Chapter Text
His feet hurt. His muscles ached.
Hiking. Adventure.
And Danny Williams.
Those were three things that simply didn't belong together.
Danny was a man who preferred a comfortable sofa, a cold beer, and a football game on TV.
Which raised the question: What the hell was he doing in the middle of the Utah desert?
Surprisingly, it was only the second time he'd asked himself that question. Not that it mattered. The question was rhetorical. He already knew the answer.
His adventurous partner—and best friend—Steve McGarrett had spent almost a year talking about this hike before finally wearing him down.
"Come on, Danny, you'll see. It’s gonna be great. We’ll get some quality time, the scenery is mind-blowing—you’re gonna love it." Steve had repeated it like a twisted mantra until Danny had actually started to believe him.
And as much as Danny hated admitting it, Steve had been right.
His feet had been killing him for two days straight, but Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah was even more breathtaking than he'd imagined. The towering red cliffs, the endless blue sky, the silence... it was unlike anything he'd ever seen.
It was also a lot harder than he'd expected.
Steve had dragged him up one mountain after another almost every weekend to prepare for this trip, but nothing could have prepared him for terrain like this. Oahu was paradise. Even Danny had learned to admit that after years of calling it a pineapple-infested rock in the middle of nowhere.
Out here, though, they could leave work behind for a while. There were no bodies waiting for them, no bullets to dodge, no criminals to chase.
Just the two of them.
"Hey, Danny!" Steve called from farther up the trail. "We should be getting close to that hidden spring. We can refill our water, maybe even go for a swim. Hardly anyone knows about it."
Steve somehow sounded just as enthusiastic as he had that morning.
Water and swimming. Danny grimaced. There were very few things he hated more, and Steve knew exactly why. Years ago, Danny had told him about Billy—his childhood friend who had drowned right in front of him.
Still...
The thought of cooling off in this heat was becoming more appealing by the minute.
"I think we've got about another hour," Steve added.
When they finally reached the spot, Danny had to admit it was spectacular.
The spring was hidden between towering rock walls, but getting there meant squeezing through a narrow gap and climb up first.
His claustrophobia nearly got the better of him.
Still, somehow, he made it.
"There you go," Steve called from ahead. "Now all you have to do is let go..."
A split second later—
"WHOOO!"
Steve disappeared.
Danny's heart nearly stopped.
"STEVE! STEVE!”
“HEY. Are you okay?!" he yelled, a spike of pure adrenaline hitting his system.
For a terrifying second, Danny had no idea whether Steve had jumped... or fallen.
"Danny! Come on down, just let go! It's safe—I promise!" Steve's voice echoed back up the stone walls, entirely too cheerful.
"McGarrett, are you completely out of your mind?!" Danny’s pulse was hammering, a toxic mix of intense relief and incandescent rage washing over him. Relief that his idiot partner wasn't a smear on the rocks, and rage because the man was going to give him a stroke before he turned fifty.
Danny hesitated on the ledge, swearing under his breath, before he finally closed his eyes and dropped. He didn't exactly have a choice.
He hit the water feet-first, plunging into the crystal-clear, freezing pool.
"What’s the matter with you, huh?! You scared me to death!" Danny sputtered the second his head broke the surface, blinking the water out of his eyes.
"But it's great, right? Admit it, it’s fun," Steve grinned, treading water with a wide, challenging smirk that made Danny want to punch him.
But the anger evaporated. The water felt incredible against his aching muscles.
They stayed in the pool for a while, acting more like two kids on summer break than two seasoned law enforcement officers.
"Alright, I hate to admit it, but you didn't oversell it," Danny muttered later as they sat on a sun-baked slab of sandstone, waiting for their clothes to dry.
Steve looked entirely too pleased with himself.
"Oh? So you thought I was exaggerating?"
Danny snorted.
"Well... to be honest..."
Both of them laughed.
Steve had known from the beginning that Danny hadn't exactly been thrilled about this trip, which only made moments like this more satisfying.
"Can't we just stay here for the night?" Danny asked.
Steve shook his head.
"If we stop now, we'll fall behind schedule. Then we'll run into problems with our supplies."
"So basically you're saying I'd starve."
"I'm saying I'd rather avoid finding out how annoying you get when you're hungry."
Danny rolled his eyes.
"The nearest motel wouldn't happen to be around the corner?"
"Not exactly."
Steve swung his backpack onto his shoulders.
"That's the whole point of a trip like this."
"The whole point, huh?" Danny muttered as he picked up his own pack. "Personally, I wouldn't mind a hot shower and an actual bed."
Steve just grinned and kept walking.
Two hours later, they reached their campsite and settled in for the night.
The next afternoon brought them to one of the main highlights of the trip: Bluejohn Canyon. The landscape here was a maze of rugged, deep red slot canyons, carved out over millennia by a tributary of Horseshoe Canyon. It was absolute wilderness—miles away from roads, cell towers, or any sign of civilization. They hadn't seen another living soul since the previous morning.
How many crazy people like my partner actually come out here on purpose? Danny wondered as they navigated the deep shadows of the crevice.
The canyon demanded constant focus. Narrow ledges, steep descents and sections that required rappelling left no room for mistakes.
For once, Danny was grateful Steve had spent the last six months dragging him through endless training hikes.
The open desert had been exhausting enough.
This...
This was something else.
Beautiful.
Intimidating.
And completely unforgiving.
Steve was already several yards ahead, lowering himself into another narrow section of the canyon.
Then everything changed.
A deep crack echoed above them.
Danny looked up.
A massive boulder shifted.
Then it broke free.
"STEVE!"
His voice echoed through the canyon.
"STEVE! LOOK OUT!"
Adrenaline exploded through his body.
All he could do was watch.
The boulder gathered speed as it thundered toward his best friend.
"STEVE!"
The canyon filled with crashing rock and falling debris.
Then...
Silence.
Complete silence.
"Steve?"
Nothing.
Danny couldn't even see where the boulder had landed.
Please...
Please tell me he got out of the way.
No answer.
His pulse hammered in his ears as he scrambled down the rope as fast as he could, every horrible possibility racing through his mind…