Summary: After being apart for 2 years, the Five-0 team struggles to re-connect as they try to bring down a familiar enemy. (Warning: Character Death)

Note: A big thank you to sockie1000 for being an awesome beta for this story. :)

Note #2: The story is set roughly 3 years after the finale.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any of its characters.

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Chapter One
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He gazed out the window at the endless horizon. Though he was tens of thousands of feet above the ocean, he could still see the waves as they formed against the wind, hurtling toward a shore that was miles away. He closed his eyes and imagined he could hear the splash of the water, feel the wind blow through his hair, taste the salt in the air. His skin tingled in anticipation of feeling the warmth of the Hawaiian sun against his skin. It had been almost two years since he'd set foot on the island. Two years since he'd been home.

Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett opened his eyes and let his head lean back against the seat. He was tired. So very tired. He tried to remember a time when he wasn't at least a little tired. He sighed. It was probably the last time he was at home. Before he had left Hawaii.

Before his life had changed in an instant.

The captain of the aircraft announced that they were beginning their initial descent into Honolulu International Airport. Steve tilted his head and looked back out his window. In the hazy distance he could see his island, rising out of the water, shimmering in the sunlight like a lighthouse guiding him home.

Or advising him to stay away – warning him of the storm that he knew was coming.

He hadn't left under the best of circumstances. Unable to explain his actions to anyone, he had left abruptly. Of course they all had the desire to catch the man who had ruined their lives, but it was Steve who was forced to take the next step. Staying in Hawaii was impossible. He was protecting his friends. He had hoped, in time, they would come to understand that.

Over the past two years, he'd done all he could to keep tabs on them. Not that they had even known it. He would continue to do what was necessary to protect those he loved.

He hoped he'd be able to see them once he got settled in. He would have to go see the Governor first, of course. He shook his head. He still couldn't believe that after all this time he was finally coming back to Hawaii.

The previous day….

"McGarrett."

"Sir."

"Please sit."

Steve McGarrett removed his hat and moved to the chair offered to him. His commanding officer, Vice Admiral Joseph Maguire, eyed him carefully as he sat. Although he didn't know the particulars of why he was called in by the National Counterterrorism Center's Deputy Director, he had a vague idea. He'd been so focused on tracking Wo Fat that he'd neglected to follow NCTC protocols. He was certain that hadn't gone unnoticed by Vice Admiral Maguire.

"It seems you've put me in an interesting situation, Commander." Maguire opened the top drawer in his desk, removed a cigarette and slipped it in his mouth. He offered one to Steve, who shook his head in reply. "An interesting situation indeed."

Steve sat in silence as his commanding officer methodically lit his cigarette. He smirked. Maguire was a good officer and one hell of a SEAL, but he did have a flair for the dramatic.

"Sir?"

Maguire looked up at Steve then turned his attention to his computer. After a few keystrokes, he spoke. "I've just received a communiqué from the Governor of Hawaii."

Steve tried, but failed, to hide the shock he felt. "The Governor, sir?"

The admiral nodded. "It seems you are… needed on a case. A case concerning an individual named Wo Fat." He looked up at Steve as he finished speaking. He knew the personal connection that McGarrett had to this individual. He knew how much time and resources he had spent attempting to track down the man. So it came to no surprise to him when he saw McGarrett's reaction to the name. He watched as his hands clenched into fists. He noticed the shadow that fell across his face. And he marveled at how quickly the Lieutenant Commander was able to mask it all.

"I see," Steve replied, almost at a whisper. He cleared his throat. "The Governor requested me?"

Admiral Maguire glanced back to his computer screen. "At great reluctance. It appears the lead investigator on the case has demanded your help. And now the Governor has reached out to me." He paused. "You are to leave immediately."

Steve wasted no time. He stood, saluted, and turned to leave.

"And McGarrett?"

Steve stopped at the door and turned. Maguire puffed on his cigarette and exhaled theatrically.

"Good luck."

The wheels touched down on the runway and Steve once again looked out the window. He couldn't explain the nerves that threatened to overpower him. He had been trained to keep his anxiety and emotions in check. So why was he feeling so vulnerable?

The first time Steve left Hawaii, it had not been by choice. His father had sent him away. At the time, he resented his father for it. In the years since, he'd come to realize he did it for his own safety. This time he'd left because he had to. He'd left his old family house that he'd spent many hours refurbishing and decorating to make it his own. He'd left behind friends, a team, and a partner who he'd come to think of as a brother.

The search for Wo Fat had become an obsession for Steve. He couldn't stop. And he knew that had cost him a great deal. He had abandoned protocols and ignored procedures. Perhaps that was why he was in this situation to begin with. It had been so easy to blame Wo Fat for his problems. So much easier to cast responsibility upon a man who was so evil – so manipulative – than to truly look at himself and his own actions and what those actions had cost him. He had thrown the rules out the window and went with his gut. The results of that decision would haunt him for the rest of his life.

But it had also given him new resolve to complete his mission.

And now his path of retribution had led him back to Hawaii. The circle had looped back upon itself. Was Wo Fat really there? And if he was, why was he resurfacing now?

The day had finally come. He was closer to catching Wo Fat. The end of the journey that had taken up so much of his time was near. He was finally coming home.