Pressure Makes Diamonds
Chapter 9
After Chin and Kono had left, Danny had been left alone with his thoughts. He had been comforted by all the support that he had received from Chin and Kono. The evidence that Chin had found was going to clear Steve. In a strange way, he had to be grateful for the Governor's quick, if understandably justified paranoid, thinking because without it, they would have nothing. Still, he knew that it wouldn't end there. Yes, it would clear Steve, but Five-0 was Governor Jameson's appointed task force, a task force likely formed by her connection to Wo Fat. Danny was a realist. Five-0 was now as tainted as she had been, all of its accomplishments would be put into question. It was highly unlikely that it would be reinstated to continue operating at all let alone the way that it had been, pushing the law to its very limits and in some cases, beyond it. Danny had been proud of what they had managed to do in the few short months they were a team, but through it all, he had known that someday they would be called to account for every arrest they had made, for the methods they had used to obtain their arrests. He had told Steve exactly that when they had been facing the consequences for the forfeiture locker robbery. Kono's career was still in danger because of it. The Governor covering it up with either her money or worse, with Wo Fat's money made their actions even more suspect. It all looked grim for them.
Thinking about all that should have given Danny the easy choice he needed to move back to Jersey and start a new life with Rachel, Grace and the new baby. He could start all over again there. His record as a cop was pristine and his alliances with his fellow officers there still solid so regaining acceptance would be simple. Why then didn't he feel happy? He could go back to the home he had missed all these months, leave the islands that he had cursed, albeit with some humor, to Steve, Kono and Chin for those same months. As he took a beer from his fridge, opened it and swigged the cold liquid, he realized that he had developed an affection for those people and even more important to him, a loyalty to them. Deep down, he felt that no matter what happened next, he would be leaving friends who had watched his back, had accepted him despite his mainland status, had seen him through dark times when he and Rachel weren't on good terms, especially Steve. He felt that he would be abandoning them to whatever uncertain fates awaited them and in many ways they would be to lesser fates.
Chin might be able to restart his career, but Kono would have an uncertain one with the IA investigation still looming without resolution and with the new evidence, surely, the Governor's cover up of the money would only make things look worse for Kono and for Steve. Then there was Steve. Would Steve be able to survive in a system where immunity and means no longer applied? Would he feel so hampered that he would go back to the military, to the SEAL life that he had always known, but didn't completely belong to anymore? They were questions Danny had no answers for and yet he felt that he had to be there for all of them, to see them through as they had seen him through.
His partnership with Steve, though at times adversarial in a brotherly kind of way, had been forged with a kind of commitment that Danny had always appreciated if learned the hard way. Steve had given him belonging not only in his work, but also in adjusting to his then new life on the islands. He had gone to bat for him to keep Stan and Rachel from taking visitations with Grace away from him. He had lied to the FBI so that he could try to stop his brother Matt from leaving the country with a drug dealer. Danny's friendship with Steve had enforced his partnership with him and if the truth were to be told, he had enjoyed pushing the envelope with the law at times. He had to make sure that Steve would not only be cleared of the murder charges, but that he would know he wasn't abandoning him to deal with Wo Fat alone.
Danny realized that he couldn't do that to any of them and be happy in Jersey.
His thoughts were then interrupted by the sound of his ringing cell phone. He saw Rachel's face on the screen and answered it.
"Hey, baby," Danny greeted, wishing he had sounded happier.
"Danny, are you all right?" Rachel asked, worry in her voice, hearing the defeat in his. "Has something happened?"
"Yeh, yeh, Chin found evidence that will clear Steve of murder."
"That's wonderful news!" Rachel said, truly happy to hear about Danny's friends, but sensing something else there.
"Yeh, it is."
"Danny, what is it?"
"Clearing Steve of the murders won't keep him and the others safe if Wo Fat gets away…you, Grace and the baby won't be safe either. Wo Fat has to be stopped."
"Well, he will be, right? The evidence clearly leads back to him, doesn't it?"
"Yeh, but he'll find a way to escape, go underground. If he does that, we'll never get him."
Rachel heard something in Danny's voice that scared her.
"What are you saying?"
"I have to finish things here before I can go back to Jersey."
"Of course, I understand, but when you do…"
Danny took in a deep breath. What he was about to ask Rachel could ruin their reconciliation, but he knew it was the right thing to ask and he had to hope that she would understand.
"Rachel, can you do me a favor?"
"Of course, anything," Rachel said, her fear rising.
She knew her husband well and the kind of man he was. It was because of who he was that she had fallen in love with him, but it was also what had her fearing losing him every time he went to work and had made her drive him away. In some ways, she wasn't that woman anymore, seeing his work through the Five-0 team members' eyes, especially his partner's eyes, made her realize that he had people protecting him, but now, hearing his voice, knowing that once again, he was clearly on his own, understanding his fierce loyalty to those team members, she felt that fear again, but tried to temper it for his sake.
"I know you don't consider Hawaii your home and believe me, I can't believe I'm saying this myself, but would you consider coming back, living here with me?"
Danny heard Rachel pause.
"Just think about it, okay?"
"All right, I will," Rachel said, her voice sounding open and willing which made Danny relax. "Danny?"
"Yeh?"
"Promise me, you'll be careful."
"Always am. I love you. I never stopped. Tell Grace that Danno loves her."
"I will."
Danny hung up and took in a deep breath. His phone then rang again. It was Chin this time.
"Yeh, okay, good. I'll be there. Chin? Thanks."
Danny then walked out of his apartment appreciating the thought that he considered what he was going to do less about police work and more about a rescue mission. Wouldn't Steve love to rub that little concession in his face?
TBC