Notes: Huge thanks to Mari and Sammy – not only for being your absolutely amazing selves, but for your help with the title and ending for this story in particular. Both of you have proven again and again that you are brilliant at any time of the day or night!

Esther – your protective stance pose got this whole story started and I am *thrilled* that you like where it went! Thank you for all the editing and the truly excellent suggestions. But mostly thank you for being you!

Readers and reviewers – I am always so overwhelmed by your support for the REAL World. You are the reason cloud nine exists!

I hope you enjoy!

Timing Is Everything (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)

Esther stood near the sand in the backyard of the McGarrett/Rollins house playing with Cammie. She watched the dog run back and forth with a broad smile.

Glancing at her watch, she called to the dog.

"Time to go in, Cammie," Esther said. "Come on! Dinner!"

To her surprise, Cammie didn't come. The dog had stopped, her ears pricking. Esther looked over to see a form moving in the foliage along the side of the yard. She froze for only a second before grabbing the large branch she had placed on the top of a chair earlier to keep out of the dog's reach.

She quickly walked to Cammie as she tightened her grip on the stick with both hands. When she got close enough, she jumped in front of Cammie and raised the branch over her shoulder like a baseball bat.

"Don't come any closer!" She yelled.

Cammie gave an excited bark as a male figure moved into view.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, sista. Chill. No need for that," he said, motioning at the branch.

"Wait, you're . . ." Esther gasped and lowered the branch. "I know who you are. You're Kamekona. I love your food!"

Kamekona smiled broadly and said, "You got good taste."

Cammie trotted over to greet him and sniff the plastic bags he was carrying in one hand. Esther returned his smile as she took a couple steps toward him.

"Wow, it's so great to meet you! Your hot and spicy shrimp is my favorite. I'm Esther, Cammie's dog-sitter." She moved to shake Kamekona's hand and realized she was still holding the branch. "Oh." She laughed a little self-consciously. "Sorry about that. I just . . . I didn't want anyone to hurt Cammie."

Kamekona nodded with a smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. "Protective dog-sitter. You're a lucky dog, Cammie," he said, bending a little so he could rub her head.

"Wait . . ." Esther said, still holding the stick loosely at her side. "Why were you sneaking around the house?"

He straightened and held up the bags. "Brought McGarrett and Catherine dinner to thank them for fixing a busted pipe in my truck last week. Lucky they were there having lunch so I didn't have to call for a repair. Saved me some serious cash." He motioned towards the front of the house. "Didn't see McGarrett's truck or Catherine's car so I'm gonna set it up back here on the table. Like a surprise, you know?"

"Oh, they're not going to be home for a while," Esther told him. "They're wrapping up a case. That's why I came over to feed Cammie and let her out to play."

His shoulders slumped in disappointment.

Esther winced sympathetically. "You didn't check first to make sure they'd be around tonight?"

"Wouldn't be a surprise if I did that."

"I guess not," she agreed. "Well, it was a sweet idea. But Catherine said they probably wouldn't be back until after seven."

There was a pause and both of their eyes drifted toward the bags of food.

"You know," Kamekona started. "My food is really best when it's hot off the grill."

Esther hesitated, then said, "It would be a shame to let it go to waste . . ."

He nodded with a wide smile. "Exactly my thinking, sista. Exactly my thinking."

Esther and Kamekona were sitting outside and talking an hour later, empty cartons on the table, when Steve and Catherine came out the backdoor.

"Hey," Steve said. "Looks like this is where the party is. Or was," he added, surveying the table.

Cammie ran from where she had been investigating the foliage to greet Steve and Catherine.

"Hi," Esther said, standing up.

"Thank you so much for staying late," Catherine said as she knelt to rub Cammie's neck and accepted several excited puppy kisses. She smiled at their dog-sitter. "Looks like you had some company besides Cammie."

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Steve asked Kamekona.

"Brought you and Catherine dinner to thank you for fixing that pipe last week."

"Aww," Catherine said, standing. "That was sweet."

"Yeah, but we already had dinner," Steve said. "We stopped for a bite on the way home."

"Well, that's good," Kamekona said, "because we ate everything I brought."

"You–" Steve stopped. "What?"

Kamekona shrugged, looking up at them from his seat. "We ate everything."

"You ate the food that you brought to thank us for fixing your pipe," Steve stated.

Esther looked sheepish, but Kamekona just shrugged again.

"Didn't want it to go to waste, brah" he said.

Steve motioned to himself and Catherine beside him. "Why didn't you call to let us know you were bringing dinner over?"

"Then it wouldn't have been a surprise."

"Yeah, but then we would have actually gotten to eat the food you brought."

"Hey," Kamekona said. "What happened to 'It's the thought that counts'?"

Catherine laughed heartily at that.

Steve tried to look annoyed at him but finally chuckled and shook his head.

Esther started gathering up the dinner containers, putting them into the discarded plastic bags.

"Besides," Kamekona continued as he stood. "Esther deserved it. Sista was ready to take me out if I came near Cammie."

"What?" Catherine asked, looking over at Esther who shrugged with a slightly embarrassed look.

"I . . . I didn't know who was coming around the side of the house at first, so I grabbed a branch and . . . well . . . it's Cammie. I'm not going to let anyone hurt Cammie," she said earnestly.

The dog had moved to her side as she talked and put a paw on her leg. Esther knelt to hug her.

"I mean, I know she's a big dog and all, but . . . I wasn't really thinking about that. I just . . . reacted, I guess."

Catherine and Steve exchanged a look, both clearly touched by her actions and words. As Esther stood, Catherine stepped toward her.

"You really are the best, you know that?" Catherine said and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Yeah, that was definitely above and beyond," Steve added with an appreciative smile.

"So you forgive me for eating your dinner?" Esther asked, laughing.

Catherine joined her laughter and hugged her again. "Absolutely."

"Worth a shrimp plate and then some," Steve agreed. "Hey, I didn't see your car. Do you need a ride home?"

"Oh no, it's okay. My sister's got the car. I was going to have her pick me up. I just need to text her," she said and took her phone out of her pocket.

"I could take you home," Kamekona offered. He swallowed and cleared his throat. "If you want."

"Oh," Esther said with a faint blush. "Okay. Thank you."

Steve and Catherine exchanged another look, both raising their eyebrows.

"Okay, I guess that's settled," Steve said.

Esther moved to pick up the plastic bags now filled with trash but Catherine stopped her. "Oh, don't worry about those. We'll throw them away."

The group walked back into the house and crossed to the front door.

"Thank you again for coming over and staying with Cammie," Catherine said. "We really appreciate it."

"Of course," Esther said with a bright smile. She picked up her purse from the table by the door. "Anything for you guys, I've told you that." She bent and kissed Cammie's head. "Bye, Cammie. I'll see you tomorrow."

Catherine opened the door and said, "Good night."

"Night," Esther waved and stepped outside.

As Kamekona moved to follow Esther, Steve patted him on the back.

"And nice idea, man, but you need to work on your timing when it comes to surprises."

"Timing improves, you know. Second time's the charm."

"Third time's the charm," Steve said.

"What?"

"The expression is 'third time's the charm.' "

Kamekona furrowed his brows and shook his head. "Who needs three times?"

"Well, you shouldn't need three times," Steve said, gesturing with his hand. "I'm just saying, that's the expression."

Kamekona paused and then said, "You know you're starting to sound like your partner."

Steve's mouth twisted in response. Catherine put a hand up to hide her smile but her eyes twinkled mischievously as she looked at him.

Kamekona grinned at them before he said, "You have a good night."

"Night," Catherine said.

Steve chuckled and said, "Night."

Esther smiled and gave a final wave before she and Kamekona walked down the front path.

Catherine closed and locked the door.

"Well," Steve said as she turned to him. "That was interesting."

Catherine shrugged. "What? They're both single."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I have never pegged you for a matchmaker, Rollins."

"What matchmaking? I just made an observation. Whatever happens, happens. That's up to them." She smiled knowingly. "Though he did seem awfully impressed at her protecting Cammie . . ."

"He's not the only one," Steve said seriously.

Catherine nodded her agreement.

"I mean, I'd never want her to endanger herself," Steve continued, "but that she would automatically step up to protect Cammie . . . well, we definitely picked the right dog-sitter."

Catherine smiled and said, "Yeah, she's pretty special."

He nodded then motioned towards the back. "You wanna sit outside for a while?"

"Sure. Why don't you get that trash, and I'll pour us some wine?"

"Sounds good," he said and moved toward the backdoor as she headed for the kitchen.

When she joined him a few minutes later, he was already seated in one of the Adirondack chairs with Cammie at his feet. She handed him a glass.

"Thanks," he said as she sat in the other chair. He took a sip and said, "Can't believe I just tossed the trash from what was supposed to be our dinner. How could he not call to find out if we were even going to be home?"

"You know, that's pretty big talk for someone with his own very memorable failed surprise attempt under his belt."

He looked over at her teasing smile and huffed a laugh of acknowledgment at the memory.

Steve stood at the door of Catherine's apartment on a Friday evening, duffel bag slung over one shoulder. Smiling, he knocked on the door and waited for an answer. After ten seconds, he knocked louder.

When there was still no response, he glanced at his watch, knocked again, and turned his ear toward the door to listen for movement inside. Hearing nothing, he pulled his phone from his pocket and selected Catherine's number on the speed-dial.

She picked up on the third ring.

"Hey, sailor. Wasn't expecting to hear from you. What's up? Everything okay?"

He smiled automatically at the sound of her voice.

"Hey, Cath. Yeah, everything's fine." He heard sounds in the background that indicated she was at a restaurant. The sounds grew fainter and he guessed she had moved to a quieter area. "Where are you?"

"I'm in Virginia. My cousin is getting married tomorrow. I'm at the rehearsal dinner."

"You're–" he stopped, stricken. "What?"

"I'm . . . wait, Steve, where are you?"

His chin dropped to his chest and he sighed before looking back up with a smile of disbelief. "I am standing outside the door of your apartment."

"You're in San Diego? Why didn't you call?"

"Thought I'd surprise you."

She laughed and said, "Well, you both succeeded and failed at that, didn't you?"

He sighed again, leaning his shoulder against the door.

"When are you back?" he asked.

"Sunday night. When do you leave?"

He shook his head in resignation. "My flight's at 0800 Monday morning."

She chuckled ruefully. "I could try to get an earlier flight back on Sunday, but my family's having a post-wedding brunch."

"No, no, don't do that," he said. "Enjoy your time with your family. I know you don't see 'em a lot."

She sighed. "Well, it was a very sweet thought. The timing just wasn't . . . optimal."

He could hear the smile in her voice and couldn't help but laugh in response. "Yeah, guess not." He sighed. "All right, I'll let you get back to dinner. I should go find a hotel."

"No, no, wait. Listen. My neighbor across the hall has a key to my place. I'll give her a call and have her give it to you for the weekend. Make yourself at home. And I'll be back Sunday, so we'll still get a few hours together."

He smiled. "Okay. Thanks. And Cath?"

"Yeah?"

"Have a good weekend," he said sincerely.

She laughed lightly. "Thanks. You, too. I'll see you Sunday night."

"I'll be here."

Catherine unlocked the door of her apartment in the early evening on Sunday to find Steve sitting on her futon, a book in hand. He smiled and set his book down as she entered.

"Surprise," he said, his mouth quirked up in a smile.

Catherine shook her head and smiled. She set her bag down before she closed and locked the door.

Turning back to him she said, "I'm surprised you're on that futon. You don't have a great history with that thing."

He winced, bending the toes on his right foot automatically at the memory. He glanced up at her and smirked.

"I dunno," he said with a shrug. "Had some pretty good times on this futon as well."

She matched his expression, taking a few steps toward him as he stood. He pushed his hands into the pockets of his sweats as he moved to meet her in the middle of the room.

"So you got an earlier flight," he said when they were about a foot apart.

"Yeah, I left right after brunch." Her fingers itched to reach for him, but she followed his lead and resisted, resting her hands on her hips instead. "I wasn't sure it was going to happen. They were totally booked. But this very nice older woman overheard me at the ticket counter and insisted I switch flights with her." She smiled. "Her husband served in Korea, and she wouldn't take no for an answer."

He nodded, his gaze intent on her face. "Did you eat? We could grab dinner." His mouth twitched. "I'm sure I owe you for something."

"We could . . ." she shrugged and then smiled slowly. "Or . . ."

His smile matched hers and his voice dropped low as he echoed, "Or . . ."

He leaned down and kissed her, hands finally coming out of his pockets to tug her hips closer. She held his cheeks, deepening their kiss, and he shuffled them back toward the futon. He put a hand behind to brace himself as he started to lower them but her hands moved to the back of the futon, stopping their progress.

"Wait," she breathed when they broke apart.

"What?" he gasped, sitting down. "You don't want the futon to see some action?" His hands slid under her shirt, splaying across her warm skin, and he grinned. "For old time's sake?"

She returned his grin and kissed him briefly before straightening. She turned to retrieve her bag from by the door and walked toward the hallway that led to her bedroom.

"I've been in airports and on planes for eight hours," she said. "First I need to wash the travel off of me."

She glanced back over her shoulder at him.

"Wanna help?"

He was on his feet before she finished her question.

"Don't have to ask me twice."

"Yeah, you learned your lesson after that one," Catherine said with a smile and took a sip of her wine.

"Hey, I've managed to surprise you several times since then," Steve pointed out.

"You have," she agreed. "But I've noticed you've always made sure you know where I'm going to be prior to said surprise."

He smiled in response then took a drink before placing his glass on the table between them. He held a hand out to her, and she set her own glass down before placing her hand in his. He gave a gentle tug and brought her over onto his lap. Releasing her fingers, he slid his hands around her waist as she draped her arms around his shoulders.

"That weekend wasn't a total loss," he said, leaning up to press a kiss below her jaw.

"Definitely not," she said as her eyes drifted shut.

"Especially since you got that earlier flight." He tilted his head back to look at her. "Did I ever thank you for doing that?"

She opened her eyes and looked down at him with a playful smile.

"Well, not in words. But I got the distinct impression you were pretty grateful." She leaned down to kiss him briefly.

"Gave us a couple more hours together. I was definitely grateful."

She smiled at him and then stopped, her eyebrows knitting slightly. After a moment, she blinked then let out a chuckle.

"What?" he asked.

"You remember I said an older woman gave me her seat on that flight?"

"Yeah. You said she wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Did I ever tell you what her name was?"

Steve thought for a beat, then shook his head. "No. What?"

She smiled and said, "Esther."

He chuckled. "That figures."

Tightening his arms around her, he stretched up to kiss her. She moved her hands to his neck, settling into the kiss.

After a long minute, his lips drifted across her cheek and down her neck.

"My timing has improved since then," he murmured against her skin.

"Your timing has always been pretty good," she said with a smile.

"Yeah?" he asked, stopping his ministrations to glance up at her.

"Yeah." She brushed her fingers over his cheek. "Like I've said, we do things our way. And in our own time."

He smiled softly at her and said, "And timing is everything."

Her answering smile was bright. "You got that right, sailor."

Hope you enjoyed!

Stay tuned for a *beautiful* story from Mari on Friday for Sammy's birthday and don't miss next week's Halloween trilogy plus a bonus post!