Pressure Makes Diamonds

Chapter 2

As Danny waited for Steve to be escorted into the visiting room, a sense of déjà vu hit him. The last time he had been here was to visit Sang Min to clear his partner, Meka's name and there he was again trying to clear another partner's name. This was getting to be WAY too routine for him.

He heard the door open and watched Steve walk in. He could see that Steve had gotten no sleep and it scared him to see his partner looking as if he was resigned to his fate. Steve was a fighter, had always taken impossible odds and turned them to his favor so to see the resignation on his face worried Danny. They both unhooked the phones on either side of the plexi-glass that separated them.

"You look like Hell," Danny teased, hoping to get a rise out of his partner.

Steve only looked at Danny despair in his eyes.

"I didn't kill her, Danny."

"I know you didn't," Danny said, realizing that making jokes wasn't going to fly at that moment. His voice was soft, but filled with conviction.

"I was stun gunned by Wo Fat. He set me up."

"Listen to me, I'm going to get you out of here," Danny assured.

Steve looked away, clenching his eyes closed for a second as if to stave off tears then looked back.

"Well, as you'd like to say, the evidence is stacked pretty high against me. I walked right into the trap."

"Yeh, well, what can I say? I thrive on challenge," Danny joked again. "Chin and I are going to find something. Wo Fat made a mistake. I know it. We're going to nail him to the wall, okay?"

Steve offered a small smile, but it was fleeting.

"Kono? I saw her at booking."

Danny paused for a second to think of the right words to say. He didn't need Steve piling on more guilt upon himself.

"Yeh, IA is investigating her for the forfeiture burglary. A witness showed up."

Steve crinkled with confusion. "A witness?"

"Yeh, I need to talk to her to get the details."

Steve took in a deep breath. Danny had too much to bear and Steve felt guilty. He had dragged Danny into Five-0 and though he had no regrets because working with him had taught him so much about integrity, he couldn't find it in him to make Danny fight for him, a fight that if there was any chance of winning, he would take on, but with him behind bars, he'd be leaving Danny out there alone to become another target for Wo Fat. He had already lost his parents. He couldn't lose his friend, his partner too.

"Listen, Danny, you've got to steer clear of me. Wo Fat is going to go after you and I won't have anyone else get killed because of me. Five-0 is history. Walk away. Get that life with Rachel and Grace back in Jersey. This is your chance. Take it."

Danny understood what Steve was doing and no one was as shocked as he was to be so uncertain and yet never being so sure of a decision in his life.

"You let me worry about Wo Fat –"

"No! Danny, I mean it. Too many people have died because of me. I can't…I WON'T let you be next. You have a daughter who loves you. I can't let her lose her father. I know what that's like and I know what a good father you are."

"While I appreciate that, Steven, you seem to forget that I'm a cop. Every cop has an expiration date on them, I'm no different. Do I worry about leaving Grace? You know I do, every day, but if I let that control me, I couldn't be a cop any more. Then and ONLY then would I walk away and never look back. I'll tell you right now that if you think I could walk away and just live in Jersey knowing that you're locked up and that Kono got her badge pulled, you're sadly mistaken. So help me do my job."

Steve listened in awe of his partner. After everything he had put him through, asked him to do against his principles, Danny was standing firm beside him without a hint of hesitation. Steve had been ready to resign himself to his fate, but suddenly, he realized that it wasn't just him facing an uncertain future. It was Danny, Chin and Kono too and Danny was willing to fight to reclaim that future.

"Okay," Steve said, his voice stronger, the resignation gone from it, a renewed energy replacing it.

Danny nodded.

"Good. Now tell me everything you remember. No detail left out. I need to know everything."

Steve nodded back and for the first time, the smile on his face was genuine and remained there. Hope may turn out to be a heartless mistress, but he would do everything he could to hold on to her.

TBC