Notes: Huge HUGE thank you to Sammy and Mari for all the help on this one. Your support in writing and in life is absolute, and I'm grateful for it every day.
Readers and REAL McRollers – Thank you for that INCREDIBLE response to Tests. It blew me away . . . but then your support of the REAL World always does. I *will* respond individually as soon as I carve out the time, but please know how very much appreciated your support always is.
Hope you enjoy!
Extra Credit (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
Sitting at the table on the deck, Catherine put her fork down on her plate and said, "That was fantastic. You still grill a mean steak, Commander."
"Thank you," Steve said, a satisfied smile on his face.
"I'm gonna get started on the dishes," she said, reaching for his empty plate and setting it on top of her own.
Steve's phone buzzed as Catherine stood, lifting a leg over the bench. He glanced at the screen before answering the call.
"Jenna, what's up?"
He stilled suddenly at the rushed answer he received, and Catherine stopped in place seeing his body language.
"Whoa, slow down, slow down," Steve said. "He did what?" He paused to listen, then stood.
Catherine moved swiftly to the edge of the deck and called Cammie in from the yard.
"Where are you right now?" Steve asked Jenna. "Are you all okay?" He paused to listen again and stepped to the back door, holding it open for Cammie to run through. "He didn't come to the house?"
Catherine walking quickly inside with the dishes, and Steve followed, saying, "Okay, good, stay put. We'll be there in ten."
"What's going on?" Catherine asked, coming back from depositing the dishes in the kitchen as he ended the call.
Steve strided into the living room toward the door. "That asshole is threatening to terminate his parental rights."
"What?" Catherine asked in shock, settling Cammie on the floor and moving toward Steve who was grabbing his wallet and keys from the table.
"He contacted Jenna. Said if he's not gonna see his kids, he might as well not be their father."
Catherine grabbed her own wallet from the table and opened the door. "Well, the timing's obviously no coincidence," she said and stepped outside.
He locked the door behind them.
"A week after he runs into you and Cody?" she continued. They started down the path toward the driveway. "No way."
Steve tapped a contact on his phone as they walked quickly toward the truck. "Definitely not a coincidence." He put the phone to his ear. "Danny," he said when his partner answered. "Meet me and Cath at the Allens'. Everyone's okay, but there's a situation we need to address with Jason. Now."
Steve drove quickly, Catherine beside him on the phone with first Chin, then Kono. As she relayed his instructions to watch the two locations they knew Jason Allen frequently stayed with friends, Steve's thoughts turned to the previous week.
He and Cody pulled into the driveway at the Allens' house where Jenna and Catherine were waiting outside for them. At Steve's direction, Cody had texted his mother on the way that they needed to talk. The two women started toward them as Steve turned off the ignition in the truck.
"What's going on?" Jenna asked as soon as Cody and Steve opened their doors to climb out of the vehicle. Her eyes scanned her son for injuries and, seeing none, she searched his face for a clue about what had happened.
Cody paused and looked at Steve whose hands had gone to his hips.
Catherine's eyes moved between the two. "I can leave you three alone, if you want," she offered.
Cody shook his head. "No, it's okay. You don't have to go." He looked at the house. "They're inside, right? Casey and Dylan and . . ."
"Yes, they're all inside," Jenna said. "Trying to decide on a movie to watch tonight. What happened?"
"We ran into Jason," Steve said.
Jenna's face paled, and her eyes went instantly to her son, her hand reaching for his arm.
"You–" she started. Her gaze darted back and forth between the two. "What? Where?"
"Not far from Kamekona's," Steve said.
He looked from her to Catherine who folded her arms, her brow knitting in concern.
"Was he–" Jenna shook her head slowly, trying to grasp the situation. "How did he know you were . . .? Was he following us?" she asked, alarmed at the thought.
"I don't think so," Steve said, shaking his head. "He seemed genuinely surprised to see Cody."
Jenna clasped her son's arm tighter, stepping closer to him. "Are you okay? Did you have to talk to him? What did he say to you?"
"I'm okay, Mom," Cody said.
She peered closely at him, as if looking for the truth in his words.
"I am," he assured her. "He . . . he knew about the house." He shook his head angrily. "He only comes back when he wants something. Just like always." He looked over at Steve and then turned back to Jenna. "I told him we didn't need him and we didn't want him so he should just leave us alone for good."
Jenna's eyes widened, then her expression softened sadly. She touched his cheek and wrapped him in a hug.
"Oh, Cody. I'm so sorry you had to go through that."
"I'm not," he said, stepping back so he could look at her. His voice was firm. "I'm glad I saw him. I'm glad I finally got to tell him that he's not my dad."
Jenna tilted her head and sighed. "I know that couldn't have been easy."
Cody shared a look with Steve. "It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be," he said quietly.
Steve gave him a small smile and a nod.
Noticing the look that passed between the two, Jenna smiled. She glanced back at the house. "Cody, would you go check on the gang? See if they've decided on a movie?"
"Okay."
"I'll be there in a minute."
Cody nodded. He looked over and said, "Thanks, Steve . . . for everything."
Steve nodded and swallowed. "Anytime," he said sincerely.
The teen looked down for a beat with a smile on his face. He raised his head, looking at Steve and Catherine. "I'll see you later."
Steve nodded again, and Cody gave a small wave. Catherine flashed him a quick smile and raised her hand in return before refolding her arms.
Cody turned and headed for the front door. The three adults watched him disappear inside.
After the door closed, Jenna looked at Steve. "How was it? Really?"
"He was incredible," Steve said proudly. "He barely let Jason get a word in. Really laid into him." His eyes drifted toward the door. "Said a lot of things I think have been building up inside him for a while."
Jenna glanced back at the house, a look of pride coming over her own face.
"That's because of you," she said, turning back to Steve.
"I–" Steve started, shaking his head.
"No, Steve, I really think it is," Jenna insisted. "I've seen Cody grow so much in the last year. Especially the last few months. Because of you. Bonding with you. Having you as his mentor, his role model. His . . . his hero. I think you gave him the confidence . . . the strength to say what he needed to say."
Steve glanced over at Catherine who had a small, proud smile on her face. She put her hand low on his back and moved it gently in a subtle gesture of support.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Steve looked back at Jenna. "Cody said . . . something similar. And if that's true then . . . I'm really glad. Because it was amazing to see him stand up to Jason like that. But that strength . . . that was already in him."
"You gave him the courage to use it," Catherine said quietly but firmly.
Jenna nodded emphatically. "You really have."
Shifting, Steve inhaled, glancing down for a moment.
He breathed out and looked up at Jenna. "You see Jason . . . or he tries to contact you? Call me immediately. If you can't get me, call Cath or Danny . . . or Chin or Kono."
Jenna nodded. "Okay. But I doubt he will. I haven't talked to him since last summer. Haven't seen him in even longer."
"It's gonna stay that way," Steve said, his expression hard. "Cody wasn't the only one with words for Jason."
Catherine glanced at him, and they shared a quick look.
Steve turned back at Jenna.
"I made it clear he should keep his distance," he told her. "We're gonna make sure he doesn't hurt any of you again."
Catherine folded her arms and nodded decisively in agreement.
Jenna smiled gratefully. "Thanks," she said, looking at each in turn. "Both of you."
Back in the present, Steve's fingers tightened on the steering wheel, angry that he hadn't been able to keep that promise. Angry that Jason hadn't heeded his warning.
He pressed his foot harder on the accelerator, and the truck sped up in response.
Next to him, Catherine put a hand on his leg.
"This isn't your fault," she said calmly.
Steve's jaw tightened, and he gritted his teeth. "You said it yourself. This can't be a coincidence." He glanced at her. "A week after Cody and I talk to him, he pulls this?" He shook his head as his eyes went back to the road. "It's directly related."
"It's related. Absolutely," she agreed. "But it's not your fault. It's his. And we're gonna handle him."
"Oh, you bet we are," Steve said, cold determination in his voice.
Danny pulled up to the Allens' house as Steve and Catherine were getting out of the truck. Jenna came out the front door, closing it behind her.
"The kids are all inside?" Steve asked as the four met in the front yard and stood in a small circle.
"Yes, they're fine," Jenna said. "They don't know anything is going on."
Steve's hands went to his hips. "Tell us exactly what happened."
Jenna sighed, looking between the three as she spoke. "I got a call about a half hour ago. I didn't know the number so I didn't answer. Then there was a voicemail from Jason. He said he was going to go to court to voluntarily terminate his parental rights. He said since I'm not letting him be a father, he might as well not be one."
Danny balked. "Not . . . not letting him? Is he serious with that?" His waved his hands, clearly fuming. "From everything you've told us, that piece of shit was given every chance to do the right thing. But he didn't even want to arrange visitations to see the kids. How is that possibly your fault?"
Jenna shook her head in frustration. "That's Jason. It's always someone else's fault."
"Did you save the voicemail?" Steve asked.
"Yes." She passed him her phone.
Steve's face darkened as he listened to the message, then he gave the phone to Danny and Catherine so they can hear the exact wording as well.
"It's a ploy," Jenna said after Catherine handed her phone back. "He's probably worn out his welcome wherever he's currently staying and wants sympathy or something so I'll let him stay here." She folded her arms. "And that is absolutely not happening. I will never put my kids through that again."
Danny's brow furrowed in thought. "Jenna, what's the child support situation? If you don't mind me asking?"
She waved off his apologetic tone. "He's behind again," she said. "Not that he pays much."
"He mentioned your new job," Catherine said, nodding toward Jenna's phone. "Could this be an attempt to cut off his financial obligations to you and the kids?"
Jenna sighed. "Yeah. It definitely could be." She shook her head. "Really I should be surprised it took him this long to try it."
"Well, he's not getting off that easy," Danny said decidedly. "That man is no father, but I'll be damned if he's going to get out of paying child support."
Steve nodded curtly in agreement.
"In fact," Danny continued, pulling out his phone. "I'm gonna call my lawyer right now and see what he thinks." He looked at Jenna. "Do you mind if I give him some of the details?"
"No, not at all," she said. "Thank you."
Danny stepped aside to make the call, while Jenna, Steve, and Catherine continued to talk.
"I've done some more digging into his employment history," Catherine said. "It's pretty intermittent, as I imagine you already know."
Jenna nodded.
"I went by the restaurant where he claimed he had a job interview," Steve said and folded his arms. "All I did was say his name and it was clear they had no intention of hiring him. Apparently the cousin of someone who works there washing dishes is a friend of Jason's and told him they were looking for help. But he showed up 20 minutes late for the interview. Couldn't provide any references. Manager said he just seemed uninterested and unreliable."
Jenna sighed. "That about sums him up. I always thought it was something he'd grow out of, you know?" She pulled her arms tighter around herself. "Wishful thinking."
Catherine rubbed her arm sympathetically.
Danny rejoined them. "Barry said the court isn't likely to grant Jason's petition . . . if he even makes it. He said the court won't want to terminate a parent's financial responsibilities without good cause, even if Jenna said it's what she wants."
"Not having a job is going to make child support payments tough," Catherine said, her hands on her hips. "They can withhold money from unemployment benefits, provided he's applied for them, but . . ." Her voice trailed off, and she twisted her lips in thought.
"What are you thinking?" Steve asked.
"I'm thinking everyone's better off if he's working."
"You think we should find him a job?" Danny asked, incredulous.
"That's exactly what I think," Catherine said seriously.
"A job where we know exactly where he is and what he's doing," Steve agreed.
Danny nodded slowly in understanding. "CSEA sends an order to the employer to have child support withheld from his paycheck," he said, referring to the Child Support Enforcement Agency. He looked at the other three. "Any ideas on a job?
"Yeah, actually," Steve said. "I'll make a call." He pulled out his phone, but stopped when he saw Cody looking out the window at them. He re-pocketed his phone and nodded toward the teen. "Cody knows something's up."
Jenna glanced over and saw him. "Yeah," she said. "I . . ." She sighed, looking back at them. "Part of me wants to shield him from this. Even after what happened last week, I . . . I don't want him to know Jason actually threatened to do this. But at the same time I . . ."
"You don't want to lie to him either," Steve finished for her.
"No, I don't." She paused, looking at Steve. "What do you think?"
"I think you should tell him," Steve said with a small nod. "He can handle it."
Jenna sighed again, closing her eyes briefly. "I know he can." She shook her head and opened her eyes. "I just don't want him to have to."
Steve nodded. "I understand that. And it's your call. But I still think you should tell him."
Jenna paused, and Steve held her gaze. Finally, she turned toward the house and motioned for Cody to come outside.
The teen disappeared quickly from the window and came out to join them.
"What's going on?" he asked, looking between the four adults.
Jenna glanced at the others, and Steve gave her an encouraging nod.
She turned to face Cody more fully. "Your father left me a message," she said.
Cody swallowed, and his eyes narrowed.
"What did he say?"
"That he wants to go to court to terminate his parental rights."
"Wh–" Cody started, looking first at her and then at the others. "What does that–"
"We think it's probably an attempt to get out of his financial responsibilities," Jenna said.
Cody shook his head. "What does that mean?"
"You know he pays child support."
"Barely," Cody said, his lip curling slightly.
Jenna gave a small nod of acknowledgement. "It's possible . . . in fact it's likely that he wants to stop paying at all. You know he's never been able to keep a job for long."
Cody paused, his brow knitting as he took in the news.
"Is this . . . is this because of what happened last week?" he asked, looking between Jenna and Steve. "What I said to him?"
Steve swallowed thickly, and Catherine touched his hand briefly.
"No," Jenna said firmly. "This is because he has no sense of responsibility. Okay? This is the kind of man he is."
"Which is no kind of man at all," Catherine said.
Steve and Danny nodded their agreement, both men's expressions hard.
"The confrontation you and Steve had with him might have gotten him thinking about it," Jenna continued. "But it's not your fault. It's just Jason trying to get out of doing anything for us."
"So let him," Cody said angrily. "We don't need him."
Steve spoke quietly, his expression softened. "That's not fair to your mom, Cody. Jason should be paying child support. That shouldn't all be on her. Letting him do this would be like giving him a free pass."
"And he definitely doesn't deserve that," Danny said emphatically.
Cody looked between them and his mother. "But if he . . . if he keeps paying child support . . . will we . . . will we have to see him?"
"No," Jenna said immediately.
"Absolutely not," Steve assured him. "That's not happening. We're just gonna make sure he pays what he should."
"Along with every single dollar he's ever missed," Danny added.
Cody nodded slowly and swallowed. He glanced at the house, then looked at Jenna. "Are you going to tell the others?" he asked quietly.
"I–" she started.
"Don't," he cut in, his expression serious and sure in a way that can only come from experience. "Don't tell them. Not now." A momentary flash of hurt filled his eyes, his gaze downcast. "Not till they're older."
Jenna paused, licking her lips and regarding him with a mixture of pride and sadness. She nodded her agreement.
Steve took a step toward him and put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll take care of it, Cody," he said.
Cody looked up at him, his words steady as he voiced his complete confidence in Steve.
"I know you will." Straightening, he nodded toward the house. "And I'll take care of my brothers and sisters."
Squeezing his shoulder, Steve nodded and purposely echoed his words.
"I know you will."
The next day, Steve and Danny sat in the Camaro down the block from a rundown duplex where Jason Allen had been known to crash.
"Any sign of him?" Steve asked, directing his voice toward his phone on the dashboard.
"Not yet," Catherine's voice came over the speaker. "Kono and I have been here about an hour. A couple people have gone in and out of the house, but no Jason."
"Okay, stay there," Steve said, his eyes scanning the street as he spoke. "Chin is running down other possible locations as we speak."
"Copy that."
Steve ended the call and glanced at his partner. Danny was drumming his fingers on the door, clenching and unclenching his other hand by his leg.
"You okay?" Steve asked, his eyes going back to the street.
"Me?" Danny said in an exaggerated voice. "Oh, I'm grand. Just waiting to get my hands on that pigliainculo who makes other deadbeat dads look good by comparison. How anyone could . . ." His voice cut off angrily, and he shook his head in disgust.
"Pigliainculo," Steve repeated, one eyebrow cocked. "Haven't heard that one before."
"Trust me," Danny spat. "It describes Jason Allen perfectly."
Steve's eyes narrowed, and he straightened in his seat. "Well, you're gonna get your chance at him." He nodded at a figure crossing the street half a block in front of them.
"That's him?"
"That's him."
Danny gripped the door handle, though he didn't open the door yet.
"Wait till he gets a little closer," Steve said.
"You think he's gonna run?"
"I think he's gonna run."
Without taking his eyes from the approaching man, Steve slid his phone into his pocket and prepared to exit the car.
"Now?" Danny asked, clearly itching to go.
Steve waited another twenty seconds, then said, "Now."
They got out of the car simultaneously and started forward.
As soon as Jason recognized Steve, he froze. Two heartbeats later, he turned and ran in the other direction.
Danny rolled his eyes. "Like I said. Pigliainculo."
He took off in pursuit.
"When you're right, you're right," Steve muttered and quickly followed, peeling away from Danny to try and cut Jason off by running down the alley between two houses and doubling back.
Danny caught up with Jason when the other man hesitated at the corner, trying to decide which way to go. Grabbing Jason's t-shirt, Danny spun him into the chain link fence in front of the corner house. Jason lost his balance when he hit the fence and fell to the ground. He rolled to his stomach to push himself up, but Danny was already on top of him, pressing a knee into his back to keep him down.
"Ah ah ah, you're not going anywhere."
Jason struggled to dislodge him. Steve ran up from the other direction, slowing as he reached them.
"What are you doing?" Jason demanded, craning his neck to try and look at Danny. He bucked, but to no avail. Turning his head toward Steve, he said, "Get this guy off me!"
"Oh, I don't think so, Jason," Steve said coolly. "We need to talk."
"I got nothin' to say to you."
"Well, I've got plenty to say to you. And so does my partner. He's the one with his kneecap on your spine right now, by the way."
Jason squirmed beneath Danny's weight, which only caused Danny to push down harder.
"Hey, man," Jason said, squinting into the sun as he tried to look at Steve. "I was just trying to do like you said. Be done with Jenna and the kids."
"Oh no," Danny said in disgust. "You were acting like the selfish bastard you are."
He ground his knee down harder, and Jason groaned in pain.
"You remember how I said things would get bad for you if you came around Jenna or the kids again?" Steve asked.
Jason blinked at him.
"Well . . ." Steve nodded toward Danny. "Now you've met 'bad.' "
Danny stood abruptly, grabbing Jason by the t-shirt and yanking him roughly to his feet.
"Let's go," Danny said, taking one of his arms and jerking him in the direction of the Camaro.
"What are you–"
Steve grabbed his other arm.
"We're taking a little ride."
"What are we doing here?" Jason asked as Danny and Steve marched him down the docks at Honolulu Harbor.
"As much as I'd like to put you on a ship and say 'Good riddance,' " Danny began. "You're not getting off that easy."
A well-built man in his early fifties approached the trio, calling out, "Commander, this him?"
"Hey, Nick," Steve said. He stopped walking but kept hold of one of Jason's arms. "Yeah, this is him."
Nick looked Jason up and down. "Pretty scrawny."
"I'm sure a little back-breaking work will put muscles on him in no time."
Nick laughed heartily at that.
Jason looked between them.
"What the hell is going on?" he demanded.
Steve nodded toward Nick. "Meet your new boss. Nick Wilson. Owner of Wilson Freight Services. Nick, this is Jason Allen."
"Pigliainculo," Danny supplied from Jason's other side.
Nick snorted, and Danny looked surprised.
"I got family in Bloomfield," Nick said by way of explanation.
Danny nodded, recognizing the city in New Jersey.
"Sorry, Nick," Steve said. "This is my partner, Detective Danny Williams." He motioned between the two men, still holding one of Jason's arms with his other hand. "Danny, Nick Wilson. Nick's a former cop. Hires a lot of ex-cons to work for him."
"For a lot of guys, it's a second chance," Nick said. "But it doesn't always work out, so I'm always looking for more help."
"And now he's hired Jason," Steve said.
Jason balked. "I'm not a con–"
Danny cut him off sharply. "In my book, you are."
"Thanks for doing this, Nick," Steve said.
"No problem," the older man said. "I got a couple other guys I keep on to make sure they pay their child support."
"Wait," Jason said. "What are you talking about? Child sup–"
"Do you seriously not get it?" Danny asked, his lip curled in disgust. His hand tightened on Jason's arm. "You're working here now."
"Nick's already received the Order to Withhold Income," Steve said, and Nick nodded. "So Jenna and the kids will get exactly what they're owed."
"You're gonna drop this threat to terminate your parental rights," Danny said. "You're no parent, but you're not gonna shirk your financial responsibilities ever again."
"You can't make me do this," Jason insisted.
Steve shrugged. "Technically, no."
"But you're gonna do it," Danny said. "You're gonna show up every day to work, and the bulk of your paycheck . . . well, you'll never see it, but it'll go exactly where it belongs."
"Take the job and be grateful you still have all your teeth," Steve said and roughly released his grip on Jason.
"Forget your teeth," Danny said, also releasing his hold and pushing Jason toward Nick. "Be grateful you can still walk." He brushed his hands off as if trying to rid them of any traces of Jason Allen. He stopped and looked at him with an ominous smile. "But of course that can change any minute."
Steve and Danny turned away and started back up the docks. Danny stopped and walked back. He handed Nick a card, then looked at Jason coldly.
"That's my number, and I'm sure he's got Steve's. You don't show up for work, he'll call us, and we'll drag your ass out of wherever the hell it is so fast your head will spin."
He stepped close to Jason, standing nose-to-nose. When he spoke, his voice was full of conviction.
"You can never make up for what you did, and clearly you're incapable of doing right on your own. So this is as close as you can get, and you'll do it, or there will be a line of people waiting to tear you up." He nodded toward Steve. "Starting with the two of us."
"Make that three," Nick said, his voice low and firm.
Danny nodded to him. With a final hard stare at Jason, he turned and walked up the dock.
Steve remained in his spot, his eyes on Jason, staring him down until the other man looked away.
Nodding to Nick, Steve turned and followed his partner back to the Camaro.
Steve opened their front door, and Catherine preceded him into the house. He had met her at the Allens' to update Jenna and Cody on the situation with Jason in person. While there, he'd received word from Nick that Jason had started work. Not without grumbling, but a few looks from his shadier co-workers had shut him up fast.
Catherine knelt to greet Cammie as Steve dropped his keys on the table and locked the door, his posture finally relaxed after the tension of the last day and a half.
Standing, Catherine placed a hand on his back, and Steve quickly greeted Cammie himself before dropping to the sofa heavily.
He slid over so Catherine could sit beside him. She ran her hand slowly up and down his back.
"How are you doing?" she asked.
He closed his eyes briefly, tilting his head to the side to rest it against hers.
"I'm fine," he said. "Just hoping Jason got the message this time."
She reached over for his hand, the other remaining on his back.
"I think a run-in with you and Danny will finally get the point across," she said. "But if he steps out of line again, we'll be there."
"Yes, we will," Steve said definitively.
"You think Danny's okay?"
"Yeah, he wanted to be home with Grace, you know?"
"Understandable," she said. "Especially after today."
He nodded and put his other hand on top of their joined ones.
"It's good they have him," he said. "As an example of what a father should be."
She nodded and said, "And it's good they have you."
He glanced at her.
"Not a father, I know," she continued. "But you can't deny you're a father-figure. Especially to Cody."
He swallowed thickly, his gaze dropping to the floor.
"And the younger kids . . ." she said. "They have Cody. Even at sixteen he's a strong male presence in their lives."
Steve nodded at that.
Catherine squeezed his hand. "Made even stronger because of your impact on him."
His eyes stayed down at first, then he gave her a small smile.
She smiled back and, after a moment, said, "Most importantly, they've got Jenna. Who will always be there for them."
He nodded, and she leaned forward, resting her chin over his shoulder.
"And we'll be there for them and for her," she said.
"Yes, we will," Steve said quietly, but with absolute conviction.
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