Steve, Danny and Junior return to Hawai'i and life goes back to normal, much to everyone's relief. Tani, Adam and Lou don't ask too many questions and Steve is actually thankful. The rhythm of work at 5-0 is so hectic that he barely has time to get out of his travel clothes and into a vest as the three arrive on the island, so it takes Steve a few days to even start to process all that happened in Montana, Vientiane and China.
Most of all, he feels relief and gratitude. Relief for finally avenging Joe's death and honouring the man he was. He's glad he had time to have the small memorial made for him, by the old ponderosa pine, and hopes to one day be back, to lay some flowers by it. Joe was a very important person in his life and he sighs deeply, sad that he won't be by his side to witness whatever life brings next. Then, his mind turns to all the people who helped him and an enormous feeling of gratitude invades him. Despite all the pain and suffering life has thrown his way, he knows he would never have been able to go through this mission without the friends who surrounded him, when he needed them the most. He thanks each and every one of them mentally, in silence. Danny, his ever sarcastic partner, with a serious flair for the dramatic, but always there for him; Junior, his subordinate and fellow SEAL, loyal to a fault; Wade Gutches, Joe's old friend and ally, who came out of retirement to help; Lucia Bama, the daughter of his good friend Frank, who came immediately when he called; Harry, former MI6 operative, valuable ally, always willing to help, with his British flair. And Catherine. Something shivers in his chest, when he thinks of her. He really can't define what he feels for her at the moment, as gratitude is too small a word. She dropped everything to come to him as soon as she heard and managed to stay for almost a month, until the end. She brought the CIA's help without hesitation, not knowing how he would react to being reminded of the elephant in the room, which had ultimately come between them. She had been by his side every step of the way, willing to give her life for him, for his revenge. And she had ultimately ended up saving his life, when Greer had aimed her gun at him. He hadn't been caught by surprise by her, he simply hadn't thought he'd be able to kill her, and had prayed that she wouldn't try to shoot him. But Greer was bad to the core, until the end, and Catherine had had to carry out the ingrate task of taking her out. He thanks her for that too, silently. She saved his life, just like he had predicted before, on their way to Morocco, when they'd gone to save his mother. He winces when he thinks of how he treated her, when she'd interrupted his date, and feels ashamed of how he had felt when he had introduced Catherine to Lynn. He knew she hadn't expected to find another woman in her place, and, at the time, that had given him some satisfaction. She'd hurt him, it was only fair that he got the chance to return the favour.
Steve is not fooling himself; he knows something changed between them, while they were in Montana. If nothing else, he feels he has truly started to forgive her for lying to him, and for leaving, feeling increasingly surer that there must've been a reason other than the one she supplied at the time. Maybe he can now start to assess exactly what he feels for her, still – or back. He remembers the looks, the touches, the hugs, the talks, that made him see her in a different light, but more than that, that reminded him, vividly, of why he ever loved Catherine Rollins. She was always so easy to love. Sweet, but sharply incisive, highly intelligent; always there for him, but never pushy; girlfriend, but independent woman; she'd never demanded from him any more than he could give, whether due to his work, or his own personality. She'd accepted what he was willing to offer, and never demanded more. But that also meant that they hardly ever spoke about their dreams and aspirations, and in the end, that had proved fatal for the relationship. He had no idea that she wasn't happy to that degree, but being always busy with work or his Ohana, he had taken her for granted. Feeling annoyed at the conclusions he's reaching, he swears to himself that he will at least make an effort to stay in touch more often, where Catherine is concerned. He physically misses her, hearing her voice, seeing her smile, talking to her. She was always levelheaded and pragmatic, two qualities that he greatly admires, especially since they tended to occasionally temper his own, impetuous, actions and disposition.