AN: Hey guys! Thanks again for your lovely reviews and messages! They're super encouraging and I'm so glad you all are enjoying the story. I've had some people messaging me saying that they aren't getting alerts for this story, so I just wanted to let you all know that I typically update on Wednesdays. Happy reading!

Warning: violence against a minor

Steve prided himself on his ability to always be prepared for any and all situations. He was known for it in the SEALs, for crying out loud! His buddies joked that he was like a weather forecaster for trouble.

However, joining Five-0 severely tested that part of his reputation. In the field, he was able to deal with whatever the bad guys threw at him. But when handling matters within his own team, he often found himself flying blind.

Take now, for instance.

As he searched for his wayward and extremely enraged best friend, he wasn't sure if he should prepare for comforting his sobbing brother or talking HPD out of charging Danny with murder. Both were equally plausible, as was every possibility in between.

And, as if he wasn't unlucky enough, the enraged and possibly insane haole's car was missing from the parking lot. Great. The man could be halfway across the island by now with a trail of bodies in his wake.

Not that Steve blamed him. The revelation of the identity of their suspected assassin was… disturbing, to say the least. But things involving kids were different when you had children of your own, especially for a guy as sensitive as Danny Williams. Personally, he didn't have any issue with his friend letting out some steam by punching a few people who probably deserved it. HPD, however, was less than agreeable.

Might have to ask Chin to track his phone, he mused. Though Danny would probably yell something about that being a "gross misuse of resources and a deplorable invasion of privacy," Steve found that rant more bearable than the equally loud rant from the Governor when she found out one of the members of her crack team was stewing in a cell to the mocking laughter of his former colleagues.

Of course, there was a simpler solution, but he didn't have much faith in it. Still, maybe he'd get lucky, making the near-impossible search avoidable.

Pulling out his cell, he hit the first number on his speed dial.

You've reached Detective Williams. Leave a - -

Well, damn it. That son of a bitch had turned his phone off completely.

Sighing heavily, Steve resisted the urge to chuck his phone against a nearby wall. With every ounce of self-control he'd gained over his extensive training, he calmly slipped it in his pocket and climbed into his truck. But with no direction, all he could do was drive aimlessly through the streets of Oahu and pray he spotted the Camaro.

I really gotta get those vehicle trackers installed, he grumbled internally as he scanned the sidewalks. At least we didn't carpool today.

That, however, appeared to be the only bright spot in what was turning into a trainwreck of a day. First there was that early call from the Governor on a Saturday (hey, he liked his weekends too, despite what Danny claimed), then the meeting with Tanaka wasted valuable time, then Chin's big reveal forced them into an emotional, highly personal conversation. Then, his partner decided to lose his ever-loving mind.

And it was barely noon.

Where the hell are you, D?

An hour later, he still had no idea and he seriously considered giving up. It'd be easier to just wait for the call from HPD and deal with the aftermath. Somehow, a man who'd been on the island for less than a year managed to remain completely hidden from the local, island-born Navy SEAL.

It took more self-control than he wanted to admit to not rip the entire steering wheel free from the column. Muscles bunching, he forced himself to slowly uncurl his fingers from it before he left permanent indentations.

He wasn't sure if he was disappointed in himself or incredibly proud of Danny. He'd decide after he found the loudmouthed detective and possibly arrested him himself.

The ringing of his phone shattered the prolonged silence in the car, causing him to swerve slightly as he fumbled for it. Keeping his eyes on the road, he answered it without checking the caller ID. "McGarrett."

"Yo, brah, where you been? I been lookin' for you!"

"Now's not a great time, Kame. I'm kinda busy at the moment."

"Well, maybe if you heard what I gotta say, you wouldn't be busy no more.I think I got sometin' dat belongs to you."

Breath froze in Steve's lungs and he could've sworn his heart stopped beating. "Please tell me - -"

"Hey, no worries, bruddah. I got Jersey and he's fine. Well, he got a bruise on his cheek but I dunno where it came from."

Silently pumping a fist, Steve allowed a fraction of relief to trickle into his voice. "Where was he? No, wait, scratch that. Where are you? I'll come pick him up."

This time, the Shave Ice King hesitated. "Well, I can't tell you 'til you give me some assurances."

"Seriously, man? You know what - - fine, whatever. I'll buy a large shave ice and wear whatever stupid shirt you designed this week. That enough 'assurance' for you?"

"Not that kind of assurance. You think I do my ohana like dat?" Kamekona sounded genuinely offended despite the fact he'd done exactly that on numerous occasions. "Nah, brah, I want a guarantee that you won't arrest me for doin' my civic duty."

Now that got Steve's attention. "Kamekona," he said very slowly, voice low and deceptively calm, "Give me your location. Now."

"Geez, arite. I'm outside my shop and I got da haole handcuffed in the back storage room."

"You did what?"

"He needed to cool off - trust me, bruddah. He was gonna get hisself killed."

Well, that certainly tracked. Still, it didn't explain how Danny ended up restrained in the big man's shop. "Start from the beginning and don't leave anything out."

"Chin called, said Jersey ran off. Asked me to help find him and call you when I did, but to keep my distance. I made a couple calls and found him in a Samoan bar. Samoans, dey don't like outsiders gettin' in their business - 'specially haoles and cops. An' Shorty was making a whole lotta noise, picking a fight with the biggest guy in there. Wasn't gonna interfere but he was gonna get buss up."

"So you went in there and what, dragged him out?"

"You kidding? No way, I gotta protect my street cred, McGarrett. The bartender's my cousin. I offered him free shave ice for a month to clear the place out for 30 minutes with some fake 'emergency', then I grabbed Jersey while everyone was leavin'."

"And the handcuffs?"

"He wasn't cooperatin' with my kind requests. Dat haole is scary when he's pissed. Got him to my shop but he kept yelling an' trying to run off, so I lifted his cuffs and convinced him to go into my back room. Was easy from there, but he was spittin' mad."

Steve sighed, turning into the parking lot for the beach where Kame's shop was. "You do know that's illegal, right? I believe it's called 'unlawful restraint and/or imprisonment.'"

"What'd you expect me to do, brah?I was doing Chin a favor!"

"I'm pulling up now. Try not to do anything else to him until I get there, alright?"

"No worries, bruddah. No way I go in there without some kind of protection."

Rolling his eyes, Steve hung up and climbed out of his truck. Not that he blamed the big guy; Danny was mildly terrifying when he got angry. Honestly, Steve wasn't exactly looking forward to facing his friend either.

Partners take care of each other, he reminded himself firmly, quoting Danny himself.

Even when one is a tad homicidal.

It took no effort to find Kamekona. The self-proclaimed King of Shave Ice was pacing outside his shop and the area was unusually empty. As soon as he caught sight of Steve, he threw up his hands.

"Took you long enough, McGarrett! I had to close 'cause Jersey was disturbing the peace. Any profits lost because of dis is on you!"

"You didn't have to lock Danny in the back room, so let's call it joint liability and be done with it, alright?" Scrubbing a hand through his hair in an attempt to ward off a headache, Steve huffed out a deep breath. "Just take me to him."

Shaking his head, Kame led him into the shop, through the service area, and towards a closed door with a chair shoved under the knob. Then he stopped, motioning for Steve to go ahead of him. "I ain't going in there, brah."

Steve didn't blame him. From the moment he'd stepped foot in the shop, he could hear distant yelling in his partner's trademark furious tone. Most of it was unrepeatable, which didn't bode well for the coming altercation.

He pushed past the bigger man, removing the chair and unlocking the door with the key Kamekona helpfully supplied. "Danny!" he called, hand on the doorknob. "I'm coming in, alright? If you throw something at my head, I will suspend you without pay for at least a week!"

A string of profanities answered him. Not very reassuring.

He opened the door anyway, prepared to duck. Fortunately, nothing flew at his face - probably due to the fact that both of Danny's hands were restrained to a pipe against the wall. While his right hand was cuffed, his left was ziptied right beside it - which clearly wasn't helping the man's already foul mood. Red faced and spitting mad, Danny's forehead shone with sweat as he tugged against the unrelenting bonds.

As soon as he saw Steve, Danny held out both hands as far as he could and growled, "Get me outta these right now or, so help me - -"

"Well, maybe you wouldn't be in those in the first place if you didn't run off and pick a fight with guys three times your size!" Easily matching Danny's rage, Steve found himself waving his hands around in a rant of his own. "I mean, what the hell were you thinking? What part of walking into a Samoan bar and pissing the whole gang off seemed smart to you? Huh? I had to spend time looking for you instead of our suspect!"

"Who's a damn child, for crying out loud! We shouldn't be chasin' her at all!"

"Ohhh, I see how it is. How many times have you told me that I have to follow the evidence? Yet when you don't like where it's going, it's okay to go off half-cocked, right?"

It was a dirty move, one Steve didn't particularly like. However, Danny was beyond comforting right now and he was more than happy to provide a solid kick in the rear to get the man back on track.

Danny glared at him. "Let me go. Now."

"Not a chance."

"Screw you, McGarrett!"

"You can yell all you want, but I'm not letting you go until you calm the hell down!"

Inhale, hold… exhale.

In a far more patient tone, he said, "Look, Danny, I know you're pissed and you have every right to be. That security footage and the implications of it… well, I've seen a lot of terrible stuff in my time and that trumps most of it."

"You don't understand," Danny muttered, voice tight with untold emotion. "It's… it's a kid. A little girl with powers she's probably hidden most of her life being…"

Before this, Steve would've paid cash to witness Danny Williams speechless. Now, he wished he could take back that request. Raw emotion flooded Danny's face, wiping out the rage to show the true fear and grief driving it all.

And it was no secret what his mind continued to get stuck on with each cycle of the rage-sorrow whirlpool. Grace. His most prized possession and perhaps the only good thing left in his life. That kid in the footage was only a few years older than Danny's little girl, and Steve knew that Danny's mind started playing a thousand scenarios with his daughter as the star victim as soon as he saw the footage.

It drove him to approach his de-escalated partner to offer some semblance of comfort, clumsy as it might be. Looking his friend unflinchingly in the eye, he gently placed a hand on the smaller cop's back. Trembling muscles quaked beneath his fingers, a physical manifestation of anguish. With gentleness he didn't realize he possessed, he squeezed his best friend's shoulder.

"I don't understand exactly what you're feeling, but that footage hurts. I can't imagine what's going on in that head of yours, but dealing with it by taking on the entire Samoan gang on their turf isn't exactly healthy. It's downright boneheaded, actually."

Danny snorted. "You've done worse, you freakin' animal."

"Yeah, but I always had backup - the best backup, actually. Nothing was ever gonna go wrong."

That earned a wan grin from Danny, head sagging as adrenaline wanned. Given that he was no longer yelling, Steve took it as a sign that he was making progress.

Time to bring out the big guns.

"And, Danno? That kid in the video… she's not Grace."

At that, Danny's head shot up, electric blue eyes locked on his face as defensive denial transformed his expression. Sensing a vehement rant, Steve hurriedly finished. "You're a great dad - the best, even. Whatever circumstances caused that kid to potentially murder someone can't happen to Grace, not with you around. I know you'd do everything in your power to protect her."

"But what if - -"

"No. No what if's, D. Grace is safe. And if you're doubting your own ability to keep her that way, know that she's got the Five-0 task force watching out for her too. We won't let anything happen to her, I swear."

Silence, the tension slowly dissipating as Danny processed Steve's promise. Something dark still lingered in those blue orbs, but the blinding rage melted away. As relief slowly melted across his features, Steve gently squeezed his shoulder and delivered the knockout blow.

"Look, if you need to talk, I'm here. If you need to destroy a couple punching bags, we just got a new shipment in our little gym at the Palace. Hell, I'll even spar with you if that would help." Steve grinned as his friend snorted again. "But I think we both agree that we need to catch the guys who are really responsible for this as fast as possible, and you can't do it handcuffed to a pipe in the big guy's shop."

"Yeah, alright. I won't run off again." Danny tugged at the restraints once more. "But there's no way in hell I'm ever sparring with you! Not after you explained that you've got unnatural strength and speed that aids in all your rambo endeavours."

"Aw, c'mon Danno. I'd never use it against you, I swear."

"Are you sayin' I need you to hold back? Oh, it's on now! How 'bout you uncuff me right now so I can whup your Army ass?"

"Navy."

"Gesundheit."

Crisis averted.

Maybe he was better at this whole people thing than he thought.

Rattling chains against a hollow metal pipe pulled him from his self-congratulatory musings, drawing attention to his partner still essentially tied to a cinderblock wall. "So are you gonna get these off sometime soon? I mean, you just said that I couldn't catch the bastards who did this if I was cuffed to a pipe. I don't wanna point out the obvious, but…"

Screech!

"Geez, okay, I get it, I get it! Cut it out, alright?" He smirked. "Don't move, I'll be right back."

"You know what, screw you! I literally can't go anywhere, Steven. Maybe get the key before you lecture me next time!"

And sometimes, he wondered if he'd ever understand people - no, just his grumpy, stubborn, loyal partner - at all.

~H50~

"What did you just say to me?"

Terror blanketed the air, suffocating each of its occupants. Still, the trembling kid stood her ground, wide eyes glued to the furious man looming over her. That spark of defiance would cost her dearly - everyone in the room knew it - but it remained amidst the sea of fright on her face.

It was either foolishness or bravery, and the guard tasked with keeping her contained barely hid the respect rising within him.

Hell, his employer scared the bejeebers out of him and the rage wasn't even directed at him.

In a tremulous whisper, the kid dared to repeat the word that started it all. "No."

"And where the hell did you learn that word?" Licking his lips, his voice dropped to a sickeningly sweet octave. "Last I checked, that word was forbidden from your vocabulary. But since I'm a generous man, I'll give you a chance to correct your mistake and apologize."

At that, the girl wavered visibly, and he silently willed her to take the way out. But just as quickly, her chin jutted out defiantly. They hadn't been able to tame her fire yet, and he shuddered to think of what would inevitably come next.

"You heard me the first time. No. I'm not going to go kill anyone else, and there's nothing you can do to make me."

This won't be pretty.

"Nothing, huh? Not one single thing?"

The girl sneered and spat in his boss's face. In for a penny, in for a pound, as they say. "Go to hell," she snapped, the swear word sounding strange on her youthful tongue.

"Not even this?"

And just like that, the barrel of a pistol was pressed against the kid's forehead.

With a gasp, the girl disappeared, blipping out of view like she'd never been there in the first place. Though many of the guards jumped at the unnatural act, his employer merely pulled a small fob out of his pocket and pressed a button.

He closed his eyes, wishing for all the world he could tune out the screams that followed. Even blind to this exact moment, he knew precisely what sight would greet him if he dared open his eyes. Some sadists, like his boss, enjoyed watching little kids convulse in agony on the ground as electricity shot through their veins.

However, he wasn't one of those people. And every day, he wondered more and more if the massive paycheck was worth all this - if he wasn't selling his soul to hell itself each time he stood idly by while - -

"You know the rules!" that sinister voice called gleefully above the screams. "No elite stuff unless I say so!"

An eternity later, the cries quieted to mere whimpers. Still, the kid had guts to spare as she laid flat on her back and stubbornly refused to give in. "Go ahead," she slurred. "Kill me. I won't do what you want anymore."

"I could, I could. In fact, I'm sorely tempted to. But while you're so eager to throw your own life away, there are others who find that far less appealing." The gun disappeared in his waistband and he pulled a phone out of his pocket. "See, there are so many others I could kill instead. So who should go first, hm? You get to choose, considering you're the reason they'll die today."

"NO!"

"What did I say about that word?"

More screams, this time for longer. He swallowed bile, desperately praying that he wouldn't puke.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry." Breathless, hopeless, desperate. "I'm sor-sorry! Please, just - just don't hurt them. I'll do whatever you want!"

Silence.

"Please, I'll do it. Please."

With a sick little smirk, the snake slipped his phone back into his pocket. "See? Was that so hard?" Snapping, he motioned for two other guards to pick her up off the ground. "You'll be briefed on the way. And should you do anything else, I'll kill them all and make sure you watch. No one's gonna help you, no one wants you but me. So don't piss me off anymore, got it?"

That defeated nod hurt nearly as much as hearing the screams.

~H50~

They got the call on the way back from checking in with Max. After sipping coffee by the beach in an attempt to process their own turbulent emotions, the two cousins wordlessly agreed to head over to the Medical Examiner's office. Considering Steve seemed to be making no progress in his search for his partner, it made sense to continue following up on leads.

Neither wanted to admit that the thought of going back and seeing those images again twisted their stomachs, and that it was the real reason they picked Max's lead as the one to pursue.

Chin barely pulled out of the parking lot of the ME's office when his phone rang, shattering the pensive silence. "Kelly."

"Chin, it's Steve. I got him."

Twin sighs of relief whooshed through the interior of the car. "Where was he?"

"Are you gonna have to ask the Governor to up our budget to cover his bail, boss?" Kono chimed in with a sly grin, and Chin couldn't help but chuckle.

"Whoa, whoa, I can hear you guys, y'know." Danny's grumpy complaint was music to their ears. "For your information, I didn't do anything stupid. Last I checked, it wasn't a crime to go for a drive to clear your head."

"No, Danny, it's not." Despite his inability to see his friend's face, Chin knew with absolute certainty that the patented McGarrett smirk was firmly affixed on Steve's face. "But starting a bar fight with a bunch of Samoans might be slightly unbecoming of an officer of the law.I mean, I'm not much of a cop, but even I know that's not exactly legal."

Danny's response was unprintable.

"Alright, alright, children." Sometimes, Chin felt like a very tired parent wrangling three rowdy toddlers. He wouldn't trade it for anything, but moments like this - with Steve and Danny loudly arguing and Kono's laughter echoing across their bond - made him wonder what a nice, quiet desk job would be like. "I'm still waiting for an answer to my question."

"Kamekona pulled him out of the bar before anything could happen and called me.He also might've cuffed Danny to a pipe to make sure he didn't run off."

"Hey, shut it! What the hell's the matter with you?"

"What? Chin asked what happened and I'm telling him!"

"Well, since you think it's so freaking funny, I'll do it to you next time you do somethin' boneheaded. How 'bout that, huh?"

Kono was laughing out loud now, the sound dissipating the previous grimness that clung to them like smoke. "I hope you took pictures, boss."

Danny's howl of mock rage had Kono swerving across the road as she doubled over in a fit of giggling.

"You know what? I don't even want to know." Though exasperation leaked into Chin's voice, an ember of relief flickered in his chest. Crazy as it sounded, Steve and Danny yelling at each other was typically a sign that all was right in the world. Their friendship might seem more like a rivalry to the outside world, but Chin knew the truth: they needed each other.

Sometimes he wondered if either man would still be alive today if they hadn't drawn guns on each other in John McGarrett's garage.

"Alright, we're on our way back to HQ." Back to business, Steve resumed his position of Lt. Commander. "Did you end up going to Max's?"

"Yeah, and he's thoroughly enjoying this case. Apparently, the toxin used to murder our vic is 'a unique and creative combinations of various puzzling components.' The key takeaway here is that he's still working on a precise identity of the toxin."

"But he found a connection to an open cold case that's kinda odd," Kono took over as she weaved through traffic with reckless abandon. "Apparently, a toxin with similar ingredients was used to knock out guards in a few robberies last month. One of those guards died due to an overdose of that toxin. Max thinks this poison is the weaponized version of that drug."

"So a group of thieves somehow created a toxin and sold it to a bunch of drug dealers?" Danny's incredulity laced each of his words. "No way. That doesn't match at all. There's something we're missing here… a connection of some sort. Why would thieves use a sophisticated toxin that probably cost more than their entire take? And drug dealers rarely run in the same circles as con artists and thieves."

"We thought the same thing, so I asked Max about the case. He didn't remember much, but he did say that the detective from HPD who was on the case mentioned one very interesting detail." Chin grinned. "He was baffled because somehow, the thief conducted several robberies with no visible evidence on the best security systems on the market. It was like the thief was invisible."

Silence.

"Well, there's our connection. What are the odds that two elites with the exact same skillset use the same MO for completely different jobs?"

"I still don't like it," Danny interjected. "Why would drug dealers commit robberies? They don't exactly need the capital."

"What're you thinking?" Chin glanced over at his cousin to see if he was on the same page as her more-experienced colleagues.

"I'm thinkin' there's another player here that we're not seeing. Maybe mercenaries… or traffickers. I mean, elites are a commodity on the black market - and that would explain Honolo's comment about our victim seeming eager to talk. Traffickers don't get a lotta respect, especially ones that pimp out kids."

The disgust coiling in Chin's voice was mirrored in Danny's voice. Human traffickers deserved their own circle in hell for their twisted, warped despicability. But elite traffickers were somehow worse. Since they captured and sold people with unpredictable abilities, they possessed an extra measure of cunning and depravity with connections all over the world in every occupation possible.

As one of the only elites in his family, he was constantly cautioned from childhood to today about the dangers of people he didn't know. He'd kept an eye on Kono even as a young boy to ensure no one took her.

Speaking of his cousin, her face twisted in horror at Danny's assessment of the situation. And though she tried to hide her emotions, the water bottle she clenched in one hand shook as the water inside began to churn violently.

Heart aching for the death of her innocence, he gently laid a hand on her arm. "Well, whoever these people are, we're not gonna be able to find them with what we got. Our better bet is to find the drug dealers and see if anyone will flip."

"Well, we've got good news about that." With a smug tone, Steve offered the first good news of a rather terrible day. "After freeing Danny, I asked Kamekona if he'd heard anything about the dealer who'd been killed this morning. He gave us the entire rundown of our gang and the location of their base."

"Despite SuperSEAL's inclination to rush in there right now, we're gonna meet back at headquarters and throw together an actual plan before we take 'em down." Despite his sarcastic dig at his partner, Danny was unusually grim. "We gotta make sure we get all these guys. Not one slips away, alright?"

"We'll meet you back at HQ." Chin said in lieu of a farewell.

Weaving through traffic, he pondered the direction of the case. No matter how he framed it, he saw his team running into a situation they were ill-prepared to handle. Not that he doubted Five-0's abilities - no, they'd proved themselves to be a formidable force. But they were still a young team and dealt with all the hiccups that came with that.

Plus, this case was uncharted territory for all of them. Not only were they chasing an elite, but they had to do so while protecting their own abilities from the inevitable media coverage. Throwing in the possibility of elite traffickers created just the right conditions for a massive shitstorm.

No, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that they were running headfirst into the jaws of disaster.

"How's your head?" Kono broke the silence with a pointed question. A quick glance in her direction revealed her patented 'don't bullcrap me' expression dialed up to eleven.

Clearly, she hadn't believed him the last thirty times he'd said he was fine.

"You're hovering, cuz," he intoned.

"Well forgive me for being worried. Normally, you'd be groaning dramatically in some pitch black room after that stunt you pulled this morning."

"Oh, come on. It's not that bad."

Snorting, she twisted in her seat to face him. "Seriously? You want me to list all the times I've had to scrape you off the floor in chronological order or in order of severity?"

Pulling into the parking lot, he raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't matter. Whatever the final tally is, yours is at least triple."

The punch in the arm he received for the comment was entirely worth it.

"My power toll is higher than yours!"

"And you're a bit of a showoff," he added dryly. "Remember that day you surfed the monster wave that no one else would ride 'for the thrill?'"

A wistful smile stretched across her face. "That was incredible. I never felt more alive in my entire life. And did you hear the applause I got for that performance? It was epic!"

"I was there, cuz." Keeping his expression carefully neutral, he added, "I also vaguely remember needing to carry you up to the car after you got out of the water. You were this close to getting a ticket to the ER."

"Good times. Days like this," she stopped on the steps and gestured vaguely towards the windows to the Five-0 office, "make me miss them even more."

"You've got a more important job now." Dropping his voice, he glanced furtively around to ensure no one was in earshot. "While you might not be able to use your skillset like you did while you surfed, you'll be surprised how often you'll need them."

Like this morning.

They remained silent as they trekked up to the Five-0 bullpen, refusing to risk more information accidently coming to light after the close call that morning. However, he could sense something nagging at his cousin - something she seemed almost desperate to ask.

So it wasn't surprising that, as soon as the elevator doors opened onto their floor, she blurted, "Did we do the right thing?"

Though he knew exactly what she meant, he still prompted her to elaborate - maybe because he wasn't entirely sure of the answer himself. "What do you mean?"

Fiddling with the hem of her shirt, she looked everywhere but in his direction. "Sharing our abilities - hell, even using our abilities on the job. Doesn't it break every unspoken rule there is?"

Rules were the lifeblood of a rookie's career, he knew. Not that Kono was much of a rule-follower, but her training instilled in her the value of guidelines. And though that training didn't instill in her the rulebook for life as an elite, something far harsher had.

This beautiful, broken world.

So he answered as any teacher would - cautiously. "I've yet to regret any instance where I've tapped into my gifts on the job, including this morning. But that's because I'm careful about choosing when I do so."

"Yeah, but…" She trailed off, chewing her lower lip.

As her true query remained unvoiced, Chin gently clasped her shoulder and pulled her to a stop. Light hazel eyes met gentle brown.

"Do you trust your team?"

"Yes." Her answer was immediate, certain, and final. No ands or buts about it.

"Then trust that they will have your back in all things, including this." Even as he imparted this wisdom to her, he could feel his own resolve to do the same strengthen. Whatever Steve's motives, whatever Danny hid - he trusted his ohana.

With that, he smiled and added, "And no matter what, I'll always protect you."

"Even if Waianae erupts?"

It was a question she often asked as a child upon hearing his declaration. Living atop a volcano - even a dormant one - tended to bring both awe and fear from little children. Back then, she looked at him with amazement as he vowed to take on even a volcano to save her.

But now, that question stemmed from something else entirely.

Still, he answered the same way he always did… and always would.

"Even then, kaikaina."

This chapter was fun to write, especially playing on the different relationships between the two sets of partners. Next chapter dives back into the action! Thanks for reading!