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So Many Cookies

Piikoi Street Saturday, 11:00 a.m.

The two nine year olds pushed an old grocery cart up Piikoi street, talking animatedly as they went.

"And my mom said when we go to the Pacific Aviation Museum for the weather event tomorrow she's driving for the car pool. You and your mom are coming in our car." The girl named Yuko, who looked a bit younger than her age with her petite stance, grinned and her brown eyes glinted with excitement. "I can't wait to see the weather demonstration."

"I know, right? It's gonna be awesome, they're gonna make it rain in a tank and make waves and everything," her friend Emma gushed. "Wait one sec," she added and stopped pushing the cart they'd borrowed from Yuko's grandpa that morning. She tightened a slipping pigtail, pushed her glasses higher on her nose and re-grabbed the handle. "Last house is right there."

"Thanks for helping me deliver." Yuko nodded at the cart and let go briefly hug her best friend since preschool. "Mom and Dad said I have to take responsibility for what I sell on our block as long as they know the people, right, Suki?" She tossed over her shoulder to her older sister, who was walking a few yards behind the pair.

"Huh?" The sixteen year old glanced up from her phone. "Oh, yeah. And don't forget my payment for following you around in the heat …" she teased with a smile. "You gotta share your box of thin mints."

Cammie woofed and trotted to the door before the bell rang and waited patiently for Catherine to catch up, stepping back and entering a 'sit-stay' while she peeked around her human's legs to see who it was.

Shifting Angie on her hip, she opened the door with a smile for the two girls in shorts and white tshirts adorned with sashes boasting their troop number, 0908 under the words Girl Scouts USA and council designator of Hawai`i.

"Good morning, Lieutenant!" Yuko bubbled and Emma echoed, "Hi."

"Hi, Yuko," Catherine smiled as Angie said "ba ba ba ba aahhhh!" and flailed her arms at the visitors.

"This is my best friend, Emma, she's helping me deliver and later I'm helping her deliver."

"Teamwork, that's awesome," Catherine said and stepped aside. "Nice to meet you, Emma. Why don't you girls bring those in here before they melt." Looking at the end of walkway, she called to the texting teen, "Suki, c'mon in and cool off while they unpack our order."

She entered a few seconds later and clapped at the baby as the younger girls lavished attention on Cammie. "Hi, lieutenant and hello, beautiful! Look at you in that stylin' outfit."

Angie, who was wearing a green and yellow flowered onesie tucked into solid yellow shorts with matching green socks, squealed in delight and kicked her feet. She'd encountered both girls, as well as their parents and grandparents on various walks with her mom and dad and outings with Esther. The grandfather was a young retiree like Joseph and always had a kind word or treat for Cammie.

"Can I?" Suki asked before reaching out.

"Absolutely. Go see Suki, Angie." She passed the baby to the teen.

"She's so cute," she said as she worked a fistfull of her shiny black hair from the tiny fist. "I know you have a big family and all but, seriously, if you and the commander ever need a sitter, I'm right down the street."

"We'll definitely keep that in mind, thanks." Catherine ran a hand over Angie's back as the baby happily babbled at Suki and turned towards the younger girls. "So, what do we owe you, and do you want fresh ice packs for the rest of the cookies?" She'd noticed the ones they'd used were sweating in the ziplock bags placed strategically around the cart. "And great delivery idea, by the way."

"Thanks! Our tutu thought of it." Yuko grinned up at the lieutenant who was always really nice to her. "But … we're not taking any anywhere else."

Catherine's eyes widened a bit. "I … really?"

Yuko held up an order sheet and nodded, Emma following suit because she'd checked the orders with her friend before they set out. "Yeah, see. The commander bought so many cookies, but you owe zero, he already paid."

Holding back a smile, she nodded and pointed to the kitchen. "In that case, please put them on the counter and I'll be right back. Suki, are you okay with her for a minute?" She indicated a very content Angie who was clapping against the girl's outstretched hand and bouncing in her arms. At the affirmative nod she moved to the garage door and opened it enough to stick her head though.

No longer hiding her grin she leaned inside and called, "Steve?"

When a muffled, "yeah?" reached her ears, she laughed. "Front and center, commander, you have a delivery."

Sliding out from under the car and standing, he grabbed a rag and wiped his hands as he crossed to where she was. "Delivery? Of what?"

It wasn't like Catherine to not just sign for whatever it was. When she grinned and motioned him forward without an answer, he followed her into the kitchen and saw the three girls, one who was happily entertaining his daughter.

At his "Hey, where's the rest of my cookies?" the younger ones giggled as he went to the sink and quickly washed his hands.

"These are all the ones you ordered," Yuko again held up her order sheet.

Taking the sheet with a grin, he nodded solemnly and signed the slip. "Now you have to help me out and tell my wife she's gotta eat half of them."

Yuko nodded as her sister smiled at the teasing and handed over the baby who was reaching for Steve.

"Lieutenant Rollins, you kinda do have to help eat half 'cause you and the commander can't give Angie any yet."

"Is that so?" Catherine wrapped her hands around his bicep and shook her head. "Maybe we can give a few to our friends and family?"

The nine year olds pondered and shrugged. "I guess you could, Girl Scouts teaches sharing our resources, and Girl Scout Cookies freeze well, see …" she pointed to that very statement on the order sheet. "So you don't have to eat them all in a week or anything."

"Whew, that's good."

Yuko faced Steve and said, "thanks again, Commander McGarrett, you bought the most except for tutu. I got so many points I'm sharing mine with Emma and we get to go to the Pacific Aviation Museum free!"

"You're welcome and that sounds pretty cool. Good job sharing your points. You'll have to tell us about it next time we see you." He smiled and bounced Angie gently as she said, "gaaaaa ahhh!" and grabbed at his chin.

The girls said goodbye and waved to the baby who responed excitedly to the young voices. Catherine patted Steve's shoulder and kissed Angie's cheek. "Keep your daddy in line, Angie." She smiled warmly at the kids. "C'mon, girls, I'll walk you out."

Catherine reentered the kitchen and waved a hand. "Seriously?"

He bit back a smirk. "They freeze well."

"I know they freeze well, I sold 'em as a kid. But I repeat, seriously? You bought six cases of cookies? Why am I not surprised." She shook her head in amusement. "Remember when Grace was selling those scented candles? I came home on leave and there was a case of them in the spare room. I asked because you with scented anything…" She grinned. "Then you said, 'Gracie was selling them for Aloha Girls, I just gave her fifty bucks and figured it was a donation.'"

He grinned wryly. "I did. And she delivered a case and explained it didn't work that way. I had to have the candles because I paid for them. She was so little Danny had to carry them in."

"And here you are. Still adorable and we have a ton of cookies."

"We'll share 'em." He shrugged. Your dad likes those caramel chocolate ones. I distinctly remember Elizabeth shipping us boxes of cookies because he bought a ton from the neighbor's kids." He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms when Catherine took the baby.

She snorted. "You're worse than dad. Isn't he Angie? Your daddy bought soooooo many cookies," she drew out the word and got a giggle. "We think he's adorable, don't we?" She threw a look and caught him schooling his expression. "You are. You totally pictured Angie selling Girl Scout Cookies and bought … she glanced at a box and calculated the count. "Seventy two boxes."

He held up both hands. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" She cocked her head to the side and raised her phone to make a call. "Let's see if we can share some." Glancing at the screen it when picked up, she said, "Hi Mom," with a chuckle. "Seems your son in law brought enough Girl Scout cookies to feed the seventh fleet and I was hoping to giv…"

She hadn't finished the sentence before Elizabeth's laughter filled the room. "Wa… wait … I'm putting you on speaker … Joseph? Come in the kitchen … don't bother to call Catherine, they're on the phone."

With raised brows, Steve stepped closer as his wife placed her phone on the counter amidst the sea of cookie cartons. "You're on speaker, Mom."

Elizabeth's tone betrayed her suppressed laughter. "Hi, Steve. Go ahead, Joseph."

Catherine could picture her dad's questioning look at her mom as he said, "Hi, I was just about to call because …. well, remember the new neighbors we brought the welcome pistachio bread to, the ones with the three little girls?"

"Yeah," Steve replied.

"They just stopped by. Beautiful family. So polite. The oldest one remind me of you, sweetheart and then I thought of Angie in a few years."

Elizabeth's chuckle was loud and clear. "Keep going, dear…"

"Well, I wanted see if I could stop over and see Angie, of course and maybe bring a few treats for you two. See, all three girls were delivering …"

Catherine poked Steve's shoulder playfully as she and her mother finished the sentence together before bursting into laughter. "Girl Scout Cookies."

#End thanks for reading.

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