Hello! Hope you're all staying healthy and safe. Here's chapter 8. Enjoy!

Chapter 8: Wahi Wawahi (Breaking Point)

"Who will kill you?" Danny asks, glancing at Steve who now seems to be less angry and more curious, even though he still had the gun on him.

"...Mick." The kid stutters out.

The door was closed, leaving three men in the small room. The lights were dimly lit and flicker occasionally. The air felt dry and humid. It was so silent. The walls seemed to press in on the three men, beckoning words to come out of their mouths. He pushed his chair forward slightly and the scraping echoed against the four barren walls.

"Why don't you start from the beginning? Who's Mick?" Danny asks after a few moments of silence. He was standing behind the table, staring the kid down.

Steve was behind him, with his back against the wall. His arms were folded over his chest. His blueish grey eyes were trained on the teenager. He was watching from a distance, which was probably best.

The silence was drowning. The kid kept hearing his breathing getting faster and faster. Finally he snapped.

"Man, Mick ain't nobody!" Jake's voice pitches in anger.

He had been scared before in the alley, but after the gun was out of the equation, he became the tight ass kid that acted like nothing could touch him. Dumb move. Very dumb.

"If Mick ain't nobody as you say, then why would he kill you?" Danny says, mocking the way the kid talked.

Jake stayed silent with a smug look on his face, his lips pursed and his eyebrows arched. He rolled his eyes and his knee bounced, betraying him by showing how nervous he actually was. He didn't give Danny any eye contact as long as he could help it.

"Jake, this will go a lot easier if you cooperate with us."

The kid's face twisted in anger and his eyes burned with hatred towards the two men. He slapped his hand on the table.

"I want a lawyer!"

Danny glanced at Steve to see him staring intensely at the kid. Then he looked back at Jake.

"You've already seen how this man acts when he's pissed off. Do you really wanna piss him off again?" Danny asks, gesturing back to Steve, who looked like he could pounce again at any moment.

Jake looks behind Danny to see the taller man studying him intently with steel cold eyes. His left hand rested on his gun holster. His other hand was rubbing his temple and he could see the bruising on the man's hand through the shadows. He gulped slowly, wincing as he touched the bruising around his own eye.

Jake blinked a few times before turning his attention back to Danny. He leaned forward in his chair, resting his arms on the table.

"Look I can't tell you anything. He'll know I talked. He's got eyes all over man! He'll kill me!"

"Then tell us what you can. We can provide you protection from Mick if you help us."

Jake scoffs and rolls his eyes.

"Yeah sure you will."

"Or we can just give you a ride back to the mechanic shop. I'm sure your guys will be fine seeing you exiting out of a cop's car. Maybe we'll even escort you back inside."

"OK! OK! I'll talk!"

"Smart move. Now like I asked before who's Mick?"

Jake glances up at Danny to see the man with his hands on his hips, waiting for him to spill whatever knowledge he had.

He directs his hazel eyes back to the table. He runs his long fingers through his unruly curly nest on his head. His knee still bounced irritating him further. He was afraid it would hit the table, but he couldn't control his nerves he was trying so hard to suppress. Anger was a much easier emotion he could control.

"You say you'll protect me but I doubt that rent-a-cop over there will!" Jake spits out.

Steve has to restrain himself, bracing against the fury pumping through his veins. He pressed his back into the wall, the pressure distracting him for a brief moment. His eyes turned dangerously dark and he could feel the pulse beating aggressively in his neck.

Normally, things like this and people like this didn't get to him. But this kid had killed that mother's little girl. He took away any happiness that woman had left. And here he was sitting in front of him, unprotected and within arms reach. And yet he was still acting like the smug little bastard he was. He didn't hear the woman's cries. He didn't hear her begging him to find the killer. He didn't even seem to be fazed by it and that made Steve sick.

"You know I could just leave and let that "rent-a-cop" over there loose on you." Danny threatens, using the kid's insult toward Steve to make a point that Steve was anything but that.

Jake's eyes flash with fear when Danny steps aside to let Jake get a good look at his partner. He straightens up in his chair, seeing the fiery gaze Steve's eyes had locked on him. He gulps again, his adam's apple bobbing uncomfortably.

"Now TALK!" Danny yells suddenly, slamming his hands on the table. He had just about enough as Steve had had with this kid and his attitude. They had reached their breaking point. Now it was time for Jake to reach his.

"Alright, alright!" Jake sputters out. He takes a moment to catch his breath.

"Look, Mick is just a guy."

"Just a guy? He seems to have you shaken up pretty good."

"I ain't afraid of him!"

"You're not? I'd be pretty afraid of someone who was trying to kill me." Danny reasons, trying to come to some common ground with the teenager in front of him.

"Well I ain't! He don't do nothing to those who respect em."

"And you respect him? Even though he is trying to kill you?" Danny tries to make sense of what Jake is saying, yet it sounds so dumb to him in his mind.

"You don't know nothing!" Jake barks harshly.

"Then enlighten me." Danny grounds out, leaning forward to stare Jake straight in the eye.

Jake leans back in his chair, fidgeting at the intensity of Danny's eyes. He stays silent for a minute, keeping his eyes down.

"Look, Mick does what he wants to who he wants. You don't question him. If he wants you gone, you're gone."

"So why does he want you gone?"

"Man don't you think if I knew I wouldn't be in here having tea with you and Sally over there!"

"Watch yourself." Danny warns, glancing back at Steve who was practically begging him with his eyes to let him punch the kid again. Danny almost couldn't find a reason to stop him, but they had to maintain some level of professionalism in this room.

"So Mick tells you what to do and you just do it? No questions asked. LIke a dog?"

"I ain't no dog! I do the hell I want!"

"Obviously you don't! I mean you're practically Mick's obedient little watchdog, aren't you?" Danny sneers.

Common ground wasn't working with Jake. Insulting him to get him angry so that he would slip up seemed like the more appropriate option. Plus it was a lot more enjoyable to rile the kid up.

"I ain't no watchdog! Mick don't control me! I just do the jobs he asks me to do and he don't bother me none."

"Jobs. What kind of jobs?"

"Fixing up cars."

"So you fix up cars for Mick. Then why would he shoot you if you're helping him?"

"I don't know. Maybe I scratched up one of the cars. Mick gets hell a pissed even if you stare at one of the cars too long. He don't like nobody sniffing around em."

"Seems pretty stupid to shoot someone over a car."

"Yeah well he'll get what's coming to him." Jake promises, talking more to himself.

"Yeah and if you do whatever stupid ideas you have going on up in that head of yours, you'll get whats coming to you too."

"I ain't afraid of you."

"Yeah you're not afraid of me. But I know you're afraid of him." Danny gestures to Steve, who has been staying silent the whole time.

Jake's eyes widen as he stares back at the taller man. His eyes were still locked on him.

"So what's so important about these cars that he has to shoot you over them?"

Jake finally decides to tell the cops what had happened. He figured he wasn't getting out of this room anytime soon.

"I had heard things. People talked when Mick wasn't around." Jake says, finally breaking the silence.

Then a few nights ago, one of the guys asked me to take a look at one of the cars we were fixing up. I wasn't about to turn coward in front of them. They seemed to have an in with Mick. I wanted that too. Mick took care of the guys who did work for him. No questions asked."

"Mick had just hired me two weeks ago. I wanted, I mean I had to make good with these guys."

Jake pauses a moment. Steve's and Danny's eyes on him intently as he keeps talking.

"I made sure no one was around. Just me and the other guy. He said he paid me 500 big ones if I just snuck a peek under one of the cars and took some pictures. I wasn't about to pass up on that kind of money. I mean who would?" Jake looks up at the two men, expecting an answer from them, but when they stay silent, he moves on.

"So I snuck under one of the cars we had been working on that week. A blue 1968 ford mustang. She was a beaut, but she had been in the shop longer than any of the other cars we had worked with. Naturally she drew attention."

" I smelled something strong when I was under her and I couldn't place it. But I wasn't about to question it none either. When I came out, the other guy was gone. So I just decided to take some pictures real quick."

"I'd make sure I'd still get my money so he couldn't say

otherwise. I wasn't about to let him screw me out of my money. But as I was taking some photos, I could hear Mick's voice coming around the corner. I barely made it out before he saw me, but I dropped my phone."

"I guess that's how he knew it was me." Jake finishes, coming to that conclusion on his own.

"You're not sure your pal snitched on ya? I mean he did leave you."

"NO way! He may have run but we don't snitch on each other."

"You sure about that? I mean you were just brought in two weeks ago. You were fresh meat to them. They didn't even know you. How do you know these guys even wanted you around? Maybe the other guy wanted to throw you under the bus. Well in this case, the car."

"He wouldn't set me up."

"How can you be so sure of that? It seems to me he wanted Mick to see you snooping around his cars."

"No, he wouldn't do that to me. We got a code. We don't snitch on each other."

"And of course, everyone always follows the rules." Danny sarcastically replies.

"You do if you know you'll be dead if you don't." Jake states as a fact. You didn't go against Mick ever.

"Oh, well he sounds like a great boss. If you don't do the work for him, he kills you. Hope you have good benefits."

"Danny…" Steve cuts in.

Danny turns around and Steve walks to him. Danny nods and lets Steve take over. He still stands beside his partner just in case Steve gets an itch to strangle the kid.

Jake watches them like a hawk, trying to hide the sudden fear that overwhelmed his body as the man in the shadows finally spoke.

"Jake, if these cars were so important to Mick and you knew that, why were you driving one this morning? You knew they would come after you. What was so important that you had to get on the road and k…" Steve asks, but he trips over the last word, still not being able to get it out.

He takes a deep breath to compose himself.

"Cause a major accident like that?"

"It wasn't supposed to go down like that." Jake says, keeping his eyes on the table.

"But it did and now a little girl is dead!" Steve barks out. He sees Jake jump at his sudden volume change.

Jake's eyes zig zag nervously and he feels the need to defend himself, but it quickly becomes a desperate plea.

"I didn't mean for that to happen! Please you gotta believe me! I had no choice! They were coming after me! You gotta let me go! If Mick knows I'm in here, I'll be dead!"

Steve doesn't say anything and looks over at Danny. Then he rests his hands on the table and inches his face closer and closer until he's face to face with the kid.

Danny watches Steve's movements and quickly makes sure he is ready on his feet in case Steve does anything stupid. He holds his breath, not trusting Steve at all.

"The way I see it, you already are." Steve says in a low dark tone. Then he walks out of the room, leaving Danny behind. The door clicks leaving the two men alone.

Danny releases the breath he had been holding in. He was sure that Steve was going to hit Jake again, but he was surprised when he didn't. But he was also glad that he wasn't currently restraining the seal from doing something he wouldn't regret.

"We're not done with you yet." Danny says, addressing the kid.

Jake's hazel eyes burn with anger. He had been insulted repeatedly and he wasn't about to sit in here for another moment. He clenches his fists and hits the table again.

"You can't leave me in here! I know my rights!" Jake yells angrily, turning back into a tight ass.

Danny smiles cool and makes his way over to the door.

"Well that's good. At least you know something." Danny replies snarkily, yanking the kid's chain one last time. He leaves the room and closes the door behind him.

Danny walks back to the main room and sees Steve talking to Chin and Kono.

He makes his way over and catches a few words here and there.

"Hey Danny." Chin says, noticing Danny coming closer and closer.

Danny smiles at Chin and stands behind the cyber desk near Kono, listening to Steve's orders.

"I want any criminal records. I want phone logs. I want his credit card statements. As much as I hate to admit it, he's a smart kid. He wouldn't just drive off with one of Mick's cars without good reason even if he was hard on cash."

"Yeah we'll be sure to check it out. Did he give you anything in there?"

"Other than his irritating attitude, no not much." Steve pinches the bridge of his nose, his headache still throbbed dully.

"Well he did say that he smelled something under the car. And it wasn't no oil leak. He said it was strong." Danny pipes in, causing all eyes to look in his direction.

"Your thinking drugs?" Chin finishes Danny's thought.

"Maybe but according to Jake, no one can even get near three feet of one of Mick's cars."

"Well then we'll have to be the first. Kono and I can sneak in and look around. See what we can find."

"No. I want you checking into Jake's records. Danny and I can handle that." Steve says, gesturing to himself and Danny.

"You do mean tomorrow, right?" Danny asks abruptly.

Steve glances down at his watch and smirks at his partner.

"What, 10:30 too late for you?"

"Don't seals have bedtimes?" Danny says without missing a beat, getting amused looks from both Chin and Kono.

Steve smirks and quirks an eyebrow.

"Oh right I forgot. Jersey boys need their beauty sleep." Steve jokes, earning some chuckles from Chin and Kono.

"Touchė." Danny says with an annoyed sigh.

"We'll check it out tomorrow morning, Danny. I wouldn't dare make you miss out on your much needed rest." Steve jokes and pats Danny's shoulder.

Danny rolls his eyes and can't hide the smile that tugs at the corner of his mouth.

Steve glances out the windows, seeing the dark black sheet overwhelming the glass.

It was much later than they usually worked, but cops never were allowed to pick their hours. The job decided that for them.

Steve knew he needed to get home and take care of this headache. Perhaps pop a few more aspirin. He had snuck two more before they went in the room to interrogate Jake.

He holds out his hand in front of Danny. The gesture having a knowing between them.

Danny looks down at his hand and looks back up at Steve. He couldn't be serious. He wanted to drive after the whole ordeal of this whole day. Then the dreaded words came from the seal's mouth.

"Keys."

"Woah woah hold on! Don't you think I should drive you home. I mean you look like your going to pass out babe." Danny argues, noting Steve's pale complexion, the sweat beads coming down his forehead.

"Yeah I hate to admit it but Danny's right. You look awful brah."

"I'm fine, really. Now…. keys." Steve grounds out, staring Danny down, his hand outstretched waiting for the keys to appear in his hand.

Chin and Kono's heads switch back and forth between the two, knowing an argument would soon unfold.

"And your gonna drive with your hand looking like that?" Danny asks, putting his hands on his hips, taking a good look at Steve's hand.

The bruising had went down slightly, but the bruises were still ugly with their greenish blueish hues spreading over Steve's knuckles and snaking up his wrist.

"I've driven in worse situations before."

"Don't I know it. But c'mon let me just drive you home." Danny reaches into his pocket and pulls out his keys.

"Danny. I am perfectly capable of driving myself. Now since you were generous enough to drive me to work this morning, allow me to drive you home." Steve replies in a light tone, his face breaking into a soft smile. But it disappears when he hears Chin and Kono laughing.

He grimaces knowing that Chin and Kono could be quite entertained when he and Danny got into it.

And even though he knew it was known that he and Danny drove in the same car, they usually arrived at the office in separate cars. Steve felt embarrassed at what he had revealed, but nobody seemed to think anything of it.

"Steve, your in no condition to drive." Danny argues, shaking the keys in his hand.

"Look I'm leaving Danny. With or without you." Steve states and swiftly lifts the keys from Danny's hand.

"Fine fine you drive! But if we get in an accident it's on you!" Danny threatens lightly.

"You can send me the bill." Steve says tiredly and starts walking to the doors.

"Hold on! I just gotta get a few things, but I'll be there. Just wait for me and don't drive off like last time." Danny warns.

Chin turns his head side to side smiling and Kono laughs, imagining Steve driving off and leaving a steaming Danny behind.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Danno." Steve says not looking back, but you can practically hear the grin on his face.

Once he reaches the doors, he pauses again forgetting he has an audience. His breathing hitches as he looks at the glass doors. He blinks a few times.

"Steve?" Chin asks, seeing Steve frozen in front of the doors.

Then Steve pushes the door open and leaves without another word.

"That was weird." Chin says after seeing their boss freeze like that.

"No, that's just Steve." Danny deadpans.

"It's not fair." Kono says, still looking at the glass doors that Steve had just exited out of.

"What isn't?" Chin asks.

"If something is wrong with us or something is bothering us, Steve always knows and is always ready to help. But when something is bothering him, he doesn't even want us to know or want any help."

"Ahh Kono c'mon that's just how Steve is." Danny reasons, knowing the big lug better than anyone.

"How is that fair? He helps us but when we want to help him, he refuses it!"

"Now cuz it's no use getting upset over. That's just how Mcgarrett operates."

"It's not right. Something is really wrong with him. I know it. And so do you two. We can't just do nothing. If we wait for him to tell us what's going on, hell will freeze over."

"With McGarrett, hell is already frozen." Danny jokes, but his heart isn't in it.

"Look Kono I know your worried about Steve, but he can take care of himself." Chin reassures her, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly.

"I just wish he would trust us enough to tell us what's going on."

"Maybe he will. We just have to give him some time."

"Yeah, I guess your right."

"Now c'mon we've all had a long day. We'll figure out what to do tomorrow morning, ok?"

"Yeah. Just give me a few minutes to grab my bag."

"Sure." Chin smiles at her and Kono leaves Chin and Danny alone with their thoughts.

"She's always worrying." Chin says watching her leave.

"She's not that far off."

Chin turns his head to look Danny in the eye.

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't wanna say anything around her and worry her even more…." Danny pauses.

"But?"

"Steve is not doing good Chin. He's shaky on his feet. He's barely able to focus. He's been really pale all day. And his bruised hand just tops it off." Danny says, his voice getting more distant as he speaks, realizing himself how bad Steve had gotten over the day.

"You think he's coming down with something?"

"I wish I knew. His mind seems elsewhere all the time."

"I didn't know it was that bad."

"Well I don't know if it's that bad or if I'm just overreacting. I do have a tendency to do that, you know?"

"Oh I know. We all know." Chin jokes, resting a hand on Danny's shoulder.

Chin sighs, his own thoughts of worry for his friend clouding his mind, but he knew they would all be able to think more clearly with some sleep.

"Look Danny, I'm sure Steve will be fine. But I doubt he's going to wait much longer for you so you'd better get going."

Danny glances down at his watch. He raises his eyebrows in surprise, not realizing how long he had been talking to Chin and Kono.

"Yeah." Danny goes in his office to turn out the lights and grab his jacket. He shuts the door and waves to Chin as he walks by, but then he stops short of the doors.

Hey, don't mention what I told you to Kono. I don't want her to worry anymore." Danny says, spinning on his heel to face Chin with his final thought.

"You got it."

Danny leaves and walks down the stairs. He lets his mind wander as he makes his way to the parking lot and sees his car with the lights on. He can make out a tall figure sitting in the driver's side.

"Damn it Steven." Danny mutters under his breath.

He gets in the passenger side with a growl and slams the door shut.

"What took you so long?" Steve asks annoyed.

Danny decides to spin the conversation into his direction.

"Why are you in my seat?"

"I told you I'm fine driving."

"And I told you I don't wanna die tonight."

"Relax Danny. I'll get you home in one piece."

"Can I have that in writing?"

Steve doesn't entertain Danny with another jest and instead pulls out of the parking spot. Danny fumed quietly in the passenger side while Steve had a smug smile plastered on his face.

They ride in silence for several traffic lights and Steve takes his turn in breaking the silence.

"You didn't answer my question earlier."

"W-what question?" Danny asks, glancing over at his partner, his attention no longer on the window.

"Why I had to wait so long for you to come down so we could leave."

"I didn't know you timed me now."

"That's cute Danny, but seriously I sat in here for 10 minutes. What the hell were you doing?"

"Just talking to Chin and Kono."

"About what?"

"What do you mean about what? Since when do I have to tell you what I converse to other adults about?"

"Why are you getting so defensive?"

"I'm not getting defensive!"

"All I did was ask a question and you get completely defensive."

"No I did not! I just dont think it's any of your concern about what I talked about."

"Uh huh."

"Uh-huh? Uh huh what?"

"Clearly since your getting so defensive bah ba ba…" Steve stops Danny short of interrupting with his finger.

"You must have been talking about something you don't want me to know about."

Danny keeps silent. Should he tell Steve about everyone's obvious concern for his well being? No that would only upset the seal more. Best to keep it secret for now and play it off.

"Your delusional Mcgarrett." Danny grounds out.

Steve ignores him and continues in his investigation he was determined to solve.

"And since you seem so certain that I have no idea what I'm talking about, then you must have been talking about me."

Danny stays silent and Steve smiles at him, not quite putting two and two together yet.

"Should I be flattered you were having a gossip session about me?" Steve jokes and turns his head back to the road.

When Danny still stays silent, Steve thinks about what they could have been talking about and he feels his hand clench on the steering wheel.

"Danny?"

Danny looks over at him.

"You were talking about me, weren't you?"

When he gets no reply and sees Danny's eyes look down, he groans.

"Damn it Danny! I told you I'm fine!"

"And I told you I don't believe you!" Danny barks back, matching Steve's volume.

He pauses for a moment noting the angry glare he gets from his partner.

So yes I told them! We are all worried about you Steve. Can't you see that?"

"You had no right to say anything! You don't even know anything anyway!"

"Oh I don't?"

"No you don't!" Steve growls, tightening his grip on the wheel.

"So it's normal for you to zone out and almost fall over like you did earlier?"

"I was just tired. You had no right to tell them anything and worry them about nothing!"

"But it isn't nothing Steve. It's you. Your not you. And they had already noticed how you were before I told them anything. So don't you blame me for this!"

"You are to blame! You always gotta run your big mouth Danny! Nothing is wrong with me. I'm perfectly fine." Steve argues, turning down his street.

"You are not fine! And because your so incredibly stubborn you can't see that! You know what! I'm just glad I don't have to sit in this car another minute with you!"

"Good!"

"Great!"

"Don't miss your house!"

"I won't!" Steve barks and stops abruptly in front of his house, almost driving right past it in his heated exchange with Danny which has happened before.

Danny gives Steve an evil glare, his seat belt tightening against his chest and neck and throwing him forward slightly.

He pulls in his driveway and puts the car in park immediately and swings the door open.

"Goodnight." Steve yells and walks to his house not looking back at Danny.

Danny opens up the door and walks over to the driver's side.

"It is now!" Danny yells back and then sits in his seat with a jolt.

Danny watches Steve open his door and walk inside.

He sighs. He hadn't meant to be so harsh with him, but sometimes when he talked to Steve, all he could see was red.

They would talk about this again tomorrow. He would make sure of that. They probably both just needed some rest. With that final thought, Danny pulls out of Steve's driveway to head home himself.

Steve closes the door behind him and leans his back against the door with a exasperated sigh.

He hadn't meant to snap at Danny, but sometimes when he talked to that man, he couldn't control the emotions that that man could provoke.

He runs his hands down his face and is startled when he hears a familiar voice.

"Steve?" She comes around the kitchen and stands in front of him. She has a soft smile on her face.

"Catherine."

Alright that's chapter 8! I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry I took so long. Please review and let me know your thoughts. Chapter 9 coming soon.