Sammy's notes: Several of you expressed an interest in seeing the "missing scene" from An Earlier Heaven where Steve and Catherine return home after the confrontation with Albanese in the warehouse. Thanks for your interest. It was always my intention to write the scene. I left it out of the original story to preserve the more family-centric feel of that piece. To those of you who requested it, I hope it meets your expectations.

This story takes place somewhere mid-chapter 8 of An Earlier Heaven. It might not make a lot of sense unless you read that first.

To Mari & ilna—you guys are the best! Someday I'll find the words to adequately express just how awesome you both truly are.

Sandy—you are all that and a bag of chips. I hope you find half as much joy in my friendship as I find in yours.

To everyone who reviewed and sent comments on An Earlier Heaven, I'm working on replying. I promise. And a great big thank you to everyone who replies and comments as a Guest.

Without a Second Thought (1/1)

McGarrett/Rollins Residence

Saturday 12:40 AM

It was well past midnight before Steve finished dealing with the details of the Albanese showdown, and Patsy's unexpected decision to take his own life, and he and Catherine finally headed home. It had been more than forty hours since they left the beach house Thursday morning, never anticipating what the next two days would hold. An emotional roller coaster that took them from fear over Catherine and Gabby's abduction to the euphoria of their reunion, safe and mostly sound, with Steve and Danny and encompassing the tension of the final showdown with Albanese and ultimately the relief they all felt when they were finally able to say that the path of death and destruction Patsy left in his wake from New Jersey all the way across the mainland and ultimately to Hawaii was over.

Duke and Grover insisted they could handle all the remaining details, including removal of what was left of Patsy's body, and all necessary evidence collection, and that the paperwork could wait until Monday, so after bidding goodbye to Danny and Gabby Steve and Catherine gratefully headed home.

The exhausted pair were barely through the door when they were met by an exuberant Cammie who bounded up to them excitedly, tail wagging, beyond thrilled to see her humans home. Esther had been taking great care of her in their absence, making extra visits and spending extra time, still Cammie felt better seeing both of her humans and knowing they were safe. She was amazingly perceptive and understood on some level that not seeing either Steve or Catherine for close to two days meant something was wrong. Once she saw them both walk in everything was once again right in her world and she reacted accordingly, sharing her happiness with the people she loved most.

Catherine dropped to her knees barely inside the door and Steve smiled as he watched her and Cammie shower each other with kisses. Catherine told Cammie how she loved her and how much she had missed her over and over while Cammie returned the sentiment in the form of happy little barks and nuzzles. After properly greeting Catherine Cammie turned to Steve who knelt down and lavished her with attention as well.

"Why don't you go ahead upstairs," Steve said to Catherine. "I'll take Cammie out one last time for the night. After the excitement of seeing us again she may have to go."

Cammie's excited looks towards the back door at the mention of the word 'go' told Steve he was right. "I'll be up in a minute."

"Ok," she said as gave Cammie one last kiss then stood and headed for the stairs. "Don't be too long."

Steve watched as Catherine started towards their bedroom and was momentarily overcome by the feeling of happiness he found in that simple moment. Watching her climb the stairs at the end of the day to the bedroom they shared in a home that now officially belonged to both of them. If there was one thing the last two days had reminded him it was to savor every one of the simple moments and never take them for granted.

He turned and headed towards the back door, Cammie hot on his heels, and as he passed through the kitchen he noticed a stack of mail laying on the counter and realized Esther must have thought to bring it in. He made a mental note to thank her for all the extra work she did when he and Catherine had to be away long hours. She was invaluable to them and knowing how much she loved Cammie, and Cammie loved her in return, gave both Steve and Catherine peace of mind that when they couldn't be with Cammie she was well-taken care of.

He flipped through the pile, deciding almost everything could wait, until he came to a large, thick white envelope. He set it aside and continued outside with Cammie. After she did her business and gave the back yard the once over to make sure nothing was out of place she happily returned to Steve's side and the two of them headed inside, locked up, set the alarm, and climbed the stairs for bed.

When they entered the bedroom Steve tossed the white envelope on the dresser and began to strip off his work clothes while Cammie trotted happily to her bed on the other side of the room and prepared to settle down for the night.

As he heard the water in the shower turn off Steve put his phone on the charger and stowed his weapon in the night table drawer. Catherine's phone and weapon were still technically evidence and as such remained locked up in his desk at Five-0 headquarters. With Albanese dead and his associates apparently willing to cooperate and admit to their own parts in his various crimes Steve was sure the case could be wrapped quickly and he could return them to her soon.

A minute later Catherine emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel and cradling her now unwrapped left hand.

"Your turn," she said tiredly.

"You need help," he asked indicating her injured hand.

"Thanks. I'm good," she smiled.

"Just yell if you need anything," he said as he headed in to grab a quick shower.

As Steve entered the bathroom Catherine dried herself as completely as she could with one good hand then tossed the damp towel in the hamper and went to the dresser to retrieve a t-shirt and sleep shorts. She finally managed to get them on, albeit awkwardly, without using her injured hand.

When Steve returned a few minutes later, one towel around his waist and another slung around his neck, he found her sitting on the edge of the bed rewrapping her hand.

"Here let me do that," he offered.

"Thanks," she smiled.

He knelt in front of her and gently took her hand in his. He laid the bandaging supplies on the bed beside her while he examined the bruising and swelling, intent on making sure the blood supply to her hand was being maintained. When he was satisfied it was he picked up the roll of tape and quickly but gently rewrapped her hand.

"Do you need something for the pain?" he asked as he finished up. He placed the tape and scissors on her bedside table and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"I took a couple of Advil. It'll be fine," she said. "But thanks."

Steve pulled back the blankets and waited for Catherine to slide underneath before he moved to the dresser, grabbed a pair of shorts to sleep in, slipped them on, tossed his own damp towels in the hamper, and then picked up the white envelope and crossed to his side of the bed.

"What's that?" Catherine asked curiously.

"Our copy of the mortgage papers arrived from the bank," Steve said as he pulled back the covers and slid gratefully into his side of the bed with a sigh before settling against the headboard. He pulled a handful of official looking documents out of the envelope and glanced at them.

"Is it weird that I find these exciting?" Catherine leaned close and looked at the words and numbers that signified a major step in their lives.

A tangible sign that they were making Hawaii their permanent home.

Together.

Putting down roots.

Of course she'd known that was what they were doing for a while now, still there was something about seeing it in writing that made her heart soar. She'd never been happier in her life and when she glanced from the papers to Steve's face she found him beaming at her with a look that said he felt exactly the same way.

"Not at all." He wrapped his arm around her and placed a kiss on top of her head. "I'm too tired to look these over tonight though. We can do it tomorrow." He yawned as he placed the documents back in the envelope then laid them on the night table.

He turned out the light and slid down till he was lying flat, pulling Catherine into his arms as he did. They held each other in silence for several minutes, reveling in the warmth of their entwined bodies, each finding comfort in the soft, rhythmic breathing of the other.

After a few minutes Catherine spoke.

"I think Gabby really wants to come back to Hawaii permanently."

"That'd be nice," Steve said as he turned his body till they were laying face-to-face, sharing a pillow. "I know Danny would like it. I'm not sure he realized exactly how much he missed her until he got a chance to spend some time with her again."

He ran his fingers softly across her shoulder and down her arm. When they found their way to her hip he slipped them under the waistband of her shorts and let them rest against her soft, warm skin.

"She's good for him." Catherine smiled as she thought back to how happy Danny was to have Gabby around again in the days before the abduction, despite Albanese's attempts to destroy his financial life.

Without even realizing she was doing it she mirrored Steve's movements and brought her hand to rest against his hip.

"Yeah she is," Steve agreed.

"She was really great yesterday." Catherine smiled at the memory of Gabby handcuffing Enzo and Argo to the pole in the basement and the look of pride on her face. "She was a little freaked out at first but once she got her head around what was happening, she did great."

"I'm sure it was a lot for her to process," Steve acknowledged with a nod.

"I'll say." Catherine moved closer, her body craving contact with his. "One minute the guy is interviewing her for her dream job and the next he's detailing how he intends to kill you and Danny. Then the next his goons handcuff us to a pole in the basement."

Steve closed his eyes against images of Catherine being restrained. He knew she was strong, knew she could handle herself in any situation, but there was something about the thought of her bound that caused his heart to hurt. He took a deep breath and allowed the feel of her body pressing against his to calm him. It never ceased to amaze him how the touch of her skin could both arouse him and calm him, depending on the situation.

He forced the picture of her cuffed out of his mind and moved on to happier thoughts.

"She can't say enough about you," he said as he tangled their legs together. "I think you're her new hero."

He raked his hand softly through her hair while she traced small slow circles on his bare chest.

"She underestimates herself," Catherine said confidently. "Even though she was scared she really dug in."

"When I talked to her at the hospital she told me your confidence in her was like a magic wand that made her brave." Steve couldn't hide the pride in his voice or on his face.

Catherine blushed. "I just helped her channel what was already inside her."

"Don't minimize what you did, Cath." He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. "It was an amazing thing. You got both of you out of a very bad situation and to safety with no help from anyone on the outside."

"I may not have had any physical help from anyone on the outside," Catherine said as she laid the fingers of her injured left hand against his cheek, "but I knew you were out there. I could feel your strength. I knew you were with me in spirit every step of the way."

"Every step," Steve said, his voice thick with emotion. "Gabby told me about why you were so determined to get out of those handcuffs. That you were more concerned about warning me and Danny than about your own safety."

Catherine nodded.

It was true.

Breaking her hand, and anything else she might have had to endure to get out of that house, seemed a small price to pay in order to warn Steve about Albanese's plan.

"I've seen Patsy's handiwork close up." She squeezed her eyes closed against the vision of the bodies of Eddie Garza and Arthur Fogelsong. "There was no way I was going to let that happen to you."

An involuntary shudder passed through her body and Steve pulled her tighter until they were laying nose-to-nose.

"Catherine … " he said as he buried his face in her hair.

"Not getting to you in time … " she blinked back tears, " … that wasn't an option. I knew I had to find a way out, no matter what."

There was nothing she wasn't willing to do, no risk too big, no sacrifice she wasn't willing to make, to ensure he didn't walk into Patsy's trap.

Steve pulled back and looked at her in the soft moonlight. He saw nothing but unconditional love shining back at him from her face. He smiled and hoped she was seeing the same from him. Her almost imperceptible nod assured him she was.

Catherine continued.

"I knew running through the woods at night wasn't a great idea, but it was a chance I was more than willing to take. I would have risked anything, everything, to get to you."

"Thank you," he said sincerely.

There were no words to adequately express how he felt about the sacrifices she was willing to make to ensure his safety. He looked in her eyes and attempted to convey non-verbally exactly how much her words and actions meant to him, how he treasured them, how no one else in his life had ever loved him, or been willing to sacrifice for him, in the way Catherine did and was.

She had always understood him, when words failed or when they simply didn't seem like enough, on a more primal level. Where talking wasn't necessary. He sometimes found it easier to communicate that way, especially with her, knowing she felt his words without hearing them.

She kissed him on the lips to indicate she understood and then tilted her head and attempted to lighten the mood slightly. The last two days had had enough heaviness. She just wanted to enjoy the feel of laying in his arms.

"When we came over the hill and saw the Foodland store … I've never been so relieved to see a grocery store in my life," she chuckled. "My only fear was we looked like two crazy people and they wouldn't let us in."

Steve laughed. "I was so thankful to hear your voice. For a minute I was afraid I'd fallen asleep at my desk and was dreaming."

Catherine planted a series of soft kisses on his chest as he continued to run his fingers through her hair.

"I can't say I'm sorry Patsy is dead," she admitted.

"Me either," Steve agreed. "I mean I was perfectly willing to bring him in and let him face a jury but," he thought of all the carnage Patsy left in his wake, "I'm not sorry he chose to go out like he did."

"His mind was so twisted by revenge," Catherine said as she thought back to Albanese's words in the basement. "When he told me and Gabby about the choice he wanted Danny to make … "

Unexpected tears flooded her eyes.

"Shhhh, don't think about that now," Steve said soothingly. "Patsy Albanese was screwed up, Cath. "

"I know. But I just can't imagine Danny, or anyone, having to make a decision like that." She propped herself up on one elbow and looked down into his eyes. Steve could tell that she was thinking about not only Danny, but what anyone of them would do in a similar situation.

"We would have figured out another way," Steve assured her. "We would have never let him force either one of us into a decision like that. He was a sick man. We wouldn't have let him call the shots."

"I know that. I just … "

"You know what I always say," Steve said as he reached up and stroked her cheek. "You have to maintain control of a situation. You can never let your opponent frame your decision."

Catherine smiled. "Those were the exact words running through my head when I was cuffed to that pole. I could hear you saying them. And my choice was to take whatever risk was necessary, and pay whatever price I had to pay, to get to you and let you know what was going on."

The gravity of her words hit Steve like a ton of bricks. He knew that in that moment she had been willing to sacrifice everything, even her own life, to save him.

He raised himself till they were face to face and looked directly in her eyes. His voice was calm and steady.

"It wouldn't matter if someone managed to force me into that kind of a decision anyway, Catherine. If it ever came down to a moment like that, I would willingly give my life for yours. Without a second thought."

Catherine saw nothing but truth and absolute conviction in his eyes and on his face.

She rolled him onto his back and pressed him down the mattress, squeezing him as tightly as she could. She whispered how much she loved him, how his strength helped her fight through her fear, and how very glad she was to be back in his arms. How it was here she felt safe, alive, loved and complete.

He whispered his own words of love, told her how scared he was when he realized she'd been abducted but that he had total faith in her and knew she could handle any situation, and that he never allowed himself to believe anything other than that she would come home safely because he knew without a doubt that while he might keep breathing if she was gone he would never live a day without her.

As she felt her tears soaking his shoulder she lifted her head

"Just one more minute," he said as he placed his hand in her hair and pulled her tightly back against him.

"As long as you want, Steve." She tightened her grip.

"I want forever," he whispered.

"Well then you're in luck," she replied. "Because that's exactly what I plan on giving you."

THE END

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