Sammy's notes: Always love a chance to co-write with you, Ilna. You and Mari make this entire project a genuine pleasure. Thanks for all the support and encouragement REAL Worlders. You'll never know how much it means to me.

Ilna's notes: Sammy, love writing with you! Mari, thanks for all the info and suggestions, and of course your wonderful feedback. Readers and REAL McRollers, thanks for your amazing support with each and every story.

Hope you enjoy!

A Couple More Days (A McRoll in the REAL World Story by Sammy and Ilna)

Catherine waited just inside the doors of the mess hall, trying not to tap her foot impatiently. Every time the door opened she inhaled, straightening her already straight back before exhaling with barely concealed disappointment.

She looked down to check her watch and then heard, "Waiting for someone, Lieutenant?"

Her head snapped up at the familiar voice and her smile was immediate. "There's my baby girl!" She reached out to take Angie from Steve and cuddled the baby to her chest, kissing her head repeatedly. She'd had long years of practicing restraint with Steve while in uniform, but Angie was a different story. "Oh, I've missed you, honey. Mommy's missed you so much."

Steve smiled as he watched their reunion, unsurprised to see the faint sheen of tears in Catherine's eyes.

She held Angie out a little so she could look at her. "I've missed this beautiful face." She kissed her cheek, then smiled brightly, beaming as Angie smiled back and cooed happily. She grinned when Angie reached out towards her name plate, and took the baby's fingers in hers, kissing them softly. "And I've missed these tiny, curious fingers."

"Ahh ahhhhhh," Angie burbled.

"And I've missed that adorable voice." Catherine held her close again, happy to have her daughter in her arms again after the more than week-long separation. "Did you eat?" she asked, still addressing the baby though of course looking at Steve for an answer.

"She did. Like a champ."

"And you?"

"I ate."

"Me, too." She grinned. "Didn't want to waste any of our time with food." She nodded toward the back of the room. "Come on, let's grab a table."

He picked up her tote bag from where she'd set it beside her as she waited and followed her to a table. It was early enough that the mess hall wasn't even half full, but there were still plenty of personnel coming in and out. She took a seat, letting him have the spot opposite so he could face the door.

"How did you sleep last night?" she asked Angie.

"She slept pretty well," Steve answered. "Only woke up for a minute or so in between feedings and soothed herself back to sleep."

Catherine smiled proudly at the baby in her lap. "That's my girl."

Angie smiled back, looking up at her. Catherine sighed, leaning down and resting her cheek gently on Angie's head. She took a deep breath, inhaling through her nose.

"Ohh, I've missed that wonderful Angie smell. You don't get that through Skype."

Steve grinned. "Not all those Angie smells are wonderful."

Catherine laughed. "Maybe not." She kissed Angie's head. "But somehow I even miss those."

He ran a hand over his face, laughing at the turn in their conversation.

She smiled at him. "This is a far cry from what we talked about when you came to visit me last year, huh?"

"I'll say," he agreed, still chuckling.

Angie, looking between her parents, laughed along with them, and they both smiled at her.

"My favorite sound," Catherine said, cuddling her close. "Of course I've missed that, too."

Steve smiled softly, watching the two most important people in his life totally absorbed with each other and not begrudging either of them a single second.

A familiar figure entering the mess hall doors drew Steve's attention. He raised a hand to catch Joseph's eye and said, "Your dad just came in."

Catherine turned to look, smiling. "I knew he was going to be on base later today." She swiveled in her seat so Angie could see. "But I didn't think he'd be here this early. How lucky, huh, Angie? Grandpa's here."

Steve and Catherine both stood as Joseph approached.

"When you said Steve and Angie were coming for a visit today, I thought you meant for lunch," he said when he reached them, the proud smile he wore whenever he saw Catherine in uniform firmly in place.

"I'm due in court later this morning so we wanted to make sure we got a chance to visit," Steve explained.

"Well, I don't want to intrude on your time together …"

"You're never intruding," Catherine insisted.

"Not at all," Steve agreed. He indicated the table. "Please."

Joseph smiled. "You don't have to twist my arm." He took one of Angie's hands. "Hi, sweetheart. Are you having fun visiting Mommy?" He grinned at Catherine. "I know Mommy's having fun visiting with you."

"Ahhhh," Angie cooed.

"That's Angie for 'absolutely,' " he said.

Catherine laughed. "Is it?"

Joseph nodded confidently. "I've become quite fluent in Angie the last few weeks."

"Aww," Catherine said as they sat down.

The the next half hour passed in what seemed like just minutes and before they knew it, it was time for Steve and Angie to go.

"Are you running home first or is Esther meeting you at the courthouse?" Catherine asked as they all stood.

"She's meeting us there," Steve said.

Catherine looked at Angie and heaved a sigh. "Okay, sweetie, time to say goodbye." She pressed a lingering kiss to Angie's head. "I love you, baby girl," she whispered. "I'll talk to you tonight, and I'll be home very soon. Just a couple more days." After hugging her close for another moment, she passed her to Steve. She ran a hand over Angie's hair, loath to relinquish contact. Steve stayed beside her, understanding her reluctance.

"Just a couple more days," he repeated her own words back quietly.

She gave him a small, grateful smile and nodded. He leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek, knowing a chaste peck would be permitted.

She kissed Angie's head again and took a step back so Joseph could do the same.

"Bye, sweetheart," he said. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye," Catherine said, moving forward for one more kiss and breathing in Angie's scent to keep with her until Friday. She looked up at Steve. "I love you."

"I love you," he said. "Talk to you tonight."

She nodded even as her eyes drifted back to Angie. Resolutely, she stepped back and smiled. "Talk to you tonight."

Steve nodded to Joseph before giving Catherine another understanding smile. With a final look, he shifted Angie in his arms and headed toward the door.

"What does the rest of your day look like?" Catherine asked her father as she watched Steve and Angie until they were out of sight.

"I'm here all day," Joseph answered. "I'm guest lecturing a group headed out on their first extended open ocean duty this afternoon. Since I knew I was gonna be here anyway I arranged a meeting with the head of veteran's services this morning to brainstorm how we coordinate with the VA and make sure everyone who served gets all the benefits they have coming."

"Any chance you can carve out some time for lunch?" she asked.

"With my favorite daughter?" He grinned. "Try and stop me."

"Great, I'll see you back here at 1300 then." Catherine stood to head off to her first assignment of the morning, picking up her tote bag. When she looked up she saw Tom Aldrich, an Annapolis classmate who was now permanently stationed at Pearl, approaching.

"I just saw Steve and that adorable daughter of yours," he said with a smile when he reached them. "She seemed fascinated by all the medals on the uniforms as they moved passed her."

Catherine nodded. "Shiny things definitely catch her attention."

She introduced him to Joseph and the two men shared a handshake.

"I figured maybe she was already dreaming of carrying on the impressive Rollins-McGarrett history of service," Aldrich said. "Considering who her parents are she'll probably be director of the joint chiefs five years out of the Academy."

Joseph beamed with pride as Catherine chuckled. "I guess only time will tell."

Aldrich's phone buzzed with an incoming message. "I have to run," he said after slipping his phone back into the clip at his waist. "It was great seeing you. And nice to meet you, Captain Rollins, sir."

"Tell Erica I'll call soon." Catherine slung her tote bag over her shoulder. "We'll get together for dinner."

"Sounds good," Aldrich called over his shoulder. "She'd love to see the baby."

"I have to get moving, too." Catherine kissed Joseph on the cheek. "Don't wanna be late and make a bad impression."

"You've never made a bad impression in your life." Joseph smiled proudly. "But go. I'm just gonna have one more cup of coffee and I'll see you back here at lunch."

Once Joseph and Catherine were settled at a small, outside table tucked near the back of the patio outside the mess he broached the topic that had been on his mind since they parted after breakfast. "I've been thinking about what Aldrich said this morning."

Catherine twisted the cap off her water. "What's that?"

"When he asked if Angie was going to be the next generation of our family to serve." He watched for a reaction, not exactly sure what he was expecting. "It just caught me a little off guard."

Catherine shrugged. "Steve and I get asked that a lot. I guess people just assume because we both served and come from a long line of others who did."

"Back when you were a baby people didn't ask nearly as often if a little girl was going to serve. In fact," a small smile appeared on his face as he thought back to those days, "I can still picture the looks on some of their faces when they asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up and you told them you were gonna be a sailor."

Catherine chuckled. "Not what they expected to hear?"

"Not by a longshot." Joseph poured dressing out of a small foil packet onto his salad. "They thought you'd say ballerina or princess."

She snorted. "Boy were they barking up the wrong tree."

"It got me to thinking, though. I remember when you first started saying you wanted to be a sailor like me. You were so young. Your mother and I talked about it and we made a plan to nurture and support that if it was what you really wanted but to be okay with it if one day you changed your mind and wanted to be a ballerina after all."

Catherine tilted her head. "Aside from a few short weeks when I contemplated becoming a professional ice skater I don't remember ever wanting to do anything else."

"You knew exactly what you wanted from a very young age." Joseph smiled at his daughter. "I was so proud of you. And so honored you wanted to follow in my footsteps. But I'd have been just as proud no matter what you decided to do with your life."

Catherine reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "I know that, Dad."

"I just worry. It's such a different world now." He stabbed at his salad with his fork. "Angie is gonna face pressures that neither of us ever did. I know you and Steve will be right there to help her navigate every step of the way but … as her grandfather, I worry."

Catherine's smiled affectionately. "If Steve and I can be half the parents you and Mom were, Angie will be just fine."

"You're gonna be twice the parents we were," he replied confidently.

"Not possible." She shook her head adamantly. "We feel so lucky to have you guys here on the island where you can be part of her day to day life."

"It's a dangerous world out there now." Joseph sighed heavily. "Much more so than when I was growing up, or even when you were."

Catherine looked around at the other uniformed sailors around her and wondered how many would soon be heading off on a dangerous mission in service to their country. "That's for sure. You never know what's going to happen next."

They both sat lost in their own thoughts for a minute until Catherine was broken out of her reverie by the sound of a cellophane package being torn open. She raised one eyebrow.

"Not to channel Mom but shouldn't you finish your salad before you break out the brownie?"

"It's an uncertain world," he grinned, "I choose to eat dessert first."

After her evening call with Steve and Angie, Catherine settled on her bunk. There was still a half hour until lights out, but her bunkmate had slipped her earbuds in to listen to a relaxation app, leaving Catherine essentially alone.

She sat for a moment thoughtfully before getting up and searching through her bag. She found a small notebook and pen and sat back down to write.

Dear Angie,

You know, I hadn't actually planned to keep writing you letters after you were born. For one thing, it's been a busy four months with you, baby girl. The most wonderful four months of my life. But between you and going back to work, there hasn't been a lot of time for this. So now that I find myself with a little time, I also find that you're the person I want to talk to. And since you're fast asleep at home - I hope - this is the next best thing.

Being on this first reserve duty since you were born has me thinking a lot about the conversations we'll have in the future. Conversations about my time in the Navy and why I continue to serve. And similar conversations with your daddy. And maybe even conversations about the role of the military in your own life. But I want to say something about that right from the start. It is your decision. 100%.

One of the most important things my father ever did was not to pressure me either way about joining the Navy. We talked about it together, but he always made it very clear that it was my decision completely, and that's what I want to make clear to you as well. I won't deny the fact that I was inspired by my dad's service in the Navy and my grandfather's before him, but ultimately, the choice was mine, and I've never regretted it for a moment. Even now when it takes me away from you. The Navy can still use my skills, and as long as I'm able, I'll do what I can to serve our country. I'm fortunate now that at least I know it usually won't keep us apart for long. I miss you every day, but as you get older, I'll work hard to help you understand why I'm here and not with you when I'm on reserve duty.

And when it comes time for you to make your own decision, Angie, I want you to decide how you'll make the world around you better. Maybe that will mean military service, and maybe it won't, but either way, you'll have my support and your father's, too. I don't know what exactly the future holds, but that's one thing I can guarantee. You'll have our support and our love. Always.

Love,

Mommy

Catherine sat back, looking over the letter. She knew they were words she'd share with Angie face to face when her daughter was older, but she was glad she'd also written them down. She wanted Angie to have them as something she could carry through her life and read whenever she needed them.

Satisfied, she stowed the pen and notebook back in her bag and prepared to go to sleep. As she lay down, she thought, as she had every night the past week, of the things she'd gotten used to at night. Cammie, asleep in her corner but ready to wake and protect her family at the slightest sound. Steve, warm and familiar in the bed beside her, no longer separated by distance or time zones. And Angie, dreaming peacefully in her bassinet and trusting that her parents would take care of her.

I'm with you, baby girl, she thought. Even when we're apart, I'm with you. She closed her eyes with a final, happy thought. Just a couple more days.

Hope you enjoyed!

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