Chapter three

A/N: Yes, I like to be evil sometimes, although taking the blame for killing the guy is something I believe Steve would do in a heartbeat if it meant keeping someone he cares about safe. This said, that doesn't mean he's happy about it.

Thanks again for all the comments. Will try and post two chapters this week so you're welcome to encourage me with your opinions on the story. I seem to be experiencing a writing frenzy and am working on two more projects that I can't wait to share with you.

Still don't own anything but a plane ticket to Hawaii… :)

Danny exhaled loudly and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes as he scrubbed at his tired face.

The night had started out bad and gone downhill fast without any warning and here he was, in a nondescript office on the first floor of the HPD Station House, trying to talk his partner out of taking the fall for something he hadn't done.

Hearing Steve say that he'd killed Anthony Morris had almost knocked him out of balance. Then, in the few seconds of awkward silence that had followed, he'd caught on the lie behind his words.

It couldn't be true.

He had seen the terror in his eyes as he searched the house for clues, the shock freeze him in his tracks upon finding the body. He'd heard the anguish in his voice as he begged him to tell him what happened.

You just can't fake that.

He was lying to protect his sister, sacrificing himself out of guilt for not being there to prevent whatever he thought she'd gone through.

Danny knew Steve would do anything for Mary, and the thought scared the hell out of him. Years ago, he'd gone on a hunt for the people that had kidnapped her, ready to lose his job and do whatever was necessary. Now, he was willing to spend the rest of his life in prison, and there was apparently no way to convince him otherwise.

Damned him, his stubbornness, and his self-sacrificing instincts.

Glancing at his watch, he realized they'd been sitting there for over an hour. No wonder Kao had taken a break.

"What the hell is the matter with you, huh?" he cried out. This was the first chance he'd gotten at being alone with his partner since they'd left the house and damned if he wasn't going to use it to knock some sense into him. "What's going on in that head of yours? How can you possibly think this is a good idea? Because let me tell you something, it is not, not even close in the history of all ideas!"

Steve stared down at his feet, avoiding his gaze like he'd done since the other man had left the room, his mouth set in a tight line.

"There's gonna be no letter from the Governor this time, you understand?" he tried again. "This… this is serious, and it's real!"

When it became clear begging wouldn't work either, Danny moved onto something else.

"How are you gonna help Mary if you end up in jail?"

Steve's head instinctively shot up, a flicker of panic clouding his features.

Danny sensed that the question had drawn his attention and pushed the issue, hoping to get through to him before the detective got back. "You're the only family she's got left. How do you think that's gonna make her feel, huh? And what about Joanie? Are you going to give up on that little girl before you even have a chance to be there for her?"

Steve glared at him, his jaw working as he held back what he wanted to say. It was the only way. Didn't he see that? Wouldn't he do the same thing if it was Grace or Charlie? He could deal with Mary being mad at him, but he certainly couldn't live with the thought of her sitting behind bars.

Crossing his arms over his chest he stared defiantly at his friend, not speaking for at least another full minute. When he did, it was just to reaffirm his intentions. "I told you, I got nothing to say. The less you know, the better."

Danny closed his eyes again, feeling the beginning of a headache slowly working its way inside his skull. Frustration seeping through his bones, he leaned forward and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I was there, remember? I know you didn't do it. Please don't do this to yourself."

"I was just worried, is all," Steve shrugged. "It's a done deal. Morris is dead, he got what he deserved. Case closed."

"The GSR test came back negative," Danny offered to further prove his point, his voice strained with concern.

"I showered."

"You showered. Was that before or after you let your sister walk away?"

"Leave me alone, Danny." Steve's teeth were so tightly clenched his words were hard to make out.

Unable to sit still any longer, Danny sighed and rose from his chair, moving to stand by the window. He had run out of arguments, and his partner hadn't budged an inch. He'd tried anger, he'd yelled, he'd begged. What else could he possibly say?

His gaze landed on a group of three prisoners waiting in line to be escorted to Halawa, traveling from the shackles bounding their wrists and ankles to their defeated postures and the emptiness of their gazes.

The thought of seeing the same haunted look on his best friend's face sent a chill creeping up his spine.

He couldn't let it happen.

He wouldn't let it happen.

"Steve, think about this. Going to prison is a suicide! Let me remind you what happened the last time you got locked up: you got shanked! Want that to happen again? Or god knows what else?"

Steve opened his mouth to speak, and for a split second it looked like he was about to tell him everything, blurt out every single fact. And he probably would have if Detective Kao hadn't returned to the room, a cup of coffee in hand.

"Story's already all over the news," he said, shaking his head as he sat behind his desk. "Damn vultures can smell these things a hundred miles away."

He slipped on his glasses and turned to Steve. "Do you want a lawyer?"

"No."

Danny gave him one last, pleading look, but what he saw reflected in his partner's deep blue eyes only confirmed his dead-set intention to go along with his crazy plan.

Shit.

"Alright, I need to hear it again. From the beginning."

"Why? I already told you everything I know."

Kao's temper flared up. "Are you kidding me? What I've heard so far is just a bunch of useless crap. You of all people should know how this works. I need dates, times, a motive, and a detailed account of the facts. Don't like it, I don't give a damn. Welcome to the other side of the justice system."

Steve ran his fingers through his short hair. If he was going to stick with this version of the truth, he might as well start getting used to the attitude.

"Alright."

"Now, you said you heard Mr. Morris and your sister argue. About what?"

"I have no idea. I only heard a few words."

"But you knew they were arguing."

"Yes."

"Commander, does your sister have a history of abuse?"

Steve hung his head. "Not exactly. But she's had a few questionable relationships in the past."

"So she likes to go looking for trouble," Kao snickered.

Steve shot up from his chair. "What'd you say?"

Danny bit his bottom lip. He'd been following the exchange from his position near the window, and had to physically restrain himself from walking up to the Detective and punching him in the face. He settled instead for a warning glare and walked over to Steve, putting a reassuring hand on his arm and guiding him back down to his seat. Then, once reassured that no one would resort to physical harm, himself included, he pulled up a chair from a nearby desk and sat down next to his friend.

"How would you describe your relationship with your sister?" Surprisingly enough, Kao seemed to heed his warning and softened his tone a little.

"She's… Mary lives in LA. My father sent us away to the mainland when we were kids and we didn't see each other for over a decade. She came back on the island after his death and we've… we've been closer ever since."

The detective nodded, jotting down information on his notebook.

Danny leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs, lowering his head. He could tell that even after all these years, John McGarrett's decision still haunted his son and sharing the painful details was like pouring salt into an open wound.

"So you two are close now?"

"Yes."

"And yet you didn't know that she was seeing Mr. Morris."

"No."

"So maybe you aren't as close as you think?"

Steve fiddled nervously with the hem of his shirt. "I don't know."

Kao banged his fist on the desk. "Don't play dumb with me, McGarrett. You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

"I don't know what to tell you, alright?" the Five-0 leader snapped. "She never mentioned him to me. Wanna know why, you gotta ask her!"

"Alright. So you came downstairs to see what was going on. Then what?"

"I told Morris to get out of the house."

Danny couldn't help noticing the dangerous glint in his partner's eyes every time he talked about the dead man. He could only guess what had happened between the two and knowing Steve, it had probably involved his superSEAL glare, a few threats and some well-deserved punches.

"Where were they?"

"Living room."

"Did Mr. Morris say what he was doing there?"

Steve folded his arms across his chest. "Yes. He said he wanted to take her and Joanie back to LA."

"Did he say why?"

"I didn't ask. We had a fight, I pulled out my gun and shot him," he spat, forcing the words out before he could swallow them back.

"Whoa, hold on a second," Kao said, raising one hand to stop him. Next to him, Danny shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You took your weapon with you downstairs?" He shook his head and turned to Danny. "This doesn't look good. He just admitted premeditation."

The Jersey native cleared his throat, searching his mind for something to say. "No no no, that's— that doesn't mean anything. Everyone knows Steve carries his gun everywhere."

"I don't think the judge's gonna care about that."

Danny shook his head. "Come on, Kao, this is ridiculous!"

The Asian detective ignored Danny's remark and focused his attention back to Steve. "What happened to the gun?"

"I tossed it into the canal."

It was a convenient answer, a fabricated lie that pretty much guaranteed that if needed, the weapon would never be found. Everybody in the room knew that, and it made one detective angry and another even more worried.

As he leaned back in his chair in frustration, Danny noticed Duke Lukela standing in the doorway and nodded at him. Steve followed his partner's gaze and met the Sergeant's concerned eyes.

"Duke, any news on Mary?" he immediately asked.

Lukela shook his head. "We're still looking for her." The effect of the news on the Commander brought a matching frown on his face. "Don't worry, Steve," he added, "the whole watch is out to find her. I'll let you know the minute we do."

"Thanks, Duke."

The Sergeant took a couple of steps forward. "How's it going in here?" he asked Kao.

"Not so good. He says he killed the man to protect his sister."

Lukela's frown deepened. A few months back, when Akela had been kidnapped and he'd broken the rules in a desperate attempt to get her back, Steve had supported him without questions. Knowing what kind of man he was, the Sergeant wasn't buying his story as well. "Any evidence to back that up?"

"Still working on it."

"Alright, keep me posted," he said before heading back out.

Kao nodded and put his glasses back on, studying his notes. A haunting silence enveloped the room as Danny absently stared out the window and Steve continued to sit there unperturbed as if the whole thing wasn't even bothering him.

He knew what he was doing was right, that he had no choice but step up and fix the mess he'd created. Problem was, he still wasn't sure it was the best way to do it, and the doubts lingering in his head were driving him crazy.

"Alright, let's go back to the living room," the detective started again. "There's something we're missing here. Your sister. Was she in the room while you two were fighting?"

"Yeah. She tried to stop me but I wouldn't listen."

"Figures. If you'd listened to her, you wouldn't be sitting here now."

Danny rose to his feet. "Hey! Easy, man!" His voice was loud, his temper flaring in stark contrast to Steve's passive demeanor.

"What? You think this is bad, wait until the prosecutor gets a hold of him!" He huffed and rubbed his hand through his hair. "Go on."

Steve glared at him. "He was drunk and started screaming at me so I lost my temper and the next thing I remember he was lying on the floor with a bullet in his chest." He paused for a moment, giving the man a frustrated shake of the head. "Like I said, I got carried away. I was upset, so I left the house to clear my head and figure out what to do next."

"Where'd you go?"

The former SEAL shrugged. "I drove around. Ended up in a bar, had a few drinks."

"Do you remember which bar?"

"No."

"Don't lie to me, Commander…" Kao warned.

"I'm not," he replied, feeling Danny's stare on him but refusing to look his way. He had been trained to withstand interrogation and torture, being questioned by a police detective was supposed to be a walk in the park.

The Asian man closed his notebook and stood up. "Alright, I think there's enough here to build a case."

Danny's heartbeat accelerated. This couldn't be happening. He was not about to watch his best friend get booked and transferred to Halawa. "Shouldn't we at least wait for the ballistics report?"

Jimmy Kao looked at him as if he'd grown two heads. "Can I talk to you for a second?" He grabbed a legal notepad and placed it in front of Steve. "We'll be right back. You can start writing your statement."

Danny sighed and reluctantly followed him outside, closing the door of the office behind him.

"Williams, I hate to say this but I think you're not being objective here," he said as soon as they stepped into the hallway.

"What?"

"I think your friendship with McGarrett is clouding your judgement. I let you sit in on this as professional courtesy, but you're making things worse. Your partner is getting booked whether you like it or not, so you might as well get used to that."

"This has nothing to do with being objective! He didn't do it. Alright? He's taking the fall for his sister and we're letting him!"

"Listen to me, what we have here is pretty much an open and shut case. He admitted to killing the guy because he beat up his sister and God knows what else. Said he intentionally came downstairs with a gun to stop the fight. What more do you need to know? If it was a perp you would've already locked him up and thrown away the key!"

Danny's anger rose. "I am telling you, Kao. He did not do this."

"He's confessed!" the older man said loudly. A few heads turned, and he immediately regretted his tone. "Look, I know you care about him. Hell, he's a decorated officer, I feel bad about it too, but no judge is gonna let him walk away with this."

Danny knew that. It was why he had tried to convince Steve to tell the truth.

"Something comes up and proves me wrong you're more than welcome to bust my chops about it. Until then, he sits in jail thinking about the mistake he's made."

The Jersey native swallowed hard. He knew Kao was right, and that if the situation was reversed he would've told him the exact same thing. And yet he couldn't wrap his mind around the possibility that Steve was more than likely going to spend the rest of his life in prison, and the fact that he was powerless to stop it.

He watched him through the glass window for a long moment. Now that in his stubborn, over-complicated mind he had accomplished his mission, his entire body had sagged into the chair as if it was folding in on itself. He looked drained. Beaten. Like when you've devoted all of your efforts to one specific task and have no more energy to deal with anything else.

Danny's eyes watered. This wasn't fair. Not in the slightest, but if he couldn't stop or delay the arrest he could at least make sure his stay was as comfortable as the prison rules allowed.

"Let's go talk to the boss," he said briskly before stalking away.

In the confined space of the detective's office, head between his hands, Steve lost track of how much time had passed.

His confused thoughts danced in time with the beats of the clock on the wall behind him, minute after minute, until the door opened again and Danny came back into the room.

One look at his friend's contrite face and he realized it was time to go.

"It's okay, Danny," he said, wiping his sweaty palms on his shorts. "I'm ready."

The Jersey native moved closer, his shoulders slumped. "Are you sure?"

Steve sucked in a breath as he heard footsteps approaching and turned to see Kao and Duke Lukela join them in the office, then blew it out and nodded. "Let's go."

"It's gonna be hard to sneak him by the press," the Sergeant said, a note of concern in his voice.

Danny peeked out the window to see that, indeed, the parking lot was beginning to fill up. "That's just great. Isn't there a surfing accident going on somewhere or an MVA they'd rather cover?"

Duke shook his head, the creases of strain on his face making him look older than he actually was. "Take him out the back door. Two of my guys will run interference for you."

Danny nodded.

"Go," the Hawaiian man urged. "I'll try to keep the journalists at bay."

Steve's lips curved into a grateful smile. "Thanks, Duke."

Detective Kao instinctively reached for the cuffs on his belt, only to be pinned with an icy stare from both Danny and Sergeant Lukela. Raising his hand back up to casually run it through his hair and pretend nothing had happened the man shrugged and walked towards the door, holding it open for them.

"I'll be back," he told Duke, and followed the two Five-0 members outside.

"I don't want to go, Steve. Why do we have to go?"

"Dad says it's not safe for us here."

"I don't care. I don't wanna move to California."

"There's nothing we can do about it. I'm sorry."

"Where are you going?"

"Army and Navy Academy."

"Where is that?"

"Only a few hours away. I'm sorry, Mare, I don't like it either."

"What if I get lonely, Steve? What if I get scared?"

"You're not gonna be alone. Aunt Deb's cool, you're gonna be alright. And I'll try to call and visit as much as I can, alright?"

"Promise me."

"I promise."

"Can I sleep in your bed tonight?"

"Mare..."

"Please? I'm afraid."

"Okay."

"Thanks. Steve? Promise me we'll always be together."

"We will."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Steve bolted awake with a gasp and pushed himself up on his hands, breathing heavily.

He stared ahead, blinking his eyes to focus on the unfamiliar setting until he realized where he was. Swinging his legs off the coat he sat there for a while, hands on his face, feeling the air grow tight in the dark, six-by-eight cell.

The fact that his sister was still out there scared him more than his current condition. He'd promised Mary he would always be there for her but had let his job become a priority and put it before everyone else, failing her in the most spectacular way.

Sighing, he settled his frame back on the lone bunk, staring at the shadowy ceiling and hoping she would forgive him one day.

"...HPD will be holding a news conference later today about Commander McGarrett's involvement in the death of a man in Aina Haina last night. The identity of the victim is being withheld at this moment pending further investigation."

Danny sat on the sofa, a cup of coffee in hand, watching the early morning news report. His bleary eyes and the tired expression on his face spoke of a restless, sleepless night that all the coffee in the world wouldn't be able to fix. One of the many awaiting him in the future, he figured.

The sky outside was beginning to brighten. It would be dawn soon, and he dreaded the thought of going through another day and pretending to function while his best friend was locked in a cell.

After personally escorting Steve to Halawa and considering spending the night in his car outside the facility, he had called Tani and Junior to let them know what was going on, asking them to meet at the office bright and early to try and figure out a way to get their boss out of this mess. He'd tried to reach Lou as well but all his calls had gone to voicemail and he hadn't had the heart to call the house and wake the whole family up at three in the morning. He'd try again later.

The apartment was silent. Charlie and Joanie were still cuddled together in the boy's room, and he'd managed to convince Grace to go back to bed not too long ago after promising he would do his best to get her Uncle Steve out of trouble. The terrified expression on her face as she'd pleaded with him to do something had nearly broken his heart and he'd hugged her tight, wishing once again he could shield his children from all the horrors of the world and the cruelty of mankind. She had fallen asleep shortly after that, leaving him alone with the memory of the bleakness in Steve's eyes as the prison guard escorted him to his prison cell.

"...Sources close to the police force have confirmed that the units dispatched to Commander McGarrett's house after a 9-1-1 call reporting shots fired found the front door wide open and a man lying on the ground with a single gunshot wound to the chest."

He shook his head at the young newscaster. They were like vultures, preying on anyone and anything that could guarantee them a good scoop.

Grabbing the remote, he angrily turned the TV off and rose to his feet, hoping a nice, long shower would take at least some of the weariness away. He was about to head into the bathroom when he heard his phone ring.

21 kinds of emergencies flashed through his brain as he rushed to grab it, remembering still too vividly the call he'd received six years before informing him that his partner had been stabbed and was on his way to the hospital. The unfamiliar number displayed on the screen did nothing to quell his fears. Had Steve been injured again? Were there new developments in the case?

He swallowed hard and tapped the screen to accept the call, squeezing his eyes shut to close off the mounting panic. "Hello?"

Nothing.

"Hello?" he repeated. He really didn't have time for this. "Who's there?"

Finally, a shaky voice. "Danny?"

His eyes widened. "Mary?"

TBC