As always I'd like to thank you for your continued support!

If you were worried about Steve, here is an update on him.

Danny's heart and mind were racing as he walked into the office. Lou was not there yet, neither were the others. He picked up the phone out of his pocket and was about to call Lou, when he noticed a movement in Steve's office. He reached for the gun, ready to use it against the intruder. Moving closer to the half-closed blinds of the glass walls Danny slowed down. He peaked through the blinds and released a sigh, letting the grip of his gun go.

At the same time, the glass entrance door had opened and Tani stormed in, a worried look in her eyes. "Danny? Lou called me. What happened?" she asked.

Danny shook his head and pointed inside of Steve's office. "It's okay, he's over there. I'm sorry to call you over nothing on Sunday."

"Thank God!" she said and exhaled with relief.

"I'm gonna go talk to him," Danny announced. "Can you fill in the others?"

"Sure."

Danny took a deep breath and pushed the door open, entering the office with angry, but relieved look in his face. "Are you out of your mind?" he snapped as soon as the door had closed.

But he immediately regretted it as he scanned through his broken friend, who didn't even bother to look at him. Steve was sitting in the chair with elbows rested on the desk, his face hidden in the palms of his hands. He could see the pain in his eyes as Steve lifted his head up.

Danny fought the urge to yell at him about how stupid it was to disappear like that without telling him. He took a few calming breaths before he continued. "You scared the shit out of me, Steve," he said, breaking the silence. "What were you thinking, huh? Disappear like that? I thought something had happened to you or that you've done something stupid."

"Sorry, Danno. I didn't mean to scare you. I just didn't want to wake you up. And I was about to call you later but I forgot my phone at home," Steve explained, staring at Danny blankly.

"You never forget your phone."

"I must have been lost in the thoughts, I guess."

"How did you get here anyway?" Danny asked, thinking about Steve's Silverado back at his house.

"I've called a cab, didn't feel like driving."

Danny drew his brows, watching Steve intently. Steve leaving the house without his gun and the phone was unlike him enough. But hearing his friend say he didn't feel like driving was a complete surprise. It was just another proof of how much he was messed up.

He frowned as a shiny object had caught his attention.

"What's that?" Danny pointed on the Five-0 badge and what seemed like an official document lying on Steve's desk.

"Danny…"

"You're not leaving, are you? Please tell me you're not leaving." Danny chimed in before Steve could answer his question.

"It's better this way," Steve replied, his head bowed.

"Better for who?" Danny snapped. "For you? I don't think so! Or the team? Or the people on this island? No, neither!"

"Danny, I don't deserve to wear that anymore. Not after what I've done. I need you to hold the fort, partner."

"Steve…"

"No. Zip it. This whole Five-0 thing started with my father's death and this job just seems to always find a way how to get the people I love hurt. I almost killed you, Danny. I attacked Catherine. I got an innocent man killed. I look into the mirror every day and what I see is a monster. None of this would happen if I wasn't Five-0."

Danny shook his head in disbelief. "You can't be serious," he said.

"I am serious," Steve answered, his voice determined. "I got my father killed, then Joe, and Doris. And now this. Who will be next? I've got only you left, Danny. And I can't be the reason you die."

"Don't you see it? You're the reason I'm still alive, you big goof!" Danny was now on the verge of yelling. "Because you have my back. And what about all the people you've saved, huh? You are risking your life every day to save the lives of strangers. Do you really think it's nothing? That one failure - which by the way you didn't have any control over - can erase all good that you've done?"

"I've made my decision. It's final," Steve didn't budge.

Danny stared into Steve's face, his jaw dropped. He'd expected his best friend to feel guilty, but he never thought Steve would just give up on Five-0. He pouted, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Okay," he said after a few moments.

"Thanks, I…"

"No, wait," Danny cut him off. "I'm not done yet."

Steve rolled his eyes and released a sigh, expecting Danny's rant to continue.

"Okay. If you're out, I'm out."

"What did you say?"

"If you're out, I'm out. Remember? I don't care whether it's the restaurant or Five-0, it still applies. I'm tired of dodging bullets anyway. I'm getting old for this. Plus, I don't want another partner."

"You can't quit," Steve protested.

"Why not, Steven? Huh? I'm all ears."

"Five-0 needs a leader and I don't know about anyone better than you," Steve said without thinking.

Danny shook his head. "You're the reason I'm still on the team. I can't do this without you by my side."

"Yes, you can."

"But I don't want to, Steven!"

Danny looked around, wondering what might change Steve's decision, but nothing came to his mind. At the end of the day, he got it. Steve was fed up with all the bad things that happen to him and the ones he loves. And after what had happened a few weeks ago, he had been contemplating life more than ever, blaming himself for everything.

"How about this," he said. "You take some time off, like a holiday for as long as you need and I'll take care of the taskforce by then. You take as much time as you want, just as long as you promise to come back eventually."

"Holiday?" Steve laughed sarcastically. "I don't think I will be coming back from this holiday, Danny. I might go to jail for a very long time. I don't want to be in Five-0 when that's gonna happen, okay? It would just damage its name."

Danny knew this was this decision was partially inflicted by the letter of reprimand from the US Department of Defense that Steve had received yesterday. The letter involving the details of Steve's wrongful actions and the punishment that can be expected. It was just the last drop in an already full cup. It was hard to accept what had been written in there, not only for Steve but Danny as well.

"Steve…"

"I already talked to the governor," Steve cut him off. "It's all yours, buddy."

Danny crossed his arms in front of his chest, staring at Steve with fire in his eyes. "So first of all, do I get to say anything about this? Or you and the governor decided to tell me, just like that?"

Steve just stared at him, not responding. Danny's anger seemed to dissipate a little and there was a hint of sadness in his eyes instead. "And second: you won't go to jail. I won't let that happen."

"That's not up to you. Not this time, Danno. You've read it yourself, buddy. I'm going to get court-martialed."

"It's not over. There's still an investigation in process, Steve. And we've got three months to get ready. We'll find you a good military attorney. And…"

"Danny, stop," Steve cut him off. "Spying on the military, forcing a safeguard, and conspiring to help a foreign power attack my country would qualify for treason. You are a cop, I don't have to explain to you what that means, right?"

He knew well enough what that'd meant. And just the thought Steve's been charged with that made him feel sick. It just wasn't fair.

"But you didn't know you were doing it," Danny objected, with a hint of fear in his voice. "We've got the evidence you've been drugged and brainwashed, they can't just ignore that."

"Danny…"

"And as far as I know, it's not that easy to convict someone of treason in the states," Danny didn't back off. "It's totally out of the table unless the court has at least two witnesses to testify against you, or..."

Danny froze as their eyes met. One look into Steve's eyes told him what had been going on in his head.

"Or confession," Steve finished Danny's sentence.

Danny's eyes opened wide in surprise. That was just another thing he didn't expect to hear. Steve was about to give up. Not only on Five-0 but on everything. He couldn't let him do that.

"No," he shook his head wildly. "No. That's not an option. You've been brainwashed. They… The Navy will consider the circumstances, right? So, uh…"

"Danny…"

"You can't be seriously considering it!" Danny yelled, flapping his arms in the air, not able to hold the emotions at bay any longer.

"It's the only way how to fix what I've done. It's the right thing to do," Steve argued.

Danny brushed his hands over his face in frustration. "No. It's not the right thing to do," he said. "But you know who else thinks you're right? That all this…" he pointed to the badge and the paper on Steve's desk. "Who thinks that all this is the right thing to do? Do I really need to tell you?"

Steve's resigned expression changed slightly, there was a hint of anger in his face now. He seemed to know where Danny was going.

"It's exactly what Bennett wanted," Danny said, watching Steve's reaction. "It's what she wants you to do, right? To give up on everything."

"Stop," Steve said, curling his hands into the fists.

"So this is it, you're just gonna let her win?" Danny ignored his request. He knew it was a sensitive topic but he was running out of arguments, so he decided to play this risky card.

Steve stood up from the chair, his nostrils flaring. "That's enough, Danny!" he said, raising his voice.

But Danny didn't budge, he kept talking. "You have to stop letting her get into your head," he said. "The first time you didn't have a choice but now you do, Steve. Don't let her mess with you anymore."

It didn't have the desired effect as Danny had hoped. Instead, Steve seemed to fight not to smash his fists against the hard surface of the desk. Danny knew the mention of Esther winning over him would piss him off. He just hoped it would be enough of an impulse to make him want to change that.

"Are you done?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, I think I am."

"Good," Steve said, strolling by Danny and storming out of his office.

"Where are you going?" Danny asked, but Steve was already out.

His partner walked by the rest of the team, who arrived by the time they talked, without a word, ignoring the worried looks on their faces as they watched him.

"Steve!" Danny called out, going after him. "Steve, wait!"

Danny felt a hand on his bicep, stopping him. He looked left, it was Lou. "Give him some space," he said.

"No, you don't get it, Lou," he protested.

"What happened in there?" Quinn asked. "It looked like a pretty heated argument."

Danny glanced in Steve's direction hesitantly, watching him disappear behind the corner of the corridor. He released a loud sigh and turned around to face the others. He had a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach when he spoke up.

"He quit Five-0."

3 weeks later

The water was gentle as Steve waded through it, the sunrise like orange paint on a blue canvas. The surface of the ocean was rising and falling with rhythmic ease. The waves became his pulse that morning. He was floating in the void of gravity. The ocean was something he loved, something he respected. He understood its beauty and its dangers. The vast blue was his home, where he belonged, a place to escape from his life. Nothing would ever replace that feeling. Yet the feeling of freedom only took minutes, before he had to return back to the land, back to reality.

As soon as his morning routine was finished, he lowered himself to the couch. The thoughts began to flood his mind, coming back to him. He just sat there in silence, thinking about the past weeks when his phone began to ring. He checked the caller ID. It was Danny. The call rang out with Steve still staring at the screen. He considered answering the phone for a brief moment, but then he realized he didn't really want to.

It's been over two weeks since Danny moved out and returned to work, but there was no day when he wouldn't come to check on him under the excuse of lunch or dinner. He kept calling him a bit too often. Steve was thankful for such a good friend, but he liked his alone time too and Danny didn't give him an opportunity for that. With Junior being called up for the reserve duty, it was just him and Eddie for the past four days, yet he'd never felt as he was alone thanks to his persistent best friend.

He felt a warm touch on his leg as Eddie rested his head on him, with a pleading look.

"Don't look at me like that," Steve said, scratching him behind the ear. "I know he is just worried. But I don't want to talk right now."

A silent whimper was Eddie's answer. As though he knew his human was hurting and needed some comfort.

"I'll call him back later, okay?"

The phone stopped ringing, but just for a few seconds before Danny's name showed up on the screen again. Steve released a long sigh and ignored the call again. Just a few seconds later the phone buzzed and a text message showed up on the screen. Are you all right? And then another one straight away. I'm just worried.

Steve was about to give up and call him back when a knock on the door got his attention. He didn't expect anybody, so he assumed it might be his solicitous partner once again. What surprised him was that he'd actually knocked this time.

He opened the door with a grin on his face. "Look who finally learned to kn…" he froze before he could finish the sentence. His heartbeat sped up and his jaw dropped as he saw a woman standing there with a grin on her face. The woman he hasn't seen for about two months.

*to be continued*

I really hope you're enjoying this story and I'd really appreciate if you found a few moments to review. Thanks for reading :)