an agreement with Denning that under certain circumstances I could bend procedures. Do you know that when I reached the family, the toddler was about to be executed before I put a bullet between the perps eyes. If we had waited for backup, the entire family would be dead. It's bad enough that Danny was shot because you didn't provide back up." Lori shivered at the look in Steve's eyes. "You will return to HQ with a patrol car and pack up your desk. You are not welcome on my team. Have I made myself clear?"

Lori tilted her head trying not to squeak when she spoke. "The governor placed me on your team. It's not for you to decide to get rid of me."

Steve bent slightly, appearing even more menacing as he hissed. "You will no longer be on my team. I guarantee it." Steve spun stalking away while Lori tried to remain standing even though her legs had turned to jelly. She was beginning to realize that she had truly underestimated Lt. Commander Steven McGarrett. He had been very cold towards her since she started Five-0, but she had watched his interactions with the rest of the team and came to the conclusion that he was not a threat. Lori realized that she finally saw the man that Danny had warned her about.

Lori wondered what the governor would do. Little did Lori know, she would find out the next day.

Lt. Governor Denning watched his assistant leave after informing him that Five-0 was waiting for him. She stressed that all four wanted to see him, not just McGarrett. She had told him that she was frankly intimidated by not only the united front they presented but by the anger that they were clearly projecting.

Denning sighed quietly. He knew this was coming since he read the report on last night's raid. He had made a serious mistake in placing Weston in Five-0. Denning realized that he had not taken McGarrett's warning that Weston's lack of respect could be deadly seriously. After all, he had worked with several people he didn't respect and nothing untoward happened. It finally sunk in that political offices were very different than a police or military unit.

Denning was still concerned about McGarrett and his past so he started reading reports from HPD and the Attorney General's office about Five-0. These reports were very different from Weston's. According to them, McGarrett was following procedure so that confessions and evidence were all legal and above board. Weston had claimed McGarrett was putting on an act based on her "read" of his behavior and actions. Denning rubbed a hand over his face in frustration knowing what he had to do.

Denning's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of McGarrett and the others.

The four friends walked calmly into the governor's office, led by Steve. Once they were in the office, Steve stood with Danny on his right. Chin and Kono stood on his left presenting the same united front they had shown Denning's assistant. The anger was practically rolling of the four people in front of him. Denning realized that his assistant had been right; the four were more intimidating than he wanted to admit.

"What can I do for you Commander McGarrett?" Denning asked.

"We want Weston off our team. She has proved to be a danger to my team and that is not acceptable to me." Steve replied calmly using his many years in the Navy to keep from yelling.

Denning nodded. "I agree. You have my apologies Commander McGarret for not listening to you. Detective Williams, I am sorry that you were injured because of a decision that I made."

Steve and Danny looked at each other slightly surprised. "Thank you governor. What are you going to do about Weston?" Steve asked.

"She will be transferred back to Homeland Security. She fit in much better there. I will not be replacing her. If you feel you need another member pick them out and run them by me."

The four members of Five-0 relaxed slightly but Steve wasn't completely satisfied. "We appreciate the gesture governor. You should know that you almost lost Five-0 because of your actions. I would like some assurance that you won't interfere with how I run Five-0 again."

Denning sat back shocked. He had not expected this. He did not want to lose this team as they have been very successful. "What kind of assurance would you like Commander?"

Steve smirked internally as he pulled out his phone making a quick call. "You can come in now." Steve hung up.

Denning stared at Steve wondering who he just called. His intercom buzzed. "I'm in a meeting Ms. Porter."

"I understand governor. There is a man here who claims he is expected by Commander McGarrett."

"Send him in."

TBC

A/N: Yes a slight cliffhanger. I'm terrible, I know. I hope you enjoyed.