Hello, dear readers! Welcome to the first fanfiction I have ever wrote. I don't know what to expect from the story because I didn't really think about the plot of the story. I just wrote down what came to my mind at that moment and this is where it leads to. I don't know how much AU it will become in the future. Because... Well, I think you will understand. ;-) So I'll be thankful for any reviews and your thoughs.

I don't own anything except Nick and Riley, my only OCs in this story at the moment.

Enjoy and, hopefully, see you soon!

P.S.: I want to apologize for my English. If there are mistakes, keep in mind that I'm not native English speaker. (Or I haven't payed enough attention to my writing. But I'm trying...)

Okay, so here's the first part of the story.

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It was almost dark outside the glass wall. The wind started to blow more and more, most likely it would bring another storm in the late evening. This kind of weather was nothing unusual here in the middle of Europe during the hot summers.

Nick stood in front of the wide glass wall watching the darkening sky, taking a sip from a bottle of beer in a hand. It was one of those evening when you stop doing anything and just think about what you had actually achieved in your life. Looking at all those impossible possibilities and the paths that could have been taken. But the decisions had been made a long time ago and there's no going back. 'Faber suae quisque fortunae - everyone is the architect of their own happiness... Right, happiness. I can't complain though, I should be happy that I'm alive.'

"You are questioning yourself again, aren't you?" A deep voice of an old man spoke behind her. Before Nick could say anything, he continued. "Doubting your decisions isn't going to help anyone. You always did what you though was right at that moment."

Nick turned to him, holding the bottle tight in the hand, and looked him right in the eyes, not saying anything for a while, just standing there and contemplating the answer. "I'm fine, don't worry about me." Nick said with a smile on her face. But the old man knew her better than well.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt if you let your guard down for a one day. It's not like someone's behind the corner waiting for you to slip and then make an entrance to shoot you or me." He ended with a laugh, trying to ease the tension that had hovered over the house since the previous morning.

Nick looked at him with a frown, not really in a mood for joking. The whole situation didn't look bright from where she was standing. So there was no chance that letting the guard down would happen any time soon. She sighed and drank the rest of her beer. "I gotta go. To do some research. And you, 'le man, need to rest. Riley's gonna be here soon." She had walked to her bedroom, clapping him on the shoulder as she went by.

The old man stood there for another minute, looking at the door that closed behind her. "Those stub-born kids." He muttered, shaking his head.

xxxxx

Nick went through her bedroom to a connected room that was designed as her study room. She grabbed her laptop from the case that lay on the desk and sat down on the couch, impatiently waiting for it to turn on.

Finally, after what seemed like eternity, she put in her password. Scrolling through her e-mails first, she heard that the front door of the house were opened and closed. The red lights lighted up in her head but before she could respond, she heard the familiar voice of her best buddy, Riley. She relaxed then and turned the attention back to one particular e-mail and it's content. It was about the right time she got the files she had asked for one week ago. It looked as if her informant took his time to gather all the intel she requested. 'Guess I'll pay him a visit soon.' But she knew he could be trusted, as long as she paid him enough so he could stay off the radar. He was a wanted man, after all.

As she opened the first file, there was a knock on the door. Immediately she recognized who it was. "Since when you've been knocking, Rye?" Nick called out, not taking her eyes off the screen.

The door opened and Riley came in. As usual, she sat in the armchair and put her feet on the conference table that stood between the chair and couch, not really bothered that her black combat boots were a little bit muddy. 'Looks like it's already raining outside.' Nick noticed.

"Huh, would you like it more if I torn your door down with a grenade?" Riley asked teasingly with the typical smirk on her face that said she was actually considering this option.

"Oh, that wouldn't really attract the attention of our neighbours." Nick gave her a sceptical look. She got to know Riley very well through all the years serving together. And she also knew that Riley had no problem knocking on a door with a grenade or any other kind of explosives. She witnessed it many times and after a year or two she just stopped counting.

"You mean like - foxes, deers and wild boars? Because those are, my dear, pretty much our only neighbours here." Riley started and Nick already knew that it was going to continue. "Why did you even get a house like this? And right in the middle of nowhere. Oh, and you should go down and see how my car looks. I got it cleaned up a couple of days ago and now it looks like it's been inhabitated by homeless and don't even make me start on..." Riley continued with her rambling but before she said all she'd had on her tongue, Nick put her rambling to a stop.

A little irritated, she put her laptop on the table. ,Riley, just stop!" Nick shouted her down and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Riley stared at her now, quiet and dumbfounded. She had seen the look Nick gave her now many times. Mostly when she was at the edge of exhaustion and fainting. Not that she would ever admit it. After quickly getting the message and before she could say anything and possibly start throwing her sentences at Nick, she got cut off again when Nick raised a finger in warning to keep her mouth shut.

"Look, Rye, I'm sorry. I just... I have a lot on my mind now and your babbling's not really helping." Nick added quietly, exhaustion evident in her voice.

"Hey, it's okay, you know that -" Riley started and Nick cut her off in the middle of the sentence.

"Rye, just... Look, I'm not mad at you. Have I ever been?" Riley croosed her arms and gave Nick another of her looks that was telling that she knew better. "Okay, I admit, I was mad at you once or twice, but really? I got fast over the fact that you replaced my lip balzam with a super sticking glue in the middle of a desert." Nick now laughed at the memory but at that time it wasn't that funny. "And as for the location of this house - it's one of the safest places I've had on my list. I'm sorry it doesn't live up to your requirements. The tarmac wasn't included in the final price of this villa. But look on the bright side, we have the jacuzzi." Nick winked at Riley when she burst out laughing.

"Yeah, that pretty much makes up for all the troubles with the car and muddy, slippery road." She dropped after calming down and after putting herself together again, she turned the conversation to a more serious direction. "So, anything new? Finally got the files you wanted?"

"Yeah, I'm going through them now. By far there's nothing we haven't already known or anything out of ordinary." Nick sighed, going her hand through her hair in a desperate manner. She had already been paying the attention to the pictures on the screen.

"Lemme take a look." Riley got up and moved to sit next to Nick. After a quick look over more of the photographies they saw what looked like there was some kind of a deal going down between members of Yakuza, she could tell. She nodded to herself and nudged Nick in the ribs. "You know, your CI must really like you when he goes this close to them. If they had cought him only looking their way, they would have put him down immediately."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure he doesn't like me. Not even a bit 'cause I was the one who shot him, if you have already forgotten. I guess he just likes my money." Nick pointed out, clicking to another picture when she froze.

Riley noticed that Nick stopped dead in her track and took a look at the screen, which was obviously the reason of Nick's sudden change. And immediately she saw what, or better who, was hidden behind her discomfort.

"Well, this was unexpected." Riley remarked drily, still observing the photo. There were standing three men in good looking suits on the terrace of a restaurant. One would say it was just a regular business meeting. But if they hadn't known better. "Where it was captured?" Riley asked when she shook off the shock.

"Berlin, Germany. Two days ago." Nick informed her, looking over more pictures, searching for that one particular face that cought her attention.

"You think he's still there?" Riley asked, her gaze turning to Nick who was fully focused on the screen in front of her.

"No, he's long gone. He's too careful for his own good. Son of a bitch!" Nick shouted and stood up abruptly, going over to look out of the window. It was already dark outside. All she saw was her blurred reflection in the glass. She took a deep breath in and then breathed out. Not that it helped much. "It can't keep going like this, Rye. It must come to an end. And soon."

Riley, still sitting on the couch, knew exactly how Nick felt at the moment. They had been trying to get to that guy for a few years now. But he was always a couple steps in front of them. She looked up at Nick who had already been watching her, her back against the floor-to-ceiling window and the arms crossed on the chest. After a quick glance at her posture and catching the intent look in her eyes it all downed on her.

"You are not serious, right? Because that's a suicide!" Riley laughed drily after her statement, only to get her thoughts together before firing another words at Nick. "How do you imagine doing anything you have in mind now? He's a dangerous man, Nick, much more dangerous than all those we haunted years ago. He's like a disgusting snake, for God's sake! He's himself nothing but venom. You don't want to play that game, Nick. I believe that the only reason why we're alive is that we haven't crossed his path. But if you put yourself on display, you're most likely dead! So what you gonna do? Take a flight to China, knock on his door and say 'hello, I'm here to send you to hell, so please be reasonable and don't fight me'? If you want to get killed just ask me, I will even do that for free!" Riley finished her furious speech, not liking the idea of her good friend confronting somone so dangerous.

Nick stood there, not moving a bit, giving Riley her full attention, but she couldn't help herself. When Riley ended the last sentence she had to laugh. It had been a while since she saw her friend so furious, reminding her of good old times, when their life was much simplier at dealing with bad guys.

"You think this is funny?" Riley asked, not believing that she really heard Nick laughing.

"Actually it is, Rye." But Nick's smile disappeared afterwards. "Look, you and I, we both know he needs to be stopped. All the damage he's caused for the last years. Who will stop him? There isn't enough of time to make some things right and you know what I'm talking about. And I'm not also going into this headfirst. I'm gonna get a plan, don't worry about it. I'm tired of hiding from him and searching for another safe places." Nick sighed. It would be much harder than it looked, to put down someone like him and she was aware of it.

"So, how do we do it then? Shall I call the boys?" Riley suggested. She really couldn't deny the soldier within her. "We can put together our old team. They knew the break was temporary, anyway."

"Yeah, but no one has expected it to be three years. They all got back to their families. I don't think it would be fair to take it from them. And anyway, I don't plan on making this a military mission. In this case, the less people are involved the betteer." Nick sighed, not really knowing where to start. This would require a lot of research and preparation.

"Maybe you're right, three years are quite a while, but don't forget we have always had each other's backs. So, what do you want me to do?" Riley asked, sounding like a soldier on a mission.

If Nick hadn't know any better, she would say that Riley was kind of excited to go on a hunt. 'I guess that the fast cars and hours spent at the shooting range can't satisfy her requirements. But I'm not gonna drag her in. Not in the front line.'

"Look, Rye, I know you want to go down and slice his throat but that's not the way. I want you to stay here with our old man, okay? Can you do that for me?"

Riley raised eyebrows, not sure if she had heard right. "You want me to stay here while you're doin'-"

"Rye?" Nick stopped her again. "I'm asking you as a friend. Don't make me make it an order." Nick said with a slight threat in her voice.

"Okay. Whatever. But if things will go south, and I know they will..." Riley paused, not believing herself that she agreed on staying behind. "You will be the death of me, you know that? You're like the little sister I've never had." Riley smiled, thinking about how happy she was to have Nick as a 'sibling', because her three brothers were unbearable most of the time. 'The perks of being the youngest of four.' "And I will call our boys, I bet they would like to know about what's going on, and maybe keep them on standby in case the things get messy."

"Okay. Sounds like a plan to me. Thanks, Rye, I appreciate it." Nick was grateful. Riley and the rest of her team were sent from God himself. They were her family, she would do anything for them just like they would do anything for her.

"So, what now?" Riley asked, still unsure about Nick's plans.

"Now I'm gonna get through the rest of the files." Nick said and went to sit back on the couch.

"You know what I mean under the word 'now', Nick." Riley prompted.

Nick sighed with laptop on her knees again, "I'm going to visit an old friend in Hawaii. I guess that's best to start there. And maybe if we get lucky, will be able to avoid the collateral damage. I know that our person of interest has been on the Islands before, it's a matter of time for him to come back. But this time, he won't leave them. Not alive anyway." And this is it. A soldier on a mission.

"So we are really gonna do it, huh?" Riley asked more for herself but Nick didn't miss it.

"Yeah, we are." Nick answered, feeling somehow relieved that she had made this decision. The decision that she felt was right at this moment.

Riley didn't miss Nick devilish smirk. She wear it everytime before the mission. It was her way how to cope with the nervousness, because honestly, who wouldn't be nervous? When you're nervous, it means you care. And one couldn't do this without caring. But now it was much more. In this case it was personal. And there is no mercy for something as personal as this. On Riley's face grew the reflection of Nick's smile. 'Oh, Wo Fat, Wo Fat, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when she comes for you..."

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On the other side of the world in the middle of the Pacific ocean was late morning. Unlike the Europe, the weather here was sunny, hot, and humid as always. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. Or maybe not?

"So, how was your evening?" Detective Danny Williams confronted Steve McGarrett as he walked in to the Commander's office at Five-0 Task Force Headquarters.

"Fine." Commander didn't bother with longer explanation, which made Danny be more curious about the whole situation.

"Fine? Just fine? How can that be fine, Steve? You had dinner yesterday evening with your dead mother!" Danny wanted to give his partner one of his speeches but before he did so, he had realized that maybe it's not the best idea after all to put his nose into Steve's personal things. But he was his partner, they were supposed to trust each other, right? "So it went well then? Did she tell you why she left, in the first place?"

Steve took his eyes off the computer and looked at Danny. Danny took a notice of his bloodshot eyes and darker circles under them.

"She didn't really say anything I could hold on to. Neither her story, nor about Wo Fat." Steve answered, exhaustion evident in his voice. Danny didn't like to see Steve like this. He would bet that Steve hadn't closed his eyes at night for more than an hour.

"But she's staying, right?" As Steve nodded, Danny felt more at ease. It meant that Steve and Doris, his mother, would have more opportunities to talk about the last almost twenty years. "Look, Steve, as much as I love you being around, you should head home and get some rest. I can say you haven't slept much. And we don't even have a case, so your absence can be excused for one day."

"I'm fine, Danny." Steve replied and turned his attention back to the reports that needed to be done by the end of the week.

Danny immediately noticed Steve's sudden interest in writing and reviewing reports. 'That's so unlike Steve'. Danny sighed. "What are you doing, Steven?" He asked, determined to make his point.

"What does it look like? I'm doing my job." Steve replied as if was the most obvious thing to do.

"Yes, I see. Despite the fact that you have never bothered doing the reports. Why the change, Steve? If you think this will take your mind off your mother then you're wrong." This time Steve looked up at Danny, for once onsidering the idea of going somewhere to think over the last couple of days. He looked back at the report in his hands, not really knowing why he though they would keep him busy. "Hey, I can do them for you. Just go and find yourself something to do. Go shoot something or swimm to the mainland, I don't care what you choose. As long as you come tomorrow not looking like a zombie, I approve it."

Steve sighed and closed the file. "Thanks, Danny. I appreciate it." He stood up not bothering to put all the files on the one pile. He really wasn't in mood for any of this. He needed to clear a couple of things and he knew that it couldn't be done here.

"What are you still doing here?" Danny rushed him but before Steve left the office, Danny let him know that he would stop by after the work for a bottle of beer. Steve, naturally, didn't mind. It became their tradition.

Danny looked at the mess on Steve's desk, "It's gonna be a long Monday."