Sammy & Ilna - La Famiglia. Always. Love you both.

And thanks for another title, Sammy :)

REALMcRollers - Thank you for the overwhelming response to the happy news!

Tuned In

Beach
Early Sunday Morning

Lying face down on the blanket, Catherine nestled her head on her arms and sighed as she watched Steve exit the water with Cammie at his side.

"That wasn't a very long swim." She blinked up at him.

"She turned back after a quarter mile." He grabbed his towel and ran it over his face and head before joining her on the blanket as the dog shook herself and nosed up next to Catherine on her other side.

"Hey, pretty girl, are you okay?" Concerned, she rose up on an elbow. "That's not like her."

"Neither is laying on our blanket." His brows knitted, she'd check theirs out, but always preferred her own. He said, "Cammie, come." and when she reached him, Steve ran his hands over her body and head before checking her eyes and gums while Catherine sat up and watched with concerned eyes. "She's eating fine and has a lot of energy," he reasoned while checking each of her paws. The second he released her with an, "Okay," Cammie returned to Catherine. She nuzzled her cheek before lying at her side and placing her head across Catherine's tummy.

"She keeps doing tha …" Catherine's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my God. Steve, she knows."

"How …" he began, but the image of Cammie leaving his side to stand between Catherine and his SEAL friends the previous week and her placing her head on Catherine's lap while she was folding clothes popped into his mind. "Really?"

Catherine nodded and wrapped the dog in a hug, briefly burying her face in Cammie's neck before kissing the furry face. "You knew before I did, didn't you, my pretty girl?" Cammie chuffed and licked her hand, then her cheek, making her laugh out loud. "That's why she's sticking to me like glue and keeps resting her head on my stomach."

Steve reached for his phone and swiped into Google. "I'll be damned." He held out the screen. "I put can dogs tell if in search and you're pregnant came up third."

Catherine took the phone and selected that option from search. Seconds later she read aloud, "This is from Animal Planet dot com. When you're pregnant, all the hormones flooding your body are likely to alter your scent. Not much gets by the canine nose, so there's an excellent chance your dog caught wind of a change in you - maybe even before you did." She tapped the screen and continued, "This one is from Babycenter dot com by a dog trainer and behaviorist: It's common for dogs to become overprotective of their expecting human from the very beginning of her pregnancy. I've worked with dogs that growled, barked, or blocked doors with their bodies to prevent other family members — even the baby's father — from coming into the same room as the mom-to-be."

"Cammie would never do that, right, girl?" Steve asked, directing his question to the dog, who thumped her tail happily at his words.

"Never," Catherine agreed. "She adored you from the minute she laid eyes on you. Besides, she knows you'd never hurt me." She ran a hand over the furry head and smiled before continuing to read, "If you don't have experience preparing pets for a new baby, it's a good idea to get help from a professional trainer. Many offer baby readiness classes or individual training sessions to help pets adjust. You want your furry baby to be as happy and comfortable about the family addition as you are. One important tip is to have Mommy enter the house first and make a fuss over the canine family member(s) while Daddy follows and introduces him or her to the new bundle of joy."

Catherine handled the phone back to Steve. "We'll call Francine as soon as we tell everyone." She nuzzled Cammie's nose. "We always want you happy, okay, sweetie?" Smiling at the dog's puppy kisses she said softly, "And you'll always be my first baby, I promise."

Steve was grinning ear to ear. "Cammie's going to be great with the baby. She is the smartest dog …"

"On Oahu, I know," she finished for him, thinking how she couldn't wait to see Steve introduce their dog to the baby.

Later

Catherine stood in the bathroom, turning side to side in front of the mirror. Smiling to herself, she ran a hand over her still-concave tummy. She'd woken up again that morning to a rush of excitement, but it had taken her conscious mind a second to catch up before reality slammed into her and 'baby - we're having a baby' shot into her mind. She literally hadn't stopped grinning since.

Shaking her head in wonder, she left the bathroom and climbed back into bed beside Steve, who rolled to spoon up behind her. "You feel okay?" His voice was rough - he'd been about to fall asleep.

She clasped their fingers. "I feel fine. Go to sleep, we have the whole day off."

"You want something to eat? I can make something."

"We had lunch an hour ago," she chuckled. "Later. I'd rather nap." She pulled their hands up and kissed his knuckles before turning to face him.

His smile was as bright as hers. "Then nap if you're tired. I'll make dinner later or we can order in."

"Mmmhmm, okay." She was watching him watch her and she scooted close enough to share his pillow. "What 'cha thinking, McGarrett?" Her hand ran through the hair at his temple. "I can see the wheels turning in there."

"A lot of people are gonna be very happy." He placed a hand over hers where it had come to rest on his cheek, and turned into her palm to kiss it. "You always had family, and you always shared them with me, but up 'til a few years ago, I wouldn't have had anyone to tell." There was no sadness or regret in his voice, just happiness at where they were now.

"And now we have so much family and so many friends. It really is the perfect time." She pecked his lips. "What else?" She knew there was more.

His eyes shone and his grin was irrepressible. "We made a person."

She laughed with delight at his phrasing. "That we did."

"Fast, too."

"Two cycles." She pecked his lips. "I thought it might take longer, actually."

"Not me." He nodded confidently. "I knew it would be quick."

"You did, did you?"

The grin returned. "Absolutely. You do nothing halfway, Rollins."

She ran a hand over her tummy. "Didn't do this by myself, McGarrett."

He placed his hand over hers. "But you're gonna do the hard part."

She shook her head. "Only for now. And I intend to recruit you for help with any and all duties I'll be temporarily interrupted from."

"Promise?"

"Oh, I definitely promise." A small smile played on her lips.

"Once the baby arrives, we'll have no shortage of help."

"I can't wait to see Danny's face when he sees how fast I got pregnant." She stifled a yawn.

Steve laughed. "I may need to film that. C'mon, take a nap. Take advantage of having the day off."

Catherine nodded. "I can't wait to see where we go from here." She kissed him and watched his eyes turn bluer, like they often did when he was happy. "Because you're right beside me."

Steve wrapped her in an embrace as she settled against him and relaxed. His voice was quiet and clear. "Every step of the way."

# End thanks for reading

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