Dear Readers,

I am writing this one note to you at the start of my story so that a few things are explained and will hopefully enhance your enjoyment of this fanfic. This is a 'spin out' story, that can also stand-alone, and is set in the same AU universe that I created in my first fanfic, A Different Path, and takes place near the end of Season 2 (2012) in terms of timescales. You don't need to read that first, but it might explain some of the different plot points and extra characters if you do. If you have already read it, then I have made quite a few additions (mostly extra detail and conversations that I was too bone-idle to include when I first wrote it) and it is now more than 5K words longer and has an extra chapter due to the increasing length of the last couple of instalments – so a re-read might be in order if you fancy it . . .

I am not from the military, Hawaii or even the U.S. and so have had to research certain circumstances and make things up when required – so please put any inaccuracies down to artistic license. As this is set in Hawaii, I have tried to Americanise my spelling from the Queen's English, but please do get in touch if you spot anything glaringly wrong or just to say how you are finding the story. If you want to post a comment just to say how much you hate it, then by all means go ahead but bear in mind that you could save yourself much bitterness in your life and just stop reading instead :)

I don't own any of the H5-0 recognisable characters or storylines, these are the property of CBS and their team of producers and writers and I give full credit to them for their wonderful creation. I am merely borrowing them for my own amusement. Any new characters are from my own imagination and belong to me.

A quick recap on A Different Path without ruining key plot points for new readers: Steve is set up by Wo Fat who wants to discredit him and break up the task force by arranging for Steve to be drugged and put in a very compromising position that is designed to create maximum fallout with his teammates. This sets him off on a completely different path (hence the title of my first story!) to what happened after Season 1 Episode 23 and sets in motion a very different sequence of events.

Steve begins to realise that a more collaborative approach would be in order and he is trying to work more closely with HPD as a result. He reconnects with old-school police officers Ben Keoki and Troy Ookala (from the Hookman episode, seen on the show in Season 3x15) and Sgt Duke Lukela. Steve joins them for regular drinks nights, sometimes with a 'harmless' game of poker, while the older officers recount stories about their early days on the force with Steve's dad. This story slots in immediately after Chapter 68 (also see Chapter 73 for more context) and is set towards the end of Season 2, but in my new universe. I don't want to summarize what transpires in my AU universe here, as it will spoil it for readers who would like to read A Different Path first. I will introduce all new characters again for the benefit of readers who only want to read this story.

Happy reading . . .

Chapter 1

All eyes were on the playing cards in the hand of Sgt Duke Lukela. Silence had descended on the room and you could cut the tension with a knife as the man slowly laid down his cards in the middle of the table. It was dark out and the single overhead light was casting a shadow and adding to the tense atmosphere. The stoic man's face was expressionless, giving nothing away as he gradually revealed his hand one card at a time. Steve was transfixed on the cards as Duke slowly and deliberately placed them in a neat row across the table top. He felt his pulse quicken and he nervously licked his lips as he processed the five card hand in front of him.

It was a Straight Flush, five consecutive cards of the same suit. The second best hand you could get in a game of No-Limit Texas Hold'em poker.

The only way to beat that would be to have a higher flush or the vanishingly rare Royal Flush. Steve let his eyes glance down at his own cards, but they had not magically rearranged into a winning hand. He glowered at the playing cards as if they had personally offended him. He had been so sure that he had the best hand for the showdown, a Full House made up of 3 Jacks and a pair of 9's. As he reluctantly laid down his losing hand on the table he could sense the gleeful realization from the other players, not all that different to how a pride of lions might react if they happened upon a gazelle at a watering hole.

Shit, shit, shit. There was no other way to put this, he was right-royally screwed . . .

Earlier that evening . . .

Steve disconnected the call with a smile, he had just arranged another date with the lovely Mia Shaw. He had come across the doctor on a number of occasions when one or more of the Five-0 team landed themselves in Tripler. Mia was an Army captain, having enlisted in the military during her training at medical school through the Health Services Scholarship Program. When she qualified as a doctor she was commissioned as an officer, taking the rank of captain and had been stationed all over the world. But she was born and raised on Oahu and was delighted to score a sweet commission back on the island and had started a surgical training position at Tripler that would allow her to remain in Hawaii for the foreseeable future. She had huffed in frustration as she entered the hospital room and Steve recalled her Danny-like rant, "I'm not too happy to be seeing another one of you in a hospital bed again so soon, although why I am not surprised to find that it is Commander McGarrett . . . again. Perhaps we should start a frequent flyer-type loyalty programme just for Five-0 and you all get a bonus injection every tenth visit?" Looking over at Steve she had joked, "I'm tempted to write your name as Commander Commotion on these medical notes."

Later that same night after popping in to carry out a routine check-up on her patient she had perched on the edge of Steve's bed and the two of them had begun chatting animatedly, discovering that they had both attended Kukui High. Steve had been 2 years ahead so they never crossed paths, but they laughed about the same tutors and recalled all the stupid things that they had each got up to as kids. From the sounds of it, Mia had been just as bad as Steve – driving her parents to despair with her adventurous streak. She hadn't known it at the time, but it had been just what Steve had needed given the events that had landed him in the hospital bed in the first place and he was emotionally-fragile to say the least. His 'not-dead' mother had forcibly abducted him so that she could justify her past actions to him on her terms. He had been seriously concerned about her state of mind and his own safety until Joe White and the Five-0 team had stormed the secluded log cabin where he was being held and freed him.

On top of that, Steve had not long since had his relationship with Catherine ended by the lady herself, once she realized that the commander was looking for something more than their casual arrangement. It was becoming increasingly obvious to Catherine that her lover's priorities had changed. But, their current situation was just right for her. She was still chasing her next promotion, but was finding it hard to get involved with the right kind of high-profile operations that got you noticed. Catherine still had a lot to do with her life, she loved the travel and the excitement of high-octane operations; being the one to connect that vital piece of intel that changed everything. Whole teams of people were putting their lives in her hands and the responsibility both scared and energized her. She couldn't imagine settling down at this stage of her life or even in a few years time. Lt. Rollins had a life plan that didn't have any room for a relationship that couldn't be on her terms. With a heavy heart, she had let him down as gently as she could and had walked out of his bedroom and out of his life. She couldn't give him what he was looking for and it wasn't fair on either of them to not be honest with one another.

Although Steve understood where Catherine was coming from, the perceived rejection had still stung and he certainly wasn't looking for another relationship, but somehow that was exactly what was developing between himself and the feisty Mia. She had a wicked sense of humor to rival his Jersey partner's and was tall and elegant with light chestnut brown hair. Steve hadn't realized that it was long and slightly curly, as he had only ever seen it neatly secured in a military-precision bun, until he had plucked up the courage to invite the doctor to be his plus-one for a party to celebrate his promotion to full commander, as well as the promotion of his close friend in Naval Intelligence - Lt. Commander Harry Brown. She had taken his breath away that night and it had quickly led to another date on his beach, paddle boarding across to a nearby island for a picnic lunch. They must have had several dates since then, he had lost count a bit, but was delighted that another outing was all planned. He would be going out sea fishing with the lady this coming weekend. He grimaced slightly, it hadn't gone so well when he had tried sea fishing with Danny - with them being hijacked and cast out into the open sea in a leaking rubber dinghy and then getting arrested by the coast guard for suspected murder. Surely lightning couldn't strike twice though, there was no way anything like that would happen again? Could it . . . maybe it could? This sort of crazy shit just seemed to keep happening to him or maybe it was Danny who was the unlucky omen, attracting stray criminals like a law enforcement homing beacon? Either way, he made a mental note to have a weapon to hand just in case . . .

The knock at his door pulled him from his thoughts and he welcomed in Duke with his arms full of beer. Steve relieved the older man of his heavy load and neatly stacked the bottles in his refrigerator. Shortly after that, another knock at the door revealed Troy and Ben. Steve was pleased to see the large box of sandwiches that Troy was holding but Ben had his poker set tucked under his arm and Steve's heart sank, "Oh, no way, man! I was buying you all coco puffs from Liliha Bakery for a week last time we played . . . you lot have got some sort of illicit arrangement going on, I know it!"

His 'Uncle' Ben gave him a smile that was supposed to be reassuring, but looked more like a shark about to devour a tasty-looking fish, "Surely you wouldn't be accusing us of cheating? We're sworn officers of the law . . . men of the highest integrity." He paused and took in the baleful expression on Steve's face, "Oh, come on, Son. It'll be fun and we can change the bet so it doesn't involve any monetary outlay whatsoever." Steve waved him in with a resigned sigh and the men wasted no time in getting out the beers and setting up the deck ready for their game later that evening.

Steve loved spending time with these three officers, they had known his dad when he was just a rookie at the precinct. They were full of stories about his father's exploits and embarrassments - between them they had amassed more years of service than anyone else at HPD. Duke was a little younger, but knew Steve's dad from when he was a detective and the man had even saved his life one fateful night when Duke and his partner were ambushed in the forest in the May of '83 by a madman with a grudge against John McGarrett. Steve vividly remembered that night, he was only 6 at the time but the events had stuck with him.

Ben brought Steve back to the present - he was just starting to recount his version of events when he and John were rookies on patrol. Troy chortled,

"I can't believe we haven't told Steve this story yet . . . it's priceless, the stuff of HPD legend. I bet you $10 that Chin has heard this one while sat in a café having coffee and malasadas."

Duke quickly cut in, "Good luck finding someone to take that bet, Troy. The whole precinct will have heard this at some point in their career."

Ben let a wide smirk come across his face and started his tale . . .