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One Final Detail (1/1)

McGarrett/Rollins Residence

Wednesday 7:00 P.M.

Catherine didn't even wait for Carrie to knock. She was watching out the front window and when she saw her old roommate pull up she rushed to the door to meet her.

"Carrie, thanks for coming over on such short notice," she said as she opened the front door and waved her friend in.

"No problem," Carrie said as she stepped into the living room and greeted Cammie with a head scratch. "It sounded kind of urgent."

"Well, it's not urgent really," Catherine said in a somewhat flustered tone as she grabbed Carrie's elbow and began leading her towards the den.

"If it's not urgent why are you manhandling me?" Carrie asked with a laugh.

"Don't be dramatic. I'm not manhandling you." Catherine loosened her grip and patted Carrie's arm soothingly.

"If you say so," Carrie chuckled as they made their way into the den. "Are you gonna tell me what's so important I had to drop everything and get here right away?"

"I need your help." Catherine kept walking till she was standing in the middle of the den then turned to face her friend with a serious expression.

"With?" Carrie asked leadingly.

"I need you to go upstairs into our bedroom and listen."

Catherine pointed in the general direction of the master bedroom.

"Listen for what?" Carrie asked bewilderedly.

"Listen for sounds," Catherine said in a deliberate tone, willing her friend to understand. "I'm gonna stay down here and talk. I'll keep getting louder and louder and I need you to tell me when you can hear me." She pinned Carrie with a pointed look. "At all."

"Why in the world …" Carrie stopped as realization dawned and her face split into a huge grin. "Wait. Didn't you tell me you and Steve will be sleeping in the den while your families are visiting?"

Catherine didn't even bother to blush.

She and Carrie knew each other too well.

"Yes," she smiled.

"So what you're saying is I'm here to do a sex sound check?" Carrie asked incredulously.

"Well I wouldn't call it that," Catherine scoffed.

"What would you call it?" Carrie crossed her arms over her chest.

Catherine thought for a minute. "Ok we'll go with that."

Carrie laughed. "Wait till I tell John."

"Yuk it up all want with your husband later," Catherine grinned, "Just hurry up and get upstairs. Steve and Danny went out after ice and they'll be back soon."

"Why isn't Steve helping you?" Carrie asked. "It seems like he would be as eager to get this information as you are."

Catherine rolled her eyes. "He's more worried about the door having a lock than how sound might travel. But as you know I had some experience with this issue the first time I met Mary and I'm not eager to repeat it."

"Can't you just … I don't know … be quiet?" Carrie smirked.

"Quiet is a relative term," Catherine waggled her eyebrows. "I don't want my parents to hear … anything. Or my Grandma Ang." She cringed at the thought.

"If you're so worried why don't you and Steve just not have sex while there's company in the house," Carrie shrugged. She couldn't resist teasing her friend.

"They're staying for ten days," Catherine explained as though Carrie didn't understand the gravity of the situation.

There was no way she and Steve could go ten days without having sex.

When they were on opposite sides of the world maybe.

But not under the same roof.

Sleeping on the same air mattress.

"So. What's ten days?" Carrie fought hard to keep her features neutral. She so seldom got a chance to wind up her friend.

"If you're not going to take this seriously I'll find someone else to help me," Catherine huffed.

"No you won't," Carrie laughed, unable to maintain her air of seriousness any longer. "I'm all you've got. And … because I'm a good friend … and more importantly because I love your parents … I will go upstairs and listen for sex sounds."

Catherine rolled her eyes as her friend headed for the stairs. She waited until she heard the bedroom door close then closed the door to the den and started in a normal speaking voice.

"Can you hear me?"

No response.

A little louder.

"Carrie, can you hear me?"

Nothing.

Catherine smiled.

This sleeping arrangement might work out after all. She had to remember to commend Steve for having such a great idea.

"Can you hear me now?" she said in something close to an actual yell.

"Yes," came the shouted reply. "I can hear you now. But those don't sound like sex sounds. Maybe you should try a little moaning just to make sure. Come on, give me one 'Oh God. Oh God.'"

"I told you that story in confidence," Catherine shouted back.

After her initial meeting with Mary she'd been so embarrassed she called Carrie immediately.

"I know but it's just too good not to use against you once in a while," Carrie shouted back.

"Whatever. Just go to the room next door please."

After they completed the sound check for each of the three upstairs bedrooms and Catherine was comfortable that she knew exactly the acceptable sound levels she and Steve could reach she moved out to the living room and found Carrie at the top of the stairs.

"Hey Cath?" Carrie tilted her head as though pondering something important.

"Hmmmmm?"

"Have you ever considered …" Her voice trailed off.

"What?" Catherine asked.

"What if you guys hear … you know … things … sounds …. coming from your parents' room?" Carrie indicated the closed door to the master bedroom with a nod.

"Carrie!"

"What?!"

"You're talking about my parents." Catherine was mortified.

"I know," Carrie said. "Your folks are awesome, Cath. And still young and vital. And very much in love."

Catherine glared at her friend. "That may be but I don't want to think about … just don't."

Carrie laughed.

She understood Catherine's discomfort. She didn't want to think about her own parents being intimate either.

"Can I come downstairs now?"

Catherine bit her lip. "Let's test the shower in the bathroom down here real quick. Just in case."

"You two are unbelievable." Carrie shook her head. "Is that all? Are you sure you don't want to go out in the garage and check the back seat of the Marquis?"

"I'm positive," Catherine laughed. "Although if the car doors were closed and then the garage door was closed …"

Carrie looked at Cammie who was sitting in the middle of the living room listening to the conversation as though she understood every word and shook her head. "Let's get this over with."

Catherine headed for the bathroom and Carrie returned to the master bedroom.

Catherine turned on the water in the shower.

"Can you hear me?"

On the third try Carrie said "I can hear you now."

"Hey, do remember Rebecca who had the room next to us sophomore year?" Catherine yelled back. She hadn't thought about it in years but this situation brought the memories rushing back.

"How could I forget?" Carrie answered.

Rebecca had a boyfriend at the Air Force Academy who she called like clockwork twice a week to engage in a little phone sex. It wasn't that she was extremely loud. Everyone at the Academy knew that kind of thing wouldn't be tolerated. It was just that because of a poorly placed air vent which led directly into Catherine and Carrie's room they could hear every word.

"Oh Gary, Oh Gary, Oh yes." Catherine keened in a high-pitched breathy voice.

"I want you Gary. I need you Gary," Carrie squealed back as she headed towards the living room.

Catherine turned off the water and called "The next time I see you I'm not letting you out of bed for a week."

"Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes fly boy. Just like that."

The women were both laughing uproariously as Catherine exited the bathroom and Carrie got to the top of the stairs.

Then both froze.

Standing in the living room with bemused looks on their faces were Steve and Danny.

"Hello ladies," Steve smirked.

"Hey Steve," Carrie said casually as she descended the stairs.

"Do I even wanna know … I mean … should I even ask?" Danny said, rubbing his forehead.

"I would think it would be fairly obvious," Carrie said matter-of-factly. She'd met Danny a few times but knew him mostly by what she'd heard from Catherine. She was, however, well aware how he felt about the hearing the details of Steve and Catherine's sex life. "We were testing sex sounds."

The strangled noise that emanated from Danny made them all smile.

"Of course you were," he sighed. "Why am I even surprised?"

Carrie placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "I'd really think you'd be used to things like this by now."

Danny looked at her hopefully. "Please tell me Catherine's parents have stories I can use to hold over this animal's head?"

"Oh they have stories." Carrie's eyes danced. "They have many stories."

"Excellent," Danny smiled. "I can't wait to hear them. All of them."

THE END

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