Try as hard as he could, Danny couldn't get him and Grace out of attending the football game with the team. He had absolutely no interest in a bunch of high school kids trying to throw the pigskin down the field, but the team had given him no out. Now here he was watching as McGarrett let the star quarter back go after they'd found him with a gun. He had so much to say about that, but not all the words would come out after Steve said, "Let's prove him wrong."

While driving to the international marketplace to find their suspects, Steve kept shooting him side glances.

"What, Steven?"

"Why are you sulking, Danny?"

"I am not sulking, Steven. I am merely contemplating the numerous ways in which to convey to you the proper procedure when finding a person with an unregistered gun."

"Let it go, Danno. That kid wasn't going to do anything."

"Well, I'm glad you can predict the future now, but let me give you a hint of the past." When it looked like Steve was going to interrupt, Danny bulled on, "No. It is my turn. In my vast experience as a beat cop, kids with guns kill other kids and the next thing you know, you're standing on a porch, knocking on a door and you are about to tell a mother that her six year old son is dead because his best friend's older brother had a beef with the local street gang and they used bullets to settle it."

Steve had the grace to look contrite. They didn't speak for the rest of the trip which suited Danny just fine. That night he hit the track and it took more than twenty laps before he calmed down enough to install the heavy springs, recalibrate the brakes and change the tires. Maybe the Camaro would be track worthy after all. That is after he'd made all the changes necessary to accommodate the crazy SEAL's déplorable amateur driving habits. Ow! Fuckin' dolly.

As he slid off the exam table to get dressed, Danny contemplated the many ways this was Steve's fault. Yeah, he'd given the doctor a list, but it was far from complete up to and including the real reason all lay in his partner's court. Danny wouldn't admit it out loud that it was the distraction of trying to get out all his complaints at his partner that caused him to catch the edge of the car dolly with his foot and come down spectacularly on his bad knee.

Getting the call for work during his doctor's visit put the icing on the irritating SEAL flavored cake. Beating Steve to the scene, Danny took a moment to ponder what Steve would say about his cane and a moment to reflect on the surroundings. Being on the other side of a prison break was new and Danny relished the newness of the feeling. The last time he'd been at an actual prison was in Europe, Rome specifically, being sprung by Linus's mom. Ah, good times. The present came galloping back, pulling Danny from his memories, when Steve showed up with Mary in tow.

Surprised at the man's cavalier attitude towards his sister, he just couldn't resist. "You know, if she was a dog, you'd get a ticket." Danny thought he'd scored a good one, but Steve's reply of, "I will literally pay you cash to stop talking right now," had him in silent stitches as the past slammed him again.

Only the fact they were at a crime scene kept Danny from collapsing in a fit of laughter. It took all his self-control to maintain a solemn expression. He'd used those same words on Virgil several times and hearing them come out of his partner's mouth filled him with mirth. Steve being Steve, stared at him with his 'I'll-humor-you-for-now-Danny' look and continued on with the case. At least Steve did get someone to take Mary back to HQ.

Danny's knee kept him sidelined for the more exciting parts of the investigation which he was strangely okay with. It gave him the chance to catch up on paper work and stay inside an air conditioned building. Most notably, it kept him from being a passenger in a helicopter where his partner was the pilot. Unfortunately, it also supplied opportunity to reminisce on the past that Steve had inadvertently brought up. His bickering with Steve didn't quite match what he had with Virgil. Most days it didn't matter, but sometimes there was just a hint of nostalgia. Virgil gave as good as he got while Steve seemed, well, stunted for lack of a better description.

Steve made himself comfortable on the couch in Danny's office while he watched as his partner propped up his bad knee and throw an ice bag on it. "Hey, D, what's up with you today?"

"Do you want to extrapolate on that question, Steven?" Danny sighed.

"This whole case. It seems like you haven't been all here. You a little distracted or something?"

"Nah. Well, maybe. Just thinking about old cases."

"Similar to Dawkins?" Steve asked, his curiosity piqued.

It took a minute for Danny to reply, "No, not really. Just a couple of things that reminded me of the past that's all."

"You good then?" Steve questioned, having picked up on Danny's "I don't want to talk about this" vibe.

"Yeah, I'm good," he answered, relieved his partner wasn't going to push for a change.