A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry about the wait. I just haven't been myself lately and I feel like I have lost all and any creative drive that I once had. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. Hopefully the upcoming holiday will help. Until then, how you like this meager offering. I am trying to bring this story around to the cannon as much as possible. I hope you like it.

Chapter 11: The Truth About Malia

Back in the boathouse, Sam and Steve 'sat' – more like sat, stood, paced, stopped, stared and repeated their motions – waiting for the rest of the overly crowded crew to assemble. They had left Sheldon with Raj and Eric, as Hetty took the ladies, and without explanation disappeared, but before she left she ordered the two men to meet up with Danny and Callen, and their two suspects. After a quick, but silent, car ride, with Sam at the wheel, they arrived at the boat house, and that is where they remained alone and without any information coming in from ops or Callen and Danny.

"What is taking them so long?" Steve asked impatiently as he stopped his pacing and turned toward Sam who had taken up a new seat on the couch.

"Callen's driving," Sam answered and as if that was enough of and explanation Steve slumped into the couch as well.

"I try my best not to let Danny drive. He's got a touch of the elderly about him, and drives like a civilian most of the time."

"I noticed that when he drove in Hawaii. I blamed it on Island time," Sam said with a chuckle, "but it seems like an injustice when he drives a car that is a staple in American car culture. He didn't like my name for the Camaro – you alluded to it – so what did he name her instead?"

"Hetty," Steve answered as a mischievous smile crossed his face. "He said it was perfect after a comment Henrietta Lange had made, just before he left to come home. Something about being provoked, I believe, and it stuck with him. I think he means it as a compliment."

"She'd take it as one." Sam stated seriously. "She may not look like it but Hetty is a bit of a gear head."

"I don't believe you!"

"Didn't you see the jag out front?"

"I did."

"Hetty has three of them. She's currently driving her newest one but, depending on her mood, she brings them all out now and again. Her garage looks like you've stepped into Bruce Wayne's car gallery, but her most prized possession is her 1965 Aston Martin DB5."

"That's such a spy car."

"It is Henrietta Lange."

"What about you, Sam? When I first met you and we worked together you wanted to talk about nothing but your 'girls'. I hope active duty – or lack there of – has allowed you time to spend with your cars."

"When you met me I would have talked of nothing but them, and maybe my music, but since then, and since I've gone through multiple career changes, I've had to settle for one project car, which is neglected for my wife and daughters when I do get free time."

"No, Sam Hanna, the family man?" Steve asked in shock.

"Indeed," Sam answered with a nod, "but come on Steve, you have to see the temptation of a civilian life, a life outside of whatever it is we truly do, now that you are off active duty and into a job that is more work-a-day then you could have ever imagined in the SEALs. I'm surprised that Danny hasn't convinced you that family is the way to go."

"I think he's trying and with you on his side you two might be successful."

"I didn't have the pleasure of meeting Grace while I was in Hawaii but Danny speaks so highly of her and her picture is all over his office, and yours."

"I took him away from her to come here and I feel so guilty about it," Steve said with a sigh as the door to the boathouse opened and Danny and Callen pushed their suspects into two separate interrogation rooms – right past Sam and Steve on the couch. "She's a great kid – really smart – and Danny is head over heals for her."

"It comes with the territory when you become a father."

"You're up, McGarrett," Danny stated as he came out of the first interrogation room – leaving the suspect behind.

"You coming?" Steve asked as he looked to his partner.

"No, I got what I needed in the bar, and as I'm the only civilian law enforcement officer present, I'll leave the loaded questions to you."

"What did you get from them in the bar?" Sam asked.

"They were unaware of Frank Delano's passing. So if they know anything at all, it will not pertain to the suspect we are currently chasing," Danny stated and sat down as Callen joined them, "but I invite you to prove me wrong, and get a few other answers out of these guys."

Steve nodded – knowing exactly which questions Danny was alluding to.

"Baldwin seems to think that Rick Henson – the other man of their party – is the one orchestrating for Holick." Callen stated as he remained standing.

"Let's see if we can get Joey to corroborate," Steve said as he stood and looked to Sam.

"We'll watch from here," Callen said and turned to the surveillance feed.

5-0-NCIS:LA-TBBT

For a long moment Callen watched Danny. The usually vibrant detective had become quite silent since they had gotten back into the car together. There was something else in his looks and his brooding eyes that Danny wasn't telling anyone, and in a moments conversation with Steve, Callen saw the same questions, darkness and anger cross the usually stoic SEAL's face.

"These people have history with you," Callen said once they first saw Steve and Sam appear on the monitor for the interrogation room that held Joey, "and I know you aren't telling me something. If there is anything that is going to jeopardize our investigation, you had better tell me what it is."

"There isn't anything that you need to worry about." Danny stated shortly. "Unless Chin shows up before Steve has finished, then we might have issues."

"Why?"

"Because one of these two men, in all likelihood, shot and killed Chin's wife."

Callen turned again toward the scene. He pursed his lips and the same darkness seemed to fall over him as it had Danny and Steve.

5-0-NCIS:LA-TBBT

"So, you're all here," Joey sighed as Steve and Sam walked into the interrogation room.

"We're everywhere." Steve stated as he sat down in front of Joey. "Where is Rick Henson?"

"He was with Frank. Baldwin and I came to California to get away from Five-O and lay low. Our plan was to skip town and head north as soon as we could and Frank was all for it, but Rick had other plans. Rick and Frank said they had friends that could help us escape to the mainland, so we hopped on board the freedom express. What did we have to lose?" Joey asked as he looked at his hands. "They told us that they would arrange everything and that we just had to lay low."

"Lay low, why would you go back to the same bar that was the scene of a murder?" Sam asked with a huff from the corner.

"The murder didn't happen at the bar, and we weren't even there. It happened on the street. It's a quiet spot, the drinks are cheap, and that is where Frank said he would come and find us when his plan was all ready, and then we would skip town. We check in at that place almost every day, stay for a drink and then leave again. We didn't think anyone would think we were stupid enough to go back to that bar, which made it the perfect place to go to, but I guess you cops are smarter then that. I told Baldwin it was too good to be true. We got out of Hawaii way to easily."

"You had to know that they law would catch up with you after what you had done. We never stopped looking. Tell me, are you the one that pulled the trigger and killed Lieutenant Kelly's wife?" Steve asked with an angry growl, glad that Chin was still at the university.

"I didn't kill anyone!" Joey stated.

"Were you on the boat with Baldwin when Kono was thrown overboard?" Steve demanded.

"No, I just drive the cars. I was parked outside Officer Kelly's house," Joey confessed.

"So who shot Malia?"

"It was Rick following Frank's orders! Neither one of them were supposed to live."

"What is Rick doing now?" Sam asked from the shadows.

"He had some connections here. His cousin or something had a job for Frank and we came with him. We had to get away from Hawaii."

"Is this the cousin?" Steve asked and showed the suspect the photo of Holick.

"No, that guy is the cousin's partner," Joey answered.

"Who is the cousin?" Steve asked.

"She told us her name was Moira."

"Does Moira have a last name?" Sam asked as he came forward and towered over Joey.

"Not that I know of, but she works at Caltech," Joey confessed, "or at least that's what the ID card said."

5-0NCIS:LA-TBBT

"Aren't you glad you have a pack of scientists now?" Danny asked as he pulled his eyes away from the interrogation and looked to Callen.

"This just means we've hit another dead end."

"In this case," Danny said and stood, "but we made some fair headway in another case."

"Where are you going?" Callen asked as he watched Danny head for the door.

"Chin and the gang from Caltech should be here any minute. I want to give Chin the heads up before he walks into this situation – it's what friends do."

"Were they married long?" Callen asked and there was sympathy in his eyes.

"No, less then a year, but Chin and Malia had been engaged before. They were made for each other and Chin was robbed. He was supposed to choose between his wife and his cousin, and they were both supposed to die anyway."

"He chose Kono?" Callen asked in shock.

"No, he chose Malia and sent Kono's boyfriend out to save Kono. Adam made it just in the nick of time. Malia bled out in Chin's arms."