Steve heard the buzzing but had a hard time bringing his mind out from his dreams and into wakefulness. He used to be able to bolt awake immediately, but lately he was just exhausted. He found sleep eluded him and when he finally managed to fall asleep, he was always in too deep. As he slowly gained consciousness, he realized the buzzing was his phone on the nightstand.

"McGarrett" he barked into the phone.

There was silence on the other end for a moment. Then an inhaled breath followed by sobs. A woman's voice stuttered out "Steeeve" and then broke into anguished crying again.

Steve took a moment to pull the cell phone from his ear to look at the screen. He realized this was the call he had been dreading for a few months.

"Aunt Deb, shhhh. It's okay. I'm so sorry about Leonard, I'll get a fli…."

"No, Steve." His aunt was obviously struggling to control herself. "It's not Leonard, it's…Oh God…" The sobbing broke out again. Steve could make out someone making soothing noises in the background and his Aunt responding and then some more rustling noises.

"Steve, it's Leonard."

"Leonard, what's going on…what's wrong with Deb?"

"I'm so sorry to tell you this, Steve, the police were just here. There was an accident and Mary is dead." The crying broke out anew at the other end of the phone. Even though she was not on the phone, Steve could clearly hear his aunt's grief.

Steve had been standing next to the bed, but now he just collapsed back onto it. Maybe he was still dreaming. He might wake up any minute now. What Leonard had just told him was not making any sense.

"Dead? Mary's Dead? Oh my God, Leonard, are you sure, what happened?"

"Yes, Steve, I'm sure and I am so sorry. Apparently Mary had gone to visit some friends, it was fairly late when she was driving home. Her car blew a tire, she was just going around a curve, I guess the car rolled. God, I don't know if I even have any of it right, other than the fact that she's dead. They said she was killed instantly. Broke her neck, I don't know. I don't have all the details. We have to get to the hospital. Deb's getting dressed now, we have to get there and see about Joan."

Steve's head snapped up at that. "Joan was in the car?"

"Yes she was. She was in her car seat. Apparently she was bounced around a little bit, but the officers said she wasn't hurt. They're waiting outside to take us to the hospital. They said they would escort us. I just don't know what we're going to do."

"All right, Leonard. I'm getting the first flight out. I'm throwing a bag together and I'm on my way. You tell Deb I'm coming and I will be there as soon as I can."

"Okay Steve. Again, I'm so very sorry. You have mine and Deb's cell numbers. Call and let us know when you arrive and either one of us will pick you up, or we'll let you know where we are so you can meet us. I'll see you when you get here. Bye."

Steve hung up the phone, put it on the nightstand, put his head in his hands and cried his heart out. He cried for his little sister who never was fully able to trust that she was loved. He cried for his Aunt, who had always tried to be the substitute mother that Mary needed, but always felt that she hadn't been able to make up for all of Mary's heartbreak. He cried for his little niece Joan, who was now going to grow up without a mother, and he knew how that could turn out.

Lastly, he cried for himself, after so many losses in his life, he never thought that he would be burying his little sister. He always tried to protect her and keep her out of harm's way and out of the dangerous way of life that his father, his mother, and he, himself, had chosen. Still she ended up dead. Karma was certainly a capricious bitch.

Steve cried himself out, rubbed his eyes and got into the shower. As he dressed, he started throwing clothes into a duffle bag, then sat down on his bed and pressed speed dial #1 on his phone.

"McGarrett, I swear to God, even if the Governor himself is dead, I am going to…."

"Danno" Steve was trying to pretend that didn't come out as broken as it sounded.

"Steve, what's wrong, what's up?"

"Mary, it's Mary, Danny. They just called….she's dead."

"Whaaat? What the hell Steven! What happened? No, never mind, I'm on my way over. You stay put, babe, you got that?"

"Yeah, yeah I got it Danny. Thanks. I got it."

Steve sat with the phone in his hands for a minute. He felt the tension in his chest ease a fraction. He didn't know why, but he always felt like he could handle anything when Danny was around. Even though Danny was loud and abrasive, and could get Steve's blood pressure on the roof with just a few well-placed comments, Steve had never had a friend as reliable as Danny. There was no one he trusted as much as Danny in any kind of crisis.

Steve grabbed his duffle, shoved the last few essentials into it that he needed, and headed downstairs to fire up the computer and get a flight booked.