QTO5: I see what you mean, I hope that this chapter I've written to kind of pull it all together will help a bit. :) Thank you very much for pointing this out to me, I didn't realize it kinda screwed up my established timeline. Definitely a huge help. :)

...

CHAPTER 14
The Truth of the Matter

Steve knew his frustration was getting the better of him, but he didn't care. Every ounce of intensity, every feeling of stress had been well-earned. It wasn't just that either, it was anger, towards Ted more than anything else. How could he have just left Ben to fend for himself? Mooching off his parents after his discharge, not getting a job? That he could believe, he didn't need Ben to explain any of that to him. He knew how Ted worked, and it made it easily obvious to figure out. What he didn't get was what he had done to Ben, what he had put him through.

For pete's sake, he'd found the kid half-starving without a good meal for a week. Steve sighed, he knew Ted was on the verge of doing something stupid on top of his anger, and that left the question as to what, and who. The obvious answer stared him right in the face, the young boy sleeping against the couch quietly. If Ted really wanted to make a strike at Steve, he woud use Ben, and he never once doubted that. Sure, Ben had probably been nothing more than a pain before, someone Ted was obligated to "look after", but now? Ben was useful to him.

And Ben trusted him just enough that Steve knew Ted could manipulate him if he wanted to. He sighed, half-asleep at his desk with the rays of the morning sun peeking through his window. Ben was already shifting awake, rubbing his eyes tiredly. The boy looked up at Steve, who tried his best to act as calm as he could. Ben of course, the smart punk he could be, took notice immediately. "Have you been up all night?" Ben asked quietly.

"I haven't slept a wink, no." Steve muttered, he looked at Ben slowly "Your brother called last night." Ben's color flushed from his face as Steve looked at him square in the eyes "Ben, I know who your brother is, I trained him..." The boy turned his head away, biting his lip "Did you know that-" He began.

Ben looked at Steve slowly, he stood up, and shook his head. "I knew he was in the Navy like years ago. But something happened and they kicked him out." Ben tried to remember back a bit "That's when he came here, I think, actually." Steve nodded, so Ted hadn't mooched, but that left other questions unanswered "He basically refused my parents help... Probably how he ended up on the streets." He shook his head a bit.

In his head, Steve added the puzzle pieces up, piece-by-piece, and stared at Ben in surprise. "That's why you were in Hawaii four years ago?" Ben nodded his head a bit, Steve chewed him lip "More than your Dad's surfing then, eh?" Ben was silent, and Steve stared at him slowly "Ben..." He turned his head slowly "What really happened to your parents?" He asked.

"They were hit by a-"

"Ben..." Steve leaned forward, Ben simply stared at him "What REALLY happened?"

Ben stared Steve in the eyes for a moment, then stared down. "So you saw the cold case file, I take it? I bet it's in there." Ben muttered, Steve was silent for a moment, but nodded "I don't know... What happened to them. One day when we were out there, Mom and Dad left me in the condo. Told me they were going to try and talk Ted into coming home. They REALLY wanted to help him." He chewed his lip.

"But Ted showed up instead?" Steve asked, Ben nodded his head slowly "You do realize he probably killed them, don't you?"

Ben felt his stomach twist in a knot at the very thought of that. But he knew Steve was probably right now, there was no doubt in his mind Ted killed his parents, their parents. "I know..." He breathed quietly, he turned his head to Steve "When he came, he told me... Mom and Dad were dead. He didn't say how or why. But he gave me the excuse I had to tell the cops." He put his hands in his pockets "I was nine, Steve. That wasn't a red flag to me back then..." He added quietly.

Steve felt his heart sink low into his stomach, Ted had been manipulating his little brother from day one. Ben hadn't been in social services because Ted had basically kidnapped him, and dragged him onto life on the streets. "He made you live on the streets of a town you hardly knew, and didn't even take care of you?" Ben was silent for a moment "Ben, why didn't you-?" He began.

"You don't think I was a LITTLE scared of him?" Ben asked, catching Steve off-guard "I loved my brother, but he'd leave at totally random times. Sometimes for weeks at a time. And he'd come back stained red..." He shook his head "I didn't want to think it was blood. But sometimes the look in his eyes..." He looked up at Steve "Sometimes I just knew it was. But I tried to ignore it, I tried not to think abut it." He added "He never got a job, he actually REFUSED to. But he'd come with this money... I don't know from who or where." He shook his head.

Steve frowned a bit, he had figured Ben's life had been hell. But this, this was well beyond his comprehension. He rubbed his jaw quietly, and looked at Ben slowly, his eyes soft, filled with sympathy. "You mean he's been killing people before this M.O. even started?" Ben nodded his head a bit, and Steve sighed quietly "Ben, you should have gone to the police, to somebody. That's not a life ANYONE should live." He growled a bit "If I hadn't found you, he could have killed you, do you know that?" He asked.

"I do now." Ben's voice was quiet, and forced, clearly pained.

And for the first time, Steve realized that Ben had never been protecting his brother out of love. Yes, Ben had loved his brother, he was a blood relation, it was hard NOT to love a blood relation. But Ben had been protecting his brother out of fear. He was afraid of not only loosing his brother, but of what his brother would do to him if he had told Five-0 about his activities. "Ben... Don't be afraid of him." Ben looked up at Steve, who tried to give the best comforting smile he could manage "You're my boy now, and I trained your brother. I know him way too well." He shook his head "I'm not going to let him hurt you." He added.

"... He's going to come after me to get to you, isn't he?" Ben asked quietly.

Steve's comforting smile turned into a lopsided frown, slowly, he nodded his head. "That's what I think, anyway. He's going to want to strike at me, and he knows I'm caring for you." He took a deep breath "But guess what? I have a gun in the house, and a whole team to back me up. What does he have? A gun, at most?" Ben stared at Steve slowly "He'll never touch you Ben, not even a tap." He made his way over, and put a firm hand on Ben's shoulder "I just want you to know that, alright?" He added.

"I know." Ben smiled as best he could "He was an officer, you're a SEAL. He's pretty much screwed." He said as confidently as he could manage "I'm sorry I never told you this, I just never thought..." He paused a bit "I didn't think it was important." He admitted.

Steve nodded, he definitely understood where Ben was coming from. Ben had no way of knowing that he'd trained his brother, not until now anyway, which made it hard for him to have known to tell him. "At least you told me now, Ben. Because frankly, I need to know these things." He sighed a bit "It makes it easier to find ways to book him in jail for life." He added.

"He can't get an insanity plea?" Ben asked.

"He's at the very least, attempted to kill more than four people according to you." Steve shook his head "With a purpose at that. Not to mention, most likely, your parents." Ben nodded his head slowly "He isn't going to get out of jail, Ben. He's going there for a long time once we catch him." He explained, Ben nodded his head "Now, I've got some clothes, swung by home this morning." He added, patting the clothing on his desk "Get dressed, our new witness should be here any minute, and once I'm done, I'm sending you to a friend's house while I go searching for Ted." He added.

"What friend?" Ben asked, confused.

"Danny's ex-wife, Rachel, his daughter, Grace, and her husband, Stan." Ben nodded his head a bit, looking up at him "They agreed to watch you while I'm out on patrol. Ted would never look for you there, but on the off chance he finds HQ... I don't want to risk him getting to you." He then added "So get dressed, you know where the bathroom is. I put your toothbrush and some toothpaste there too." He explained.

As Steve hugged him tightly in reassurance, and left the room, Ben stood there silently. He reflected back a bit, that was the first time he'd told the full truth to anyone before. And oddly, it felt good, like a weight had been finally lifted off of his chest. Sighing a bit, and grabbing his clothes, he too exited the office, and headed for the nearby bathroom calmly. He just hoped that he really would be safe at the home of Danny's ex-wife.

...

A/N: As implied, Ben and Grace wil finally meet next chapter, or the chapter following! I know one of you guys was interested to see that. :)