Hawaii Five-0: The past comes back

Act 1: Nightmare

Steve finally got home around 11pm. Until 20 minutes ago he was still sitting with Danny and talking to him. It was just nice to exchange views in peace and this time it was even without arguments.

Now Steve walked very quietly through the house, not wanting to wake Catherine. As Steve entered the bedroom, he saw that Catherine was sitting up in bed with a book in her hand. Steve came closer and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Couldn't sleep again?"

"No, but I also thought I'd rather wait for you and make sure you come home."

Catherine smiled as she said this, but Steve could see behind her facade and knew she wasn't feeling well. Because he had noticed that she hadn't slept well for a few days.

"You had another nightmare, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to tell me why you've been having these nightmares for the past few days?"

"It's just nightmares, they go away on their own. There is no specific reason, so nothing to tell."

"Okay, but remember, if you want to talk, I'm here for you."

Steve got up and changed his clothes. After that, he lay down next to Catherine and turned off the bedside lamp, making the bedroom dark.

Two hours later:

Steve woke up and immediately realized why he had woken up. Catherine rolled uncomfortably from side to side, muttering something inaudible to herself. Steve knew immediately that she was having another nightmare and he carefully woke her up. Catherine woke with a start, her breathing rapid and she looked around in panic. Of course Steve noticed it immediately and pulled her into his arms. "Shh, calm down. Everything is fine, it was just a dream."

Catherine calmed down after a few minutes and her tension left her.

"Will you finally tell me the reason for your nightmares?"

"Steve, please not now."

Catherine didn't wait for Steve to say anything else, but broke free of his arms and simply lay down again, her back to him. Steve didn't understand why Catherine wasn't speaking to him. He just wanted to help her. He just hoped that she would still talk to him in the next few days because Steve knew from his own experience that nightmares can really kill you, especially if you don't talk about them. So Steve lay down again and tried to go back to sleep.

When Steve woke up the next morning, Catherine was already up. So Steve got up too, put on a shirt and went downstairs, where he found Catherine in the garden. She sat in one of the garden chairs and looked out to the sea. Steve walked over to her and rested his arms on the back of the chair.

"Good morning."

"Morning."

Steve came around the chair and stood in front of Catherine.

"I'm sorry about tonight. I didn't want to rush you. I just want to help you, which I can't do if you don't talk to me. But I've been thinking too, and if you don't want to talk about it, I'll accept that and won't ask you about it any further."

"No, it's okay. I know you just wanted to help me. Also, I've been thinking too, and I feel like I can trust you with the truth. So I really don't know the exact reasons for my nightmares. At least in these dreams... well, every time I'm first alone on an empty road. It's also completely silent and dark. You can just make out the road... And then I see... I see..."

Steve listened attentively to Catherine and noticing how difficult she was to talk, gestured with his hand for her to get up and come to him. She did so and Steve took her in his arms.

"Hey, take your time talking. I know how difficult it can be."

So Catherine took another few minutes and just stood there in Steve's arms.

"So...I see you on this street and you're standing about 2 meters in front of me and looking at me. But afterwards a man always appears behind you, dressed in black, with a large hood and black gloves, with a gun in his hand... I scream and want to warn you, but you don't hear me, you just keep standing there. And I can hear the man clearly. His footsteps, the cocking of the gun... And if I try to run towards you, nothing happens. I don't move forward one bit as the man just keeps coming at you. Just before he reaches you, you turn to face him and he... he shoots you... Then the man disappears back into the darkness and... you slowly fall to the ground... I... I want to help you, but it just doesn't work... So I have to watch every time you lie on the ground with your head turned in my direction and bleed to death... That... that happens every night."

"Oh Cath. I'm so sorry. But hey, hey, look at me. I'm here with you, okay? Nothing will change that, you know I'm careful. Nothing will happen to me. Besides, I have you by my side as my guardian angel. And this dream will pass again. At least you've told me now and that alone will definitely make it better."

"Yes, you're probably right."

"Of course I am. So, do you want to have breakfast here first and then to the office or straight to the office and bring something from the bakery for everyone?"

"Rather something for everyone."

"Okay, let's go then."

About an hour later the whole Five-0 team was at the Palace and everyone was sitting in their respective offices doing paperwork on the latest cases. Catherine worked in Steve's office because unfortunately there wasn't a room left and Steve didn't want Catherine to have to work alone in the basement. And as Steve saw her sitting next to him so concentrated, that one question came back to his head that he had been carrying with him since this morning.

"Catherine, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, you don't usually ask for permission. Just ask."

"Um, well, I figured that..."

Steve didn't get any further because suddenly the computer desk in the hall and the screens were off and the shutters were closing. It took a moment for the backup power to come on, throwing a reddish glow into the building. Catherine and Steve looked at each other confused and then went into the hall, where the others now came out of their offices. Steve just looked at his cell phone, but the only message that came up was that he had no signal. He knew immediately that something was very wrong here.

"Okay guys, I'm pretty sure this is the work of strangers and not a technical defect. Kono, I don't know how long the emergency power will last, please check the live surveillance cameras immediately. Chin, please check if the landline is still working. We others will have to wait. There's not much we can do at the moment."

So Chin checked the landline, but it was dead. But Kono got lucky with them surveillance cameras. So now everyone was standing in front of the big screens in the hall and were looking at the footage from five minutes ago of the Palace entrance. What they saw wasn't good at all...