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Elevator

Steve and Catherine sat around a table at Bernini's with Danny, Gabby, Carrie and John. They'd grabbed a quick dinner and were just finishing up as the conversation turned to Carrie getting stuck in an elevator on base.

She laughed as she finished the story. " … but not as long as the time you two got stuck in the elevator…"

"Which time?" Steve asked, "at the Federal House?"

"Which time?" She raised an eyebrow.

"That was not the only time we got stuck in an elevator." Catherine pointed with a french fry and smiled.

"Oh, really? 'Cause I remember you squeaking in about ten seconds before lights out." Carrie smirked.

"I fixed that elevator, Stagler." Steve waved a hand. "Tell them, Cath."

"He fixed the elevator," she deadpanned, then couldn't hold back a smile.

"Because he broke it?" Danny raised a hand to wave at his best friend.

"I did not break the elevator. It got stuck between floors and the doors wouldn't open."

"Because that's a safety feature, Steven. If the doors open between floors, unsuspecting people plunge to their deaths."

"You're so dramatic, no one plunged to their death. It was only two floors. I pried open the panel and turned off the electrical feed. Then we pulled the doors open-"

"-and ran like hell to get back to Bancroft," Catherine finished with a laugh.

Danny rolled his eyes.

"How long were you stuck? Before you fixed it?" Gabby asked.

Danny snorted. "Knowing him? About a minute and a half."

"I needed to make sure Catherine got back in time."

"And I did." Catherine smiled at Steve's concern for her making lights out, when he'd have been in equal hot water for being late. "It was a really nice dinner, too. I remember when you told me where we were going I thought it was too expensive."

"I'd saved up." Steve grinned and popped one of her french fries in his mouth. "And we were celebrating your making team captain."

"Aw, you saved up for a special date." Gabby smiled.

They both shook their heads. "It was before we got together."

Carrie snorted. "It was before you acknowledged you were a couple."

They shrugged in unison, then shared a smile.

"Anyway, Steve got us out of the elevator and back before lights out."

"And when else were you stuck in an elevator?" John asked.

"That hotel in DC." Catherine glanced at Steve and shook her head. "The Harrison House."

"Yeah..." He grinned.

"Did you break that one, too?" Danny smirked.

"Once again, I didn't break any elevators. That second one was really old."

Catherine agreed, "We joked about the phone booth in the lobby being so old if you picked up the receiver, Eleanor Roosevelt might answer. We were stuck in that one for a while, before we …"

Carrie put down her drink and grinned. "Before you what?"

"Got ourselves out …"

Steve smirked and kissed Catherine's temple. "Teamwork."

"Always."

Flashback

Washington DC

Harrison House Hotel

After checking in at the vintage hotel and practically running towards the stairs, Steve and Catherine encountered a group of movers expending a great effort pushing a piano up the steps. They hesitated maybe three seconds and made for the elevator, impatient to get to their room and celebrate the beginning of six days' mutual leave.

"C'mon …" Catherine said under her breath as she pushed the button a second time.

"Impatient, Lieutenant?" he whispered, lingering near her ear for a few long seconds and smiling when she shuddered slightly.

"To be alone with you? Always, Commander," she purred and tapped the button a third time.

Steve slid his hand from hers to wrap it around her waist. "Ya know, that doesn't make it move any faster."

When the elevator opened and they stepped inside, Steve's hand was still at her waist. She spun into him as soon as the doors closed and kissed him softly, but with intent. "Six whole days." She grinned against his lips, but pulled back slightly when he moved to deepen the kiss. "Hmm, but hold that thought a few more minutes, before we get carried away."

He groaned and rested his forehead against hers, but his mouth twitched up in a smile, "I'd rather hold y-"

THUNK

They exchanged a look when the hundred-plus-year-old elevator made a huge noise. Seconds later it jolted violently and had they not been who they were, would have knocked them off their feet.

"What the hell?" Steve glanced at the panel when the lights dimmed and the safety light blinked on.

"No way." Catherine dipped her head against his shoulder in frustration and lifted it with a sigh.

"Damn. Right now?" He lifted the contact phone, which came away in his hand, having long since been broken, if it ever worked at all. "Perfect." Steve knelt at the electrical panel and pulled out his knife. "Must be us."

"Must be the building is over a hundred years old." She bent to peer at the panel. "But we do exude a … level of electricity of our own." Her fingers ran up his back to the nape of his neck and he turned to catch her eyes.

"Don't distract me, Rollins, or are you planning to give the maintenance guys a surprise scene if and when they show up?"

Her laugh made him smile as the panel popped off and he placed it aside.

"There," Catherine pointed, "look at the 240 VACfeed wire."

"Yeah, it's got buildup." Steve used the side of the knife blade to scrape the area. "But they're gonna have to hit the breaker."

Catherine had her phone out, but tilted it at him. "No signal."

"Of course not." He shook his head and took a seat on the floor, motioning for her to join him as he reached for the emergency alarm button and jabbed it twice and then a third time.

"You know," her eyes lit with amusement, "that doesn't make them come by any faster."

"Cute, Rollins." He wrapped her in an embrace and kissed her briefly. "Just trying to expedite matters."

"Hellllo? Can you hear me?" A voice filled the elevator.

"Yes!" Steve and Catherine stood and called back and he added, "The 240 VAC wire had corrosion buildup. Can you reset the breaker?"

"I'm the manager, not maintainence, but I can give it a try!"

"Just look for a labeled switch on the panel and flip it!" Catherine said. After the man's 'okay' and ten minutes time, the car jolted back to life. Once it moved, the doors opened to a crow bar and several employees were looking down at them.

"There you are. Thank you." The manager, who was wearing a tag with, Don on his jacket offered Catherine his hand. "The car isn't lined up evenly with the floor, Miss, just watch your step."

"I'm okay. Thanks." She hopped out easily, and took first her bag, then Steve's as he passed them up before climbing out himself.

"Can we offer you dinner?" The manager looked relieved they weren't angry. "I apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for the breaker suggestion. Our maintenance man is at our other property. He's on the way back, but it won't be for another ten minutes. You really got yourselves out."

"Thank you." Catherine smiled and accepted the voucher Don was holding. "Now, if you'll excuse us …"

"Of course." He brightened at her smile. "That's good for the length of your stay."

"Thanks again." She took Steve's hand and they moved towards the staircase.

Present

"Let me guess, you never used the voucher." Danny nodded at his partner.

"Actually …" Catherine began.

"It was good for room service," Steve finished matter-of-factly, and Carrie barked a laugh.

"And there's the punchline." She raised her drink. "You never disappoint, McGarrett." She waved the others away and grabbed for the check. "We got this one. And on that note, I'm on duty at 0500. So we gotta go."

"Us, too. Cammie needs to go out soon," Catherine added, and the six friends made their way to the door.

"You know," Steve said as he entered the living room with Cammie. "We should go back to DC on one of our trips to the East Coast."

"And actually see it?" She stepped up and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him against her.

"We saw Ford's Theater." His mouth twitched in a small smirk.

"Ummhmm. Because it was walking distance."

"And the Memorials." He kissed her.

"Because … memorials."

"We ate out twice." He displayed two fingers.

"In six days." She poked his abs lightly.

"It was cold." He shrugged and gathered her closer.

She snorted. "It was fifty five and sunny."

His hands slid under her top and over her back. "We got out more than on some leaves."

"True. Because of the memorials," she acquiesced with a smile.

"Are you sayin' we wasted time on that leave, Rollins?" He began to walk her towards the stairs while fiddling with the waistband of her jeans.

"Never, ever. Just sayin' we didn't see much. As usual." She untucked his T-shirt and removed it. "But I saw all I wanted to …" She glanced down his body and back up to make her point.

"Right back at ya." They'd reached their bedroom and Steve led her to the bed. "But come to think of it," he bent to kiss her until she was breathless, "maybe I need to revisit the best parts of that trip."

She sat and pulled him down beside her, shifting until they were centered on the mattress. "In that case, let me give you a tour …"

.

# End thanks for reading

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