I'm sorry for the wait, guys! I'm also sorry for being evil in the last chapter but the idea hit me and wouldn't go away!

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"You know, there's one thing that's been bugging me," Hesse stated as he walked back into the room. Steve glanced up at him darkly, but had no energy or willpower to lift his head. "Your father knew for years that your mother's death wasn't an accident. So why, Steve, would he not fill you in on that little tidbit of information?" The taunting sparked a fire of anger within the Navy officer, and he turned his head to deliver his fiercest glare to the man who killed his father. "And another thing…why exactly would your father play dumb about who I was? He knew…but he didn't want to fill you in. Why would that be, hmm Steve?"

"Shut up," Steve growled weakly. He had to force his breathing to steady in order to ease the stabbing pain shooting thru his chest with each inhale and exhale. He'd wondered the same things, wondered if his father knew who Hesse was…but hearing the words come out of the mouth of the man responsible tore at him.

"How much blood is on your hands, McGarrett? How many people that you love have died? We could go after the bitch that shot me…I would love to watch the light go out in her eyes while I strangle her, but I know of someone who would love to have a go at her first. Idiot couldn't shut up about how much he wanted to see the 'feisty surfer hottie' again."

Steve's eyes closed and his head started to drop. A hand from behind snatched his hair, and jerked his head back so that his neck was craned backwards. Steve grimaced against the unwanted movement, and blinked up at Wo Fat. "It was so easy to find you, Steve. It was so easy to find someone willing to turn you over to us, because you are an outsider. You are not wanted here, so we are going to be doing everyone on the Island a favor by getting rid of you. That, and I will finally be rid of the last person stupid enough to think he could convict me."

"Now that we have you, there is no more need to go after those you care about," Hesse added, coming back around to face Steve. He knelt in front of the injured man, staring into his blue eyes. "I can see that we've achieved our goal…you can't even muster up the energy to hate me anymore. All of your energy is focused on hating yourself. It's easy to see that you're dead inside, McGarrett. Oh, how the mighty have fallen." He released his captive and watched with victorious glee as the once-proud man finally shattered completely before his eyes.

I'm poison, Steve thought miserably to himself. Anyone important in my life winds up dead because of me. Dad…Mom was killed by this bastard…now Danny. It's too much. It's all my fault that Gracie is going to have to grow up without her Danno. It's all my fault that Kono has had to face this kind of loss so early...she would've had a wonderful career. Chin is going to have to go back to his old job without Five-0, having served with father and son, both killed by the same man. It's too much…I can't handle knowing how many lives I've destroyed. I can't do this anymore…

Burning agony jerked him back from his self-loathing and a cry tore itself from his throat. Steve opened his eyes to see a knife embedded in his right lower flank, Hesse's hand gripping the handle tightly. He heard Victor's triumphant laugh…all of the beating he'd taken up to this moment and nothing more than a muffled groan. An unhindered cry of pain was a sweet reward for finally breaking the man that had made his life a living hell for years.

Steve's head dropped back against the chair, every muscle in his body tensed as it fought against the pain. When Victor twisted the blade with an abrupt yank, there was no fight left in Steve and a mix between a whimper and a groan was all that came out. The blade was yanked back out, leaving behind pulsing fire in his side. Black dots danced along the edges of Steve's vision, but the former SEAL didn't try to fight it. The only thing keeping him from losing consciousness was the feel of the knife, sticky with his blood, pressing firmly against the bottom of his jaw and drawing his head up.

"This will make things so much easier for the people you love, Steve. I have no need or desire to go after them anymore, so they can return to their normal lives…as they were before you ruined them. Except for little Gracie of course, she has to live without her dear old dad. And your sister will be all alone. But they're all better off without you." Victor was about to deal the final blow when his phone started ringing. With an angry eye roll, the Irishman pulled it from his pocket and looked at it. "What the hell do you want, Leighton? I'm in the middle of somethin'."

A sharp gasp from the man standing above him caught Steve's floundering attention, and he looked up enough to see the surprise on Victor's face. The surprise turned to triumph, and the triumph turned into a fresh round of agony when Hesse leaned down and gripped the wound in his side, fingers pressing deep into the gash. Steve cried out again, his breath catching in his throat and choking it off. Stars danced before his eyes and his mind was unable to register the words floating through the air. This is it…I'm sorry, Mom…Dad, I'm so sorry Danny…please forgive me. As he began to give in to the comforting, enveloping darkness a loud crash reverberated through the room and the grip was abruptly released.

Steve was able to process the shouting for a moment, and heard Victor yell "you're too late!" before the deafening crack of a gunshot rang out. For a moment, Steve thought Victor was dead when he dropped down behind Steve's chair, but suddenly his ropes were cut and he was being dragged to his feet. He could only muster a grimace and a groan, and ignored the knife pressed against his neck. The stars were back in his eyes, and he wasn't so sure he would be able to get rid of them this time. Not that he wanted to try…he just wanted the pain and the grief and the guilt to end. He wondered absently if Wo Fat was dead, but no one had hit the ground after the shot.

Hesse pulled him back towards a hallway, and all that Steve could think about was how much he just wanted it to end. There was nothing left for him…nothing left in him. Nothing left to keep him on his feet when Hesse's grip vanished abruptly. A familiar voice started calling his name. Wow…this really is it…A faint smile crossed his lips as he finally felt reality slip from his grasp.

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Please don't hurt me! Thoughts?