A.N. – I recently found this little vignette that I wrote back in 2012. I have polished it up a bit for posting here. Enjoy!

Going Home

There was a two hour layover at San Francisco International and Steve McGarrett was not the most patient of men. It was not enough time to go to L.A. to visit his sister, so he waited.

The trip had been worth it. He had met with Jonathan Kaye to wrap up the loose ends concerning his most recent encounter with Wo Fat. Steve didn't particularly like working with the brass in Washington. The need for complete control and responsibility in his work that made him such an effective leader of Five-O could also be a detriment when it came to cooperating with other agencies. But on a personal level, he liked Jonathan and the two men had shared an enjoyable dinner at the close of their business dealings. Steve was more than happy to leave the snow and cold of the east coast to return to his Pacific island home.

He stretched out his long legs periodically to prevent the cramping that came with multiple hours of sitting. He scanned the terminal, watching the variety of humanity that hurried about the busy airport or leisurely strolled the hallways and browsed the flight information. Several times he reached into his briefcase for the latest best seller that Jenny had insisted he pack, only to return it unopened. Though he knew no one in his surroundings and no one knew him, he still felt the need to be on guard. It just came with being a cop and was part of him.

Finally, the boarding began for the last leg of his trip. As Steve passed through the doorway of the 747, a United Airlines stewardess clad in an aloha-print uniform smiled up at him and wished the handsome detective a pleasant flight. McGarrett relaxed a bit and thanked the young Polynesian attendant, whose beautiful brown skin and long silken black hair reminded him that he was headed home.

He made his way to his assigned seat, stashed his briefcase underneath the seat in front of him and tried to get comfortable. He only half listened to the flight safety instructions that he'd heard so many times, he could practically recite them from memory. Once the aircraft had taxied to the runway and taken off, turning west, Steve settled in. Lulled by the drone of the engines, he drifted off to sleep.

After several hours, a gentle touch to his shoulder woke him with a start. "I'm sorry to wake you, sir, but we'll be landing soon and I need you to raise your seat back."

Steve smiled up at the pretty stewardess with the soft brown eyes that sparkled with her smile.

"That's quite alright, Miss," Steve replied. "How soon will we be on the ground?"

"In about ten minutes, sir."

Her answer brought a warmth to Steve's heart. Soon he would be back on Oahu. He never tired of returning to Hawaii once it had become his chosen home. He glanced out the window at the bright blue Pacific and the cluster of islands that grew larger with every passing minute. He smiled.

Once on the ground in Honolulu, Steve grabbed his travel bag from the luggage carousel and walked toward the airport's main entrance, searching the crowd. Soon he spotted the target of his search: a young man with short curly hair, who was dressed in an olive green suit.

"Aloha, Steve!" Dan Williams greeted as he took the travel bag from his boss and shook his hand.

"Hi Danno," Steve replied with a tired smile, clapping his friend on the back. "It sure is good to be home."

Pau