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Maybe if he didn't know his partner, he'd miss Steve's struggle to keep his eyelids from fluttering or quiet winces of pain every time he moved. Steve's condition only confirmed that this over-the-roof, crazy as hell decision to save him by breaking a series of laws was worth it, because who knows how long he'd manage to survive if Danny didn't agree to this madness.

Danny kept reassuring himself of that as Junior made a final turn to their destination after about a forty-minute-long drive. It was a small wooden cabin on the North shore, far enough from the center and crowds of people.

Noelani was waiting for them in there as agreed earlier on, and just a few minutes later, the rest of the team arrived as well.

"Just get the phone to the computer, huh?" Danny said as soon as the door closed behind them, throwing a glance at Jerry while letting Junior patch up his wounds after a round of complaints. "Get in, get out, that's all you have to do."

Jerry shrugged, grimacing. "Sorry. I didn't know that Hoffman would be there."

"Don't listen to him, Jer." Lou walked up to Jerry and patted him on the shoulder. "No need to apologize. You did a great job. We wouldn't be able to pull this off without you and McGarrett would be still in there."

Danny's gaze shifted to his partner, now looking more like himself in a pair of cargo pants, splayed on the couch, reluctantly trying to follow Noelani's commands as she did what she could to take care of his wounds and determine their severity. That didn't go without Steve's initial protest and Noelani's mini-rant about the fact she was used to working with dead people, not a stubborn Navy SEAL who refuses to cooperate. But whether it was her words or Steve's general weakness and lack of energy to fight her, she did get through to him eventually.

Steve looked up and locked his eyes with Danny. "Thanks for coming for me," he said, then glanced around the room to all his friends. "To all of you. But you didn't have to do that. You shouldn't have. You might all end up in jail for this."

"No, we most certainly had to do that," Danny opposed, catching a small nod from Junior signaling that he was done with a deep wound on his arm. "What else were we supposed to do? Let you get killed in there? Look at what they did to you. You wouldn't have lasted much longer."

"Danny's right," Adam chimed in. "We didn't have a choice."

"If there was a better option, don't you think we'd take it?" Quinn said. "Doing this the right way might be way too late for you. Besides, without Five-0, it's not that fast nor easy to–"

"Whoa, slow down," Steve interrupted her. He pushed higher up, not able to hide the painful grimace as he did so. "What are you talking about? Without Five-0?"

Danny brushed his fingers across his face before speaking up. "That's correct," he said. "The governor had dismantled Five-0 a couple of days ago."

"What?" Steve snapped. "Is that because of me? That's not fair. You guys didn't do anything."

"No, it's not because of you, Steve," Danny said, gathering the strength to explain the main reason for this. "It's… uh… it's my fault this time."

"It's on all of us," Junior added.

Steve stared at them in anticipation. "You gonna tell me how?"

Danny sucked in a breath. "Well, she warned us to stay away from your case. But we couldn't do that, could we?"

"And then the FBI incident didn't help either," Tani said.

"What incident?"

"Let's say Danny gave that bastard Hoffman a little warning," Tani explained with a hint of an amused smirk.

"To my defense, he had his fingers in Steve getting hurt," Danny argued. "And threatened my family. He deserved more than a little warning."

Steve's eyes darkened. "That's why you got arrested?" he asked.

"How do you know about that?"

Steve ignored his question. Instead, Danny could see his friend's breath speeding up and sudden realization sparking up fear in his battered-up face. He began to sit up, but Noelani pushed him back down gently.

"Uh-uh, stay here," she said. "Just take it easy, please."

Steve ignored her request. "Where are the kids?" he asked, his panic rising while trying to sit up again, to no avail. His struggles against Noelani's careful hand were futile, just further proving his pain and exhaustion. "I need to–"

"You don't need to do anything but rest, okay?" Danny said. "The kids are safe at Rachel's place and HPD–"

"No. You don't get it. The cops." Steve shook his head wildly. "They're not safe with them. They… they wanted to–"

"We know about them," Danny said. "That's why we asked Duke if he could only have people he trusted watching out for them. Pua and his friend are there right now and I call them every hour or so, okay? Trust me, they're okay."

That seemed to do the trick and Steve allowed himself to sink back into the couch. "So, they're safe?" he asked.

"Yeah. They are." Danny watched a great relief washing over his fiend. "But… again. How do you know about that? Those cops? My arrest?"

Steve didn't answer, but his relief was evident.

"Steve?" Danny said after a moment of Steve's thoughtful silence.

It took a while for Steve to reply. "Roederer showed me," he said eventually. "He wanted me to know how easy it is to get to you guys if I didn't cooperate."

"By cooperate you mean pleading guilty?" Quinn asked.

Steve nodded. "Yeah, and keeping my mouth shut. But it doesn't really matter anymore, does it? You got me out of there and now…"

"He'll be pissed off anyway," Lou finished the sentence for him.

"So… I guess you got my message? About him?"

"We did, and we tried to find him ever since, but couldn't," Tani said.

"We asked Chin and Kono for help," Adam said. "They've got the resources, unlike us at the moment. They're both working on it so maybe they'll be more successful."

"Yeah, and don't forget we asked Catherine, too," Lou added, turning to Steve. "But we haven't heard from her since that."

Steve's eyes shot wide. "You dragged Catherine into this?" He sucked in a calming breath. "If Roederer finds out about her and who she is to me… He killed Lynn just because she used to date me!"

"Cath is a big girl," Danny interrupted, pretending that thought hadn't crossed his mind too. "She can take care of herself just fine. I'm sure she's just busy."

"Right." Steve didn't seem convinced. "So, what do we know? Tell me everything."

Danny explained their point of view from the beginning. Listening intently, Steve only added a few insights as Danny went back over the details of Steve's arrest and how the team had come to be so certain that he had been framed. He recounted the death of the bar owner and the role that Hoffman had played in all this. He told him about the threat that he had received and his beliefs the same man was responsible. He told him everything about the disappeared toxicology tests, and the fact that the officer who had arrested him is actually one of their witnesses along with one very dubious junkie and Lynn's mom.

"Lynn's mom? What does she know about this?"

Treading carefully, Danny explained that too, mentioning Lynn's daughter and the threats to the little girl leading her to setting a trap for Steve. He caught Tani's sideways glance when he told Steve about the child. She was probably wondering whether he'd tell Steve and the rest of the team the whole truth, but his friend seemed shocked enough by the fact Lynn had a daughter. Telling him he was the father of that child would have to wait. It would require a careful approach and no prying ears, as Danny was well aware of just how such news could shock a person.

By the time they got all the facts clear, Steve was barely awake. He stifled a yawn and Danny wondered whether he had managed to get some sleep in the past week at all. Probably not much, if any. No wonder, really, if he had to constantly watch over his shoulder and fight for his life.

"Can I have a word?" Noelani walked a couple of steps further from the group.

Danny followed her, his gut churning. "What's wrong? He's gonna be all right, isn't he?"

"I don't think I'm the one who should determine that," she said. "I cleaned up his wounds and patched him up for now but he should be in a hospital. He has at least one broken rib, and he seems concussed. He confirmed he's been knocked out several times in the past week, so he should definitely have a scan done. And after the beatings he's taken there might be internal bleeding too. And my options here are quite limited."

"Look, I'd be the first one to take him there if it was an option, all right?" Danny said. "But it's not, that's why we have called you."

Noelani released a sigh. "I know. I made him eat some painkillers and basically tricked him into taking sleeping pills to help him get some rest, but there isn't much more I can do besides trying to keep him comfortable."

"All right," Danny said. "Thanks for doing this. It's a risk you didn't have to take. It means a lot."

Noelani half-smiled, stealing a glance at Steve, who was stubbornly fighting to keep his eyes open. "That's what ohana does. He's been there for me every time I needed him."

"Yeah," Danny said, allowing himself a slight smile too. It was one of the things he loved about his partner the most. "That's what he does."

Watching Steve's eyelids flutter again, Danny decided it would be best to take him to the bedroom so he could get some well-needed rest.

He made his way to Steve. "Come on, buddy, you really wanna fall asleep on a couch?" he said. "Let's get you moved."

"Couch's fine," Steve slurred. "Can't sleep now anyway. Need to find Roederer."

"Leave that to us, okay? You need to rest."

Steve shook his head, squinting his eyes as he did so. His whole face turned into a grimace.

"You okay?"

"Huh?" Steve pried his lids open.

"What's wrong? You're not looking so good."

"I'm fine," Steve slurred a beat too late. "Just head… hurts. That's all."

Danny swallowed back a bitter remark on Steve claiming he was fine. "Come on," he said instead, helping Steve to get up on his feet. "Bedroom's this way."

Steve accepted the help rather reluctantly, but let go of Danny as soon as he was standing. Taking a wobbly step, he started making his way forward.

Aware of all their friends watching them, Danny let Steve walk on his own but stayed close the whole time in case he would need help.

They were almost by the bedroom doorway when Steve's legs swayed and he had to outstretch his arm and splay his fingers on the wall for support. He bowed his head, all color draining from his face, and squeezed his eyes tightly shut.

Danny was by his side in a split second. "Steve?" he asked, his concern rising with the lack of an answer. "Buddy?"

"I think… I'm gonna be sick," Steve announced. "Need bathroom."

"Over here," Danny led him to the near doorway.

Steve rushed inside and slammed the door shut right in front of Danny's nose.

"Is he all right?" Lou called out after noticing a sudden change of direction.

Wishing he could say yes, Danny shrugged, trying to pretend he didn't hear Steve's retching. "He's not feeling well, I guess."

It took all of his will to stand there and not to barge in against Steve's will. His friend gave him a clear sign he didn't want him in for this, and it wasn't like there was anything Danny could do for him but standby. Soon, he heard a stream of water, and then Steve appeared in the doorway, clutching the door for dear life.

"Better?"

Steve squinted his eyes at him, looking a little confused. "Yeah," he mumbled. "Maybe a little nap isn't a bad idea."

"Okay, let's go."

When he opened his eyes, the room was dark, and a quick glance through the window revealed a starry sky.

As he looked around, remembering where he was and why his eyes landed on a glass of water on a wooden bedside table. Just then he realized how parched his throat felt. A loud groan escapes his lips as he rolled to the side to be able to reach the glass. There wasn't a single piece of his body that didn't hurt. He bit through the pain and grabbed the glass, sweat breaking through his skin with the effort, and gulped the cold liquid down till the last drop.

He didn't know how long he'd been sleeping for, but he woke up into a throbbing headache that just didn't seem to ever end. He wrapped himself into a thin duvet, waves of nausea adding to his misery. His brain felt like it would swell beyond the capacity of his skull. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the pain, but couldn't. Again, his stomach lurched and gurgled. He raised his heavy eyelids halfway only for them to fall shut. He forced them open again and swung his bare feet to the floor, waiting for a bout of dizziness caused by the movement to pass.

It was quiet on the outside. He couldn't hear any voices talking, and it piqued his interest.

Once on his feet, the room swayed, almost causing him to lose balance, and he reached for the wall. Slowly, shuffled across the room. Again, his stomach dropped and the world spun, aching in his body ebbing and flowing in tides as he made his way through the corridor.

"Steve?" Jerry's voice reached his ears. "You okay?"

The bigger man was sitting on the couch with a laptop in his lap, the soft light of the television casting its glow on the otherwise dark living room.

"Steve?"

"Yeah, I'm good," he lied. "Where's everyone?"

"I sent Noelani home, as there seems to be no reason to keep her here," Jerry said. "And about the rest of the team, I'm not quite sure."

"Not quite sure?"

Jerry shrugged. "Danny's phone had been ringing like crazy, but he kept ignoring the calls. Then he said there was something he had to do and left without further explanation. Lou suggested they should go after him, you know, to stop him from doing something he might regret later on. So that leaves just you and me."

Steve didn't like it one bit. He tried to think of a reason why Danny would leave like that, but the gnawing headache didn't make it any easier. He glanced at the screen, and his stomach twisted. The sound was off, but it wasn't really necessary. The reporter was standing right in front of the Five-0 headquarters, and Steve's picture was shining in the top right corner. After a few moments, his photograph was replaced by several other ones, and Steve's stomach heaved. He was looking at the faces of his teammates.

"Jerry, turn the sound on."

Jerry put the laptop aside. "Okay, I just…." He fumbled for a controller, which was nowhere to be seen. "Uh, where did I put it?"

"Jerry…"

Jerry stood up, searching the couch. He found it in the space between the pillows, and quickly pressed the sound button.

At the same moment, the scene changed, and the reporter as well. It was over and a different headline was now on, but Steve didn't care about that.

"Sorry," Jerry said. "But it must've been the same as before."

"Same as before?"

"Yeah. Looks like they figured out who is responsible for today's prison riot."

"Did Danny see that?"

"Sure, we all did."

"When did he leave?"

Jerry drew his brows, thinking. "About three hours ago?"

That was a long time and Steve liked it even less. Why did nobody bother to wake him up to tell him? "Did you hear from the team since then?" he asked.

"No."

Steve ran a hand across his face in frustration. "Can you ping Danny's phone?"

"Sure." Jerry's fingers danced across the keyboard for a minute. "Here. He's at–" His lips curled into a deep frown.

"Where?" Steve asked, impatient.

"That must be wrong. Hang on."

"Jerry? Where?"

"415 S. Beretania Street."

Steve wasn't sure he heard right. His chest tightened. "That's the address of State Capitol."

"Correct," Jerry said. "But why would he want to be at the same building with the governor after…?" He paused as it clicked.

Steve answered it anyway, dread seeping right into his bones. "To keep others out of trouble."

"You think he would give himself up?" Jerry asked, his expression now wild.

Steve didn't have time to reply. There was a sound of a car approaching. He began making his way to the window, but Jerry stopped him.

"Whoa, you stay out of sight," the big man said. "Let me check."

Hoping it was Danny and the team returning, Steve waited in anticipation. But that hope diminished as soon as Jerry pulled the curtain to the side. The familiar blue glow flickered across Jerry's frightened face, and by the time he closed the curtain and turned to Steve, it was already more than clear.

They found him.

*to be continued*

Okay, I'm aware of this chapter not being great - I absolutely suck at multiple characters dialogue and need to work on that a lot. Sorry about that. Not sorry about a little cliffie, though.

Anyway, I'd be grateful if you found a moment to share your opinion.