Wow, thank you so much for these reviews! All these Numb3rs and Colby fans - you've made this fangirl very happy!

Okay, here we are with chapter two - the first meeting between Danny and Colby. And after what happened with Nick Taylor - well, as the title for this chapter suggests, our favourite Jersey boy is on full alert. I hope you enjoy, and - well, let battle commence ;o)

Calculated Risk - Chapter Two

Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Danny Williams had been born to be a cop. His ability to anticipate trouble made him a natural. And when such dangers threatened people he cared about, those instincts hit mother-hen overdrive. He'd seen Steve betrayed once by one of his old friends. Almost killed by that betrayal. He was damned if he'd let that happen again.

"So this Granger guy. He's okay?"

Even while his eyes rolled in exasperation, Steve couldn't help but smile, as amused by Danny's suspicion as he was grateful for what it signified. Danny was, as ever, looking out for him. Once bitten with Nick Taylor, twice shy with Colby Granger.

"Yes, Danny, he's okay. Colby's as straight as they come, he's one of the best," he said at last – rolling his eyes again through the inevitable 'yeah, right' glance that, as ever, silently questioned his sanity. "Yeah, I know what happened with Nick, but… look, trust me, he's no Nick Taylor."

"You I trust. It's your crazy ninja friends that I tend to have trouble with," Danny retorted – the slight smile on his face taking the edge off his words as he continued to study the crowds.

One person in particular caught his eye, especially when Steve waved back at him, and he groaned – throwing up his hands in exasperation as he followed Steve to greet their federal reinforcements.

"Jeez, didn't you know any normal sized people in the Army?"

"Navy," Steve corrected him, the grin widening into the devilish smirk that Danny truly, truly, hated. "Although Colby was in the Army, so I'll give you that one."

"Generosity, thy name is Steven," Danny shot back just as dryly, still eyeing the Colby in question.

If there was one thing he'd learned in Jersey, it was how to read people. Their faces. Body language. That's why he'd hated Nick Taylor on sight. As soon as he saw him, he'd known he was trouble. But as he continued to study him, Danny knew the same couldn't be said for Colby Granger.

He had none of the arrogance that had set those senses on edge. Instead he radiated genuine warmth. A shade shorter than Steve – 'but still built like a damn barn' – his face was open. Friendly. Honest.

Striding into Steve's back-pounding hug, he was genuinely pleased to see him. No hidden motives. And when he turned to Danny, without any prompting, his smile was as broad as his country-boy drawl.

"Hey, how're you doin'?"

Whoa, good handshake! Even if it made his eyes water, that was a damn good handshake. It earned the newcomer a grin as Danny tried to discreetly rub the feeling back into his fingers.

Steve was smiling too, in silent relief and approval. Life with a happy Danny was just so much easier. More seriously, he knew both of them would need to be at the top of their game for this case. They needed help, not bickering distractions, and… okay, that help wasn't quite what he'd expected. Judging by the way Danny's eyebrows disappeared into his forehead, he'd thought the same thing.

Professor Charlie Eppes didn't look like any math teacher they'd known in high school. He was younger, for a start, more like the students in his class than a tutor who taught them. As for his hair, a wild mop of curls… damn, Steve had to quickly stifle a snigger of laughter.

'Wherever you get your gel supply, Danno, you might want to stock up.'

His brother, though, standing behind him, was certainly closer to their idea of an FBI agent. Serious, intense. Watching Colby introduce them with eyes that were friendly enough, but that still saw everything.

"Steve, this Don Eppes, head of LA Operations, and his brother, Charlie."

"Welcome to Hawaii," Steve grinned, turning to introduce Danny with the same pride that Colby had shown. "This is my partner, Detective Danny Williams."

Stepping forward for the obligatory handshake, Danny saw Don's eyes widen slightly – so familiar with this reaction now that he just smiled back and proudly patted his tie.

"As I keep telling Steve here, I like to look professional. It's a Jersey thing."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Colby sighed, casting the same martyred look towards Don. "I was in a suit and tie for over ten months before he told me I could dress in civvies."

"Hey, you looked good in 'em, Idaho. I didn't want to cramp your style," Don grinned – knowing from another good natured glare that he'd still pay for that when they got home.

First, though, they had work to do. They had a case to solve, in potentially dangerous ground. And part of him still worried about the latest puzzle that Charlie's skills had led him into. But as he followed his brother outside, subtly watching him all the while, Don had to admit – working that case in such a breathtakingly beautiful place really wasn't that much of a hardship.

Hawaii was every bit as stunning as he'd seen on TV, and yet beyond its idyllic beauty – no, as he continued to glance around him, Don Eppes couldn't help but feel a ripple of unease. Glancing sideways, he saw the same disquiet on three other faces. Colby. McGarrett. Williams. There was trouble in this paradise. Deadly trouble. And they were walking, head on, straight into it.