Please be patient with this prologue. It doesn't have any of our favorite heroes in it but it lays important ground work for later. The next chapter will pick up with Steve, Danny, Kono, Chin, and the aftermath of the season finale.

Disclaimer: They belong to CBS.

A Prologue in Three Acts

Act I: Catherine

Catherine Rollins was sitting at a small table at a sidewalk café in Greece, enjoying some long overdue shore leave. She was alone at the table. Several very handsome, dark Greek men had given her questioning looks, but she hadn't given any of them the encouragement they were seeking to join her.

The breeze stirred her long black hair. Being able to wear it loose was one of the luxuries of shore leave. Sometimes Catherine thought about just cutting off, like most of the women in the Navy. In the end, she kept it long because she preferred it that way. The fact that a certain Lt. Cmdr. Steven McGarrett also preferred her hair long had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Catherine sighed, some of her good mood gone. She had always assumed that this thing with Steve would burn itself out. Instead, he seemed to consume more and more of her thoughts. Maybe it was time to take one of these incredibly hot Greeks up on his unspoken offer. Then she remembered the key tucked away in her quarters back on the Enterprise. It was the house key Steve had given her the last time she was in Hawaii, along with the alarm code. She had protested that it was a silly thing to do when she spent so much time so far away.

Cat sighed again, a soft, dreamy sound this time, as she remembered the rare tender look on Steve's face when he told her that he hoped having the key would bring her home more often. It was a ridiculous thing to say. Her home was in Nebraska. Still, she would definitely not be spending time with any Greek gentlemen this shore leave.

She was just about to signal the waiter for her check when a man sat down in the chair across from her. Cat immediately knew something was wrong. She was a very bright woman who worked in Naval Intelligence. She recognized instantly that this man with the steely eyes that matched the military style gray hair was not here to flirt with her.

"Lt. Rollins," his cordial tone did not hide the tension in his muscular shoulders. He did not seem completely comfortable out in the open.

Catherine nodded back pleasantly but remained silent, waiting for him to speak.

"Steven McGarrett has gotten himself into a very difficult situation. You might be in a position to help him."

Cat had been expecting him to say something about one of her more recent assignments. Or perhaps offer her a job – many of the intelligence agencies had mysterious recruitment methods. This announcement about Steve caught her off guard.

"What kind of situation?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady and her face blank, may be even appear disinterested, but she could feel her heart pounding against her ribs.

"McGarrett was arrested a few hours ago for the double murders of Governor Jameson and one of her aids," he made it sound so matter-of-fact.

Catherine gasped, "Steve would never do that." She collected herself before continuing, "Why are you here telling me this? I'd ask who you are but I doubt you'll answer that one."

"McGarrett has started some kind of feud with a Chinese crime lord named Wo Fat. Wo Fat is behind McGarrett's current difficulties."

"If you can prove that, why don't you send the evidence to the Hawaiian police?" Catherine couldn't believe they were discussing this so normally. A part of her wanted badly to grab her cell phone and start making phone calls to find out exactly where Steve was and if was okay.

The man across the table pulled a small flash drive out of his pocket, "The information can't come through official channels. McGarrett has made a lot of friends in certain agencies. We'd like to help him but we can't act directly."

Catherine considered that for a moment. It sounded like CIA bullshit to her. "I'll ask again: Why are you telling me this?"

"If you're willing, I can give you this flash drive and arrange your immediate transfer to the base at Pearl Harbor. This information won't be enough by itself to clear McGarrett, but I'm sure that if you work with the rest of his team, you'll be able to prove his innocence."

Catherine was a smart woman. She understood what wasn't being said. The posting at Pearl wouldn't offer her the chances for advancement that her current posting did. It also wouldn't sit well with her current CO if she left in the middle of her assignment, further damaging her career. There was also no guarantee that she could even help Steve, or that the rest of his team couldn't help him without her.

The man pushed his chair back like he was going to get up, "This is a very limited time offer. I need your answer right now." Catherine started to protest but he cut her off, "Steve is facing a certain guilty verdict and the death penalty – if he survives in prison long enough to make it to trial."

All uncertainty vanished. Catherine held out her hand for the flash drive.

He gave it to her with a nod, "Good. Report back to your ship immediately and you'll find that the orders have already come through. You'll be in Hawaii in 24 hours," he paused as if considering if he should say more, "Be careful."

Act II: Jenna

Jenna Kaye was sitting on the edge of the bed in her hotel room, dangerously close to hyperventilating. This was all much, much too REAL for an analyst used to the safety of her desk at Langley.

It wasn't that she hadn't known how powerful and dangerous Wo Fat was. It was that there had always been strong, brave, good people standing between her and that danger. People like her fiancé and McGarrett. Now they were gone – Sam dead and Steve in jail. If Wo Fat could get them, what chance did she have? Jenna realized for the first time just how vulnerable she was.

She couldn't do this. She wasn't strong enough. That was why Jenna had called her supervisor back at the CIA. She had been prepared to beg for her job but it had been easy. Jenna was very good at her job and they were happy to have her back.

The television was on, but the volume was muted. Images of Steve being led into the police station played over and over on the news channels. He looked shocked and broken.

Looking at her packed suitcases, Jenna was wracked by a fresh wave of guilt. She knew Steve was being framed. She knew that she should stay and help nail Wo Fat, but she can't. All she can do is what she's already done. Earlier, Jenna had gathered every scrap of evidence they had and made multiple copies.

She left one in Kono's apartment. Fortunately, she was able to get in and out before IA set up their surveillance. She left another copy at Chin's house. She would have left Danny a copy but his apartment had looked strangely packed up, kind of like her hotel room. Instead, she would leave that copy in a locker at the airport and send the key to Chin at HPD.

The front desk called to let her know that her taxi was there. Jenna mechanically turned off the TV and gathered her bags. It was time to go.

Act III: Rachel

Rachel Edwards guided her tired daughter through LAX, searching for the correct gate for their connecting flight. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Danny was supposed to be there, helping her maneuver the luggage through the crowds.

"Look!" Grace cried out, coming to an abrupt stop, "It's Uncle Steve." She was pointing to one of the TV's placed throughout the airport. This one was tuned to CNN. Rachel and Grace watched in stunned silence as Steve McGarrett was taken, in handcuffs, from the back of a police car and into the station. There was no volume but Rachel could tell from the graphics that Steve was being arrested for murdering the Governor.

No wonder Danny hadn't shown up at the airport. Was he okay? Had he been arrested, too?

"Mom, what's going on? Is Uncle Steve in trouble?" Grace's frightened questions spurred Rachel to action.

"I don't know darling, but we're going to find out," Rachel took Grace's hand and led her away from the gate and towards the first class passengers' internet lounge. There were more important

An hour later, Rachel logged off the public computer, feeling steadier than she had since before she found out she was pregnant. Her initial searches had convinced her that Danny was not in any immediate trouble but would not be leaving Hawaii any time soon.

Staring at a photograph snapped by a reporter outside the governor's mansion, Rachel had realized what she had to do. The photo showed a devastated Danny helplessly watching a wrecked Steve being loaded into the police car.

Rachel had spent her life running away. She had fled working class Manchester for London. After finding her sister and her first true boyfriend in bed, Rachel had fled London for a job in New York. When her marriage had crumbled, she had latched onto Stan and fled to Hawaii. Now she was fleeing Hawaii.

Looking at that picture, she had finally understood what it was to stay and fight. Danny had fought to save their marriage, he had fought for Grace, he had fought for Matty, and now he would fight for Steve. He didn't always win, but he didn't give up on the people he loved.

So Rachel made a series of phone calls and reservations. She checked her watch. She had just enough time to call Danny before she and Grace had to leave for their gate. They had missed their original connection but Rachel had rebooked.

"Grace, pack up your things while I call your father." Grace was coloring at a small table nearby. She hurried to comply so that she could talk to him, too.

Danny answered on the second ring. He sounded worse than Rachel had ever heard him, except for when the judge ruled she could take Grace to Hawaii. "Rachel, I'm so sorry I missed the flight. I wanted-"

"Danny, I know what happened. It's all over the news. I have one question: Did Steve do this?"

"No," his tone left no room for doubt, "Steve is being framed."

"Then you need to stay there and clear his name," Rachel answered without hesitation.

"I know that I need to be here for Steve and Kono, but you and Gracie and the baby need me too. We're a family. I won't be like Jack McGarrett and send my family away," Rachel had never heard Danny sound so torn and that made her certain that she was doing the right thing.

"You are absolutely correct, about everything," she told him, "Don't let it go to your head. It probably won't happen again." She listened to Danny's sad chuckle before continuing, "That is why I am going to take Gracie to your parents' house and then I am coming back to Hawaii."

"What? No, absolutely not. Wo Fat is dangerous. You need to stay in New Jersey with Grace."

Rachel smiled, picturing Danny with the phone in one hand and making wild gestures with the other.

"Danny, its already arranged. Your parents are happy to keep Grace for a few weeks. Its summer vacation so she isn't missing school. I won't run away from my family but I do appreciate the danger, which is why Grace is going to have this lovely visit with her grandparents," Rachel's tone made it clear that any further protests would be futile.

"I love you," Danny told her.

"I know. Now talk to your daughter for a few minutes before we have to board. I'll see you in three days."

Thank you for reading. I hope that everything seemed in character. I promise the next chapter will focus on the main character, not the supporting cast.