Disclaimer: Hawaii Five-0 and its characters do not belong to me.

…

It's been a while, Detective Williams. What do you say we have a little chat? You know where to find me. – Daiyu Mei

This could not be happening. It had to be a nightmare. It just had to be.

"Shit… Danny…" Lou's voice was shaky.

He dropped to his knees, unable to retain his balance. His world eclipsed in an instant. He swallowed, burying the nausea building in his throat as his chest tightened. He couldn't breathe.

"Danny..Hey you okay?" Lou's hold around his arm tightened.

How could he be okay? Any threat on him he could live with. But his family… His kids… No one could touch them.

"Hey.. everything o.." He heard Tani's voice. "Oh my god…"

"Grace.." He breathed. "Charlie…" A choked sob escaped his lips.

"Danny, relax, alright. We're gonna make sure they're okay. Alright? Just relax."

He wasn't sure how Lou expected him to relax. There was no way he could relax. "I ne.." He stuttered, his lips for some reason refusing to move. "Need to…Call..Rachel."

"Alright, come on. Let's get you up and we'll do that. I'm gonna call Grace, alright? You check on Charlie." Lou said as calmly as he could.

He nodded, accepting Junior and Adam's help as they pulled him up. He leaned heavily onto Adam as they led him to his couch, his legs barely strong enough to support him. He sank down onto the seats and whipped out his phone. His fingers trembling, he dialled Rachel's number.

He could feel his heart thumping in his chest as he waited with bated breath. The ringing dragged on for too long and his fear amplified with each second. What if Daiyu Mei had his son? The rational part of his brain told him it was impossible. The b*tch was behind bars. But…the photos…

He winced as his heart ached. Rachel.. pick up the phone..

"Hello. Danny?"

He breathed out. Relief flooding him as he heard her voice. "Rach? Rachel.. are you.. is Charlie okay?"

"Charlie? Yeah.. he's just doing his homework.. Do you want to talk to him?" Rachel asked.

"Rach.." His voice shook.

"Danny, is everything okay?" Rachel asked.

"Listen.. have you…have you noticed anyone suspicious around.. following you and Charlie?" He asked.

"What are you talking about? Danny what's going on?"

"Rachel please.. just think about it.."

"No.. i haven't noticed anything."

He breathed. "Look.. Charlie… Rachel.. I'm gonna need to put a protective detail on you and Charlie."

"Danny.."

"I'll explain everything later but just.. Rachel I need you to stay with Charlie and be careful. Call me right away if you notice anything suspicious."

"Okay.. Danny, you'll be okay?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah.. Tell Charlie.. Danno loves him." He said before hanging up.

Lou who had just hung up from a call looked at him. "I just spoke to Grace. She's alright. I have a friend in California, I'll ask them for a favour to keep an eye on Grace."

He could breathe slightly easier. "My mo.."

"Your parents, they're okay too." Tani said. "I just got off the phone with Clara. She hasn't noticed anything weird."

He swallowed, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "I need.. a protective detail on Rachel and Charlie."

"On it." Adam chimed.

He stood up, maybe a little too quickly. His vision blurred as blood rushed to his head, causing him to stumble forward. "Woah.. woah.. you alright?" Junior caught him just in time before he face planted onto the ground. "Just relax and sit down for a minute."

"I'm fine.." He said, his mouth dry. "I need.. to go.."

"Where to?" Tani asked.

"Daiyu Mei." He said.

…

His family were okay. Grace, Charlie, his parents... they were all fine. Yet, the fear that clutched his chest would not let go. Daiyu's message was clear. She could and would hurt his family. Even behind bars.

"Danny, you don't have to do this." Lou said, breaking the pregnant silence in the car.

He didn't answer, staring out the window. How had the day turned so sour so soon. His life had been going okay... as okay as it could be with the ever present hole in his chest.

But now... now it felt like he was reliving his nightmare. He clasped his hands to stop the involuntary tremor wringing his body, his knuckles turning white.

"Danny.. man, you okay?" Lou voiced gently. "You don't look too good." Lou continued as he navigated through the strangely empty streets. "How about i send you home. Let's think about..."

"There's nothing to think about." He finally said. "I need to see her."

"You don't have to, Danny. She's behind bars. There is nothing she can do.." Lou started.

"She sent those pictures, Lou! You saw them… And you damn well know what it means. She's telling us..." He breathed. "She's telling me that she can reach my family whenever she wants. I have to see her."

"But Danny.."

"I'm okay. I really am." He nodded at his colleague. "I need to see her. I want to hear what she has to say." He said, his jaws clenching tightly.

Next to him, Lou sighed heavily, shaking his head in acceptance.

"One more thing, Lou." He said. "Steve shouldn't hear about this."

"Danny.."

"Lou." Danny affirmed. "He doesn't hear about this."

Lou looked at him, not answering.

…

As the prison building came into view, he could feel his heart quickening. He swallowed, struggling to get enough air into his lungs, his chest failing to cooperate. His breath hitched to a stop with the car.

"I'll come with you." Lou said, his tone not allowing room for negotiation.

He inhaled. "She can't do anything to me here."

"Danny. I know you're not okay." Lou said. "Let me come with you."

"No one else needs to be entangled with her. Just 10 minutes, that's all I'm giving her. You wait here."

"Da.."

"I'll be fine." He said, squeezing the older man's shoulder. His frigid hands fumbled with the handle, struggling to open the door as they shook.

It was a miracle, really, that he could stand on his own two feet. His knees felt locked in position as he had to force himself to move. He breathed. It was going to be okay. Daiyu Mei could not do anything to him. Not here.

The walk through the corridor of the prison was one he had done countless of times before. But for some reason, for the first time in his life, he was afraid.

"She's in there." The guard said as he was led to the maximum security holding area. Rationally, he knew Daiyu Mei was stuck here for the rest of her life. But he also knew who her husband was. If she was anything like him, nothing would be impossible.

The door buzzed open as the guard punched in a string of numbers. He rubbed his hands together, his face flushed red as he tried to control his breathing. He entered the dimly-lit room, the hair on the back of his neck standing. In front of him was a wall of glass, separating him from his nemesis.

He picked up the phone hanging on the wall.

"I've been waiting for you."

He shuddered at the voice. The voice that had haunted him almost every night in the past 6 months.

"You're looking good.. for someone who almost died 6 months ago. What a pity… Those idiots couldn't do one thing right." She said, her eyes icy cold as they looked straight into his.

He gritted his teeth. "Can't say the same about you. Prison life must not suit you." He swallowed. "You wanted to see me. What do you want?"

"Straight to the point." Daiyu smiled, pacing her small confined area contemplatively. She stopped and turned to look at him. "How are your children, Detective."

"Don't you dare mention them." He hissed.

"Or else what?" She smirked. "You'll put me behind bars…oh wait, I'm already here."

"What do you want?!" He shouted, his hand balled into a fist as he punched the glass hard.

Her lips twisted into a crooked smile. "Your little boy.. he's adorable. Takes after you. And your girl, Grace Williams… she's feisty, that one. Come to think of it, she takes after you too."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" He yelled. "STAY AWAY FROM MY KIDS!"

"Calm down, Detective. I haven't done anything." She said. "Yet."

"Whatever you want.. leave my kids out of it." He heaved. "You want me.. take me. Take my life if that's what you want. But I swear to god if you so much as touch my family, I will kill you. You understand? I will kill you."

"To be honest, I am not interested in your kids. There is only one thing I want." She said. "Only one thing I ever wanted."

He heaved. "What is it? What do you want?!"

"Steve McGarrett."

His heart stopped, his fingers clenched the phone tighter. Bold of her to assume that Steve wasn't his family. if anything, Steve was just as important as his kids.

"Where is he?" She asked.

He breathed. "What do you want with Steve?"

"That is not your concern. Tell me where he is."

"I don't know." He said.

Her eyes pierced through him. "Looks like you don't really care about your kids after all, Detective. Then I have nothing else to say."

"It's the truth!" He said. "I don't know where he is!"

"You expect me to believe that." She hissed. "You really would rather protect him than your sweet little boy?"

He squeezed his eyes shut, there was no way he would give her the joy of watching him break down in front of her.

"I am not lying to you! I have no idea where Steve is!"

She breathed. "Then there's only one way…" She gazed at him for a long moment, causing his skin to crawl. "You had better watch your back, Detective." She smiled crookedly.

…

A/N: Hey everyone, thanks for sticking around. Hope you liked this short chapter. Let me know what you think!