The Dark Side of Paradise

By: jenthetrulysly and traw

Chapter 1

The dark haired detective frowned but remained silent as he watched the governor shift uncomfortably in his seat behind the large desk. There was something unusually unnerving about that, since Paul Jameson was a normally a man who remained calm and collected at all times, even when in the direct line of fire. Steve had been with Five-O long enough to recognize this as an ominous portent of either something very big, or very critical. Most of the time it was both.

Clearing his throat, Jameson placed his hands on the desk as he leaned forward, his face conveying the seriousness of the matter to be discuss, "I called you in Steve to discuss a very...um...sensitive matter and ask for Five-O's help to deal with it." McGarrett remained silent as the Governor paused before he shifted uncomfortably again in his seat and continued, "To be more specific I wish to ask for yours and Williams' assistance."

"Sir?" McGarrett prodded when Jameson fell quiet again.

The governor visibly swallowed and Steve was surprised as a flush slowly colored the Governor's face and wondered what had caused it. "I need you both to go undercover." The older man said softly, stalling for time.

McGarrett knew a stall for time when he came across one and this had all the markings of one. Seeing as he barely had enough time in the day to stay on top of all his duties and responsibilities as the Head of Five-O, he cut right to the chase. He currently had three cases open and none of them were any closer to being solved. The quicker he could get out of here, the faster he could get back to work.

"Yes, sir." McGarrett said, scanning Jameson's slightly blushing face and wondering what could have caused that, "Can you please tell me more about the nature of this investigation? Why exactly does the investigation need to personally be handled by both myself and Danny?"

There were a few moments pause as the Governor decided on the best approach to broach this with McGarrett. He settled for starting with, "Steve, in your investigation of the illicit drug trade on these islands, have you come across anything about a drug called LST?"

McGarrett was silent for a few moments as he shifted through his memory for any recognition of the name, "Yes, sir. I have. It's a new drug that has come on the scene. Reports are that it is a far more potent and dangerous form of LSD better know on the streets as Twilight Dust but as far as Five-O has been able to ascertain it has not yet reached the islands."

"I have reports that it may be here already Steve." Jameson interrupted quietly.

McGarrett leaned forward, "What reports, sir?"

"I have it on good authority that there is a small organized group of men from the mainland who have set up labs here on Oahu and are producing the drug." Jameson answered before holding up his hand to prevent McGarrett from interrupting as he continued. "But the reports are unsubstantiated at the moment Steve and because of some of the men involved, I would like Five-O - more specifically - Danny and you... to go undercover and check it out personally."

Rising from his seat, the blush that colored the Governor's face deepened as he moved to pace his office and added softly, "It's not just the men involved that makes this case so sensitive..." He paused again for a moment before he drew a deep breath and continued. "Let's just say it's also the men's lifestyle. These men I fear have brought with them a lifestyle that undermines everything that is decent and acceptable in society. If left to proliferate, it could challenge and degrade society as we know it."

"Illicit drugs by their very nature undermine the moral fabric of society." Steve conceded, clasping his hands loosely on his lap, "How so does LST challenge this even further?"

There were a few beats of silence as Jameson composed his arguments, where the sounds of the wind whooshing past the palm trees outside filled the office. It was deceptively peaceful. Jameson usually had no such issues expressing any problems with a potential investigation.

McGarrett knew that this was going to be a very delicate investigation, if the Governor's hesitance was anything to go by.

Turning back towards the waiting detective, Jameson sighed. "The men involved are homosexual, Steve. And they have formed a very tightly knitted community here on our islands."

"Homosexuals..." Steve stared at the Governor as he finally began to realize the undercover job the Governor was asking him and Danny to undertake.

"Several of the community members are...let us say...very influential within the White House...so now you can understand the delicacy of this case." Jameson rushed on, "So far all I have is unsubstantiated rumors and Chinese whispers but we need proof and solid proof at that to stop these men. Proof that I want you and Williams to obtain."

"So you want us to..." McGarrett wasn't certain whether to laugh or be upset at the scenario the Governor was suggesting nor did he quite know how he was going to explain this to his young Second-In-Command.

The Governor nodded, "I'm afraid so Steve, I do know this is a very secretive and tight knit community and the only men they seem to trust are fellow homosexuals with the same perverted likes as their own."

"And you are certain that they are manufacturing LST, sir?" McGarrett frowned.

"Manufacturing it and preparing to send it back to the mainland to be sold. I have also been told it is being sold underground here as well. We need to stop them Steve and stop them fast." The Governor's voice rose with passion, "This is not the type of tourists with whom we want to share our beautiful islands with."

"Yes, sir." Steve answered, "Please leave it to us." He moved to stand up and Jameson matched his actions, a grim smile on his face.

"I have no doubt that you and Williams will be able to do it," Jameson said.

"I also take it that this is to be kept in strictest confidence, a private investigation with minimal HPD involvement as well?" McGarrett queried.

"I leave that as a matter for you to decide." Jameson replied, "Make this the top priority, at all costs. Good day to you, Steve," he said.

"Good day, sir." McGarrett nodded his head in acquiescence and walked out of the office, trying to think of just how he was going to explain the very sensitive nature of this investigation to his Second-In-Command. He walked down the steps back to the Five-O offices, his footsteps heavy and halting as his mind turned over all of the possibilities.

If it was up to him he would have preferred to offer the young man a choice. Not many men would jump at the opportunity to go undercover into a close-knit gay community, with their boss least of all. Homosexuality was a very sensitive topic for many people and he had no idea how Danny would respond to this latest assignment. The man seemed blatantly heterosexual at this stage, but then again, McGarrett really didn't know anything about the sandy haired detective's personal life. Sure, he knew about Jane but that was only because circumstances had deemed it appropriate. It had taken her death for Danny to open up.

He just hoped that by the end of this investigation, they would still be able to look at each other in the eye again. Entering the Five-O offices to the familiar sights and sounds of the typewriter and Chin and Danny's voices, he walked past Chin's cubicle where his two detectives were seated studying a file together. Tapping on the window, he ordered, "My office, Danno!"

If the order seemed gruff neither detective seemed to notice as Danny shrugged at his colleague and rose from his seat before following McGarrett into his office, closing the door firmly behind him as he entered. "What's up Steve?" he asked as he walked across the office and settled himself on the corner of his boss' desk as McGarrett sat down.

"The Governor has a sensitive request that he has asked Five-O to attend to," the lead detective began softly.

"A sensitive request?" Danny's eyebrow rose in curiosity as he eyed Steve warily.

McGarrett nodded and leaned forward as he asked, "How would you feel going undercover with a partner?"

"Undercover with a partner? Who? And why?"

"Jameson has asked us both to work undercover on this one. And I have all already agreed." McGarrett leaned forward as Danny frowned, "He has had unsubstantiated reports that LST is being manufactured on the island and is ready to be distributed both here and on the mainland."

The younger detective stared at McGarrett, "Twilight Dust? That's nasty stuff. But why does the governor want you and me...?"

"It gets nastier, Aikane." McGarrett answered softly, "The word on the Governor's coconut wireless is the men involved are important staff members in the White House and..." McGarrett paused to study his younger friend's reaction closely as he added more softly, "The only way to get even remotely close to see what is going on, we need to act as if we are a couple."

Danny blinked and stared in surprise at McGarrett before he burst into laughter, "A couple?" he gasped.

The laughter died on his lips as he saw McGarrett nod seriously and he cautiously asked, "You mean as in you and me?"

McGarrett nodded again as Danny nervously rubbed his hand over his curls and admitted, "I'm...I'm not sure if I can do that."

He watched as color slowly leeched out of the younger man's face as shock, or something very closely resembling shock settled over Danny. In other cases he would have felt sympathy for the young man, but this was something that had to be done. There was no room for maudlin thoughts. It was an outright order from the Governor, which meant that there was no way they could refuse it. Undercover investigations were part of standard Five-O procedure, and by now Danny should have known that they could encompass anything and everything.

Nonetheless, a twinge of sympathy still surfaced inside him when he caught sight of those clear blue eyes averting their gaze and the light touch of color on Danny's cheeks. The hair carding became more frequent with each passing moment, those nimble fingers sliding through the sandy tresses. A very stagnant silence settled over the two detectives.

"It has to be done," McGarrett reminded him in a much gentler tone. Something in his voice caused Danny's gaze to snap back up, and they regarded each other across the expanse of the wooden desk. McGarrett willed Danny to understand, because he had to understand, before resignation settled over the young man.

"Alright, Steve." He said finally agreed, rather quietly.

Danny had been Second-In-Command long enough to know that when Steve was in this mindset, his focus narrowed only to the task in front of him. His boss was willing to do whatever it took to get the job done, no matter what the personal costs to himself. Whilst this singular dedication was honorable and worthy of praise, Danny often wondered what the personal cost was. Since it was none of his business whatsoever, he kept the thought to himself. This was also great, because it meant another impending break up to look forward to.

A unique result of undercover investigations was that he often had to disappear for long periods of time with very little to no explanation to the person he was seeing. As such, no matter how many times he emphasized that the details of his assignment were "top secret" and "classified" his partner would never believe him. Often the relationship was doomed from the start because if there was no way that they could trust him and his word then there was no potential for any sort of deeper understanding. There would be no way that their relationship would and could work beyond the base level of physical attraction.

"I trust you will be able to make all the necessary arrangements before starting on this assignment with me." McGarrett said, breaking through the young detective's tumultuous thoughts. There was almost a note of understanding in smooth voice.

"Sure, Steve," Danny replied after a few moments, before beating a hasty retreat from the office. As the head of Five-O watched the retreating figure almost run for the door, he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding as the tension eased out of his shoulders. As far as assignment briefings went, this one could have gone a lot better.

But then again, it could have also gone a lot worse.

H50H50H50H50

Stepping through the doorway of their 'new' house, Danny looked around in awe at the obvious opulence of their new lifestyle. "Wow!" He breathed as he eyed the deep plush carpets, the ornate furnishings, the large bay windows and lanai door that lead out to the private beach outside, "The Governor is sparing no expense, is he?"

McGarrett glanced around, seemingly unimpressed with his new surroundings, "We are dealing with some very wealthy and influential men, Danno."

The younger man nodded as he glanced up the impressive stairway that lead up to the first floor before he glanced towards his boss, "I guess if we are a couple we will be sharing the bedroom."

McGarrett nodded, "These men are very clever people. I am sure one of the first things they will covertly check when they are our dinner guests tonight is the sleeping arrangements, Danno. "

"I guess I should have asked if you snore." Danny grinned mischievously, "Because if you do I guess it's too late ask Kono to bring me some ear plugs before we go to bed tonight."

"I don't snore!" McGarrett grinned as he led the way up the stairs, silently relieved that his young friend and Second-in-Command appeared to have accepted the undercover role into which they had both been thrust. The entire case rested on how well they could pull their roles off.

All thoughts of snoring and blanket hog potential abruptly few out of their minds once they entered the main bedroom which was a study in decadence. The room was palatial; it was so large that it was bigger that McGarrett and Danny's apartments combined. The ceiling was high and there was a large chandelier in the middle which bathed everything in soft light. The ornate dark wood furniture undoubtedly cost more than a house in the most expensive beachside suburb in Hawaii and the bed itself was incredibly big, filled with enough fluffy pillows and warm blankets that there would be no issue with pillows and blankets. It was big enough that five fully-grown men could fit into the bed without being squashed like sardines.

"Well, I see that space won't be an issue here," McGarrett noted drolly as he watched Danny walk over to the bed and throw his luggage onto the velvet ottoman at the end of the bed before starting to fish for his small case of toiletries in his luggage.

The younger man turned to face him, his features carefully schooled into an impassive mask. "I'm going to grab a shower. See you in a bit for dinner?" Danny flashed a warm smile at McGarrett as the man walked across the wide expanse of the room and crossed into a door where the ensuite was, "Don't make anything too spicy!" he added before disappearing behind the door with a soft click.

The dark haired detective approached the ottoman where Danny had been before depositing his travel bag next to his friend's. He caught a glimpse of something shiny in the dark recesses of the other man's bag. A keen sense of curiosity stole over him before he managed to stop his probing fingers before they descended into the bag to see what it was. Danny's personal life had nothing to do with him; he had learned long ago not to poke unwarranted into other people's personal business in his personal capacity. Doing something like this would have crossed an invisible line that he wasn't sure he wanted to cross.

To distance himself from this train of thought, he walked out of the bedroom and back down the stairs to a less intense setting before he switched his mind to thinking about what sort of things Danny would want to eat. He only knew that the man ate sandwiches and fast food at work.

It scared him slightly when he realized that he didn't know anything about what the man liked or disliked.

H50H50H50H50

The mouth watering aroma of steak barbequing greeted Danny as he walked through the large open glass sliding door and out onto the lanai.

"I thought we could have steak and salad with our guests for dinner." McGarrett announced as he turned the steak and nodded towards the table that was already set with cutlery, glasses and plates. A large bowl of salad sat in the middle next to a plate of fresh bread rolls and a jug of icy cold orange juice. "How do you like your steak?"

"Ummm...medium rare," Danny answered as he watched his boss place another piece of steak on the grill as he felt a small knot of dread form in his stomach at the thought of the targeted two guests Steve had invited for dinner the day they had 'purchased' the house. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Answer the door." McGarrett grinned as the front doorbell rung, "It sounds like our dinner guests have arrived already. Word won't take long to spread that there are new neighbors."

Danny swallowed hard and nodded as he turned to walk back inside, "I guess it's show time."

"Danno," Steve's soft call stopped the younger man and he waited until Danny turned back and looked at him, "I would have been surprised if they were not interested in us. I know you can do this."

The young detective smiled and nodded as he turned back to answer the door. If Steve believed that he could carry out the role, it gave him a renewed confidence within himself that he could as well. Danny padded out of the kitchen and across the living room to emerge into the entrance hallway. He rested his hand on the doorknob for a few moments to collect his composure before he plunged himself into this next persona, into a world where he was nothing but a fictitious construct. This was like a Hollywood movie but with higher stakes where so many things could go wrong. Schooling his features into something amiable, he wretched the heavy wooden door open, to come face to face with two people.

"Hello," he greeted cordially, "you must be Boris and Wilhem. Nice to meet you both, won't you please come in?" he stepped aside so the two men could walk in, before closing the door with a dull thud.

"Hi," the one named Wilhem greeted warmly. Danny felt distinctly uncomfortable when the man's dark blue gaze raked up and down the length of his body, as if assessing him. Things were further compounded by the fact that the two men were wearing very sophisticated Armani suits with matching crisp white shirts and complimentary silk ties that undoubtedly were more expensive than Danny's entire wardrobe. His best suit, which he happened to be wearing at the moment, had nothing on these. He allowed his eyes to drink in the sight of the two men in front of him.

"Thanks for inviting us for dinner," the shorter one, Boris, interjected. He was very exotic looking, with olive skin and dark green eyes and black curly hair that shone under the light from the chandelier above. There was something very aquiline about his appearance and Danny found himself reminded strongly of predatory cats.

"Indeed, it's always good to get to know the neighbors," Wilhem added surveying the surroundings. For all of Boris' distinctive exoticness, Wilhem was a contradiction in plain aristocratic elegance. There was no doubt that the man was handsome; people could swoon over his deep navy blue eyes which bordered on purple, the straight European nose, chiseled jaw and platinum hair. "We brought you a housewarming present."

From his stylishly Italian leather attaché case he extracted a bottle of fine cognac wrapped with a little red velvet bow on it and handed it to Danny. He allowed himself to peer at the bottle in his hands. While he was no fine wine connoisseur, he was able to recognize that it was indeed very expensive.

"Thank you very much." He said automatically, "Please make yourselves at home," he waved his hand in the general direction of the monstrosity of the leather sofa, "I shall go and put this in the wine bar and see how dinner is coming along. That should give you a chance to meet Steve. Won't be long."

"Sure, you do what you have to," Wilhem replied. And was it just him, or did the man's gaze linger on Danny's for a fraction more than what was friendly and considered normal?

"I'm looking forward to meeting, Steve," Boris added as Danny walked briskly over to the wine bar on the other side before disappearing into the kitchen. It was not exactly the most dignified exit he could have made but at least he fully avoided flat out running out of there.

Leaning across and softly running his hand up and down his partner's upper leg, Wilhem smiled. "See, told you the younger one was cute. By the tan and his muscles, I would say he is a surfer boy who loves playing in the water." He grinned when Boris growled with jealousy, "But I think you will find Steve is more to your liking." He whispered playfully.

Before Boris could respond to his lover's playful teasing, they were interrupted as a tall dark haired man emerged through the open lanai doors with his arm wrapped around the younger man's waist. "Hello," he greeted them warmly as he released Danny and stepped across with his hand outstretched to shake both of his guests' hands in welcome. "I am so glad that you could join us for dinner tonight. It is wonderful to meet and get to know our new neighbors."

Reaching for the tall man's hand, Boris smiled at the firm handshake, holding Steve's hand for a fraction longer than necessary, "I am really looking forward to getting to know both of you. Wilhem was so excited that we were getting new members in our small community."

"We're very happy to finally find such a close knit community where everyone is so nice and accepting, despite our, ah, differences," Steve quipped, raising his eyebrow in a meaningful manner as an arm snaked around Danny's hip to pull him closer as actions spoke volumes louder than words ever could. The young man played his part well, ducking his head and flushing slightly.

"Of course, we're very glad for you both too." Wilhem added, his lip curling "Why deny the heart what it wants?"

McGarrett gently cupped Danny's chin in his hand and raised the young man's face up towards his own and kissed him softly on the lips before he turned back and smiled at his guests who were grinning as they watched them. "The steaks are almost ready, shall we go out onto the lanai."

"Let's." Wilhem agreed eagerly as he followed the couple outside.