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Mystery is Overrated (1/1)
Five-0 Headquarters
Friday 2:00 P.M.
Steve was sitting at his desk in his office attempting, not very successfully, to catch up on all the paperwork that had accumulated during a very busy week. He looked up when Danny poked his head in the office, grateful for the interruption. "What's up?"
"You got your invitation to Frank Kaewa's daughter's wedding, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I'm headed over to his office for a meeting in a few minutes and he asked me if I could bring the names of all our plus ones. Apparently the father of the groom is some bigwig in the Department of Defense and they want to vet all the guests beforehand."
Steve looked at his partner quizzically.
"What?" Danny came the rest of the way into the office. "I mean I figure you and Catherine are each other's plus one … I mean of course you are … but I guess they just want a formal list … though why they think they need to vet the list escapes me. I somehow doubt the daughter of the Prosecuting Attorney is going to invite a lot of lowlifes to her wedding.
Steve settled back as he could sense Danny was headed for full rant mode.
"In fact it's a little insulting if you think about it. What do they think? I'm gonna bring some hooker with underworld connections as my date? I mean back in Jersey that kind of thing isn't exactly unheard of but … " he trailed off when saw the smile on Steve's face. "You know what? Never mind. I'm just gonna give them Catherine's name as your plus one."
"I don't have a plus one," Steve said matter-of-factly.
"What do you mean? Catherine isn't gonna go to the wedding?"
"Of course she's going," Steve scoffed. "She's been looking forward to it. She helped Lexi Kaewa get her first internship out of college."
"But she's not your plus one?" Danny's eyebrows knit together in confusion.
"I told you I don't have a plus one," Steve shrugged. "The invitation came in both our names."
"Reallllllly?" Danny drew out the word. "That's very interesting." His eyes lit up and he was clearly delighted by both the news and the chance to tease his best friend. "You know what that means, don't you?"
"No," Steve sighed. "But I suppose you're going to tell me."
"I am indeed," Danny chucked. "It means you've given up the last bit of mystery about you and you've entered the land of couples invitations." He leaned against the glass wall to Steve's office and grinned. "You're in a whole new neighborhood now, my friend. People look at you differently."
Steve leaned back and laced his hands behind his head. He didn't really have time for a break if he wanted to get home at a decent time but he couldn't resist hearing Danny's theory. "How so?"
"You're part of a twosome now. You're no longer Steve you're half of SteveandCatherine. One word."
"I've been part of a twosome for a very long time," Steve pointed out.
"True … but you refused to admit it for a long time. This means … well … it's official now. It's acknowledged by the people who … you know … send you invitations to stuff."
"And that's bad?"
"No, it's not bad exactly … " Danny dug for the right words to make his point. "It's just that … all the guesswork is gone now. No more waiting to see who you'll bring to an event. What she'll be like. Where she'll be from."
"If she's a hooker with underworld connections?" Steve grinned.
"I'm being serious." Danny's hands went to his hips. "There's no mystery to you anymore."
Steve grinned. "There was never any mystery to me."
"That's what you think."
"Do you really believe people who sent me invitations with plus ones were waiting to see who I'd bring as a date?"
"Oh they were," Danny nodded adamantly. "I can practically guarantee it."
Steve rolled his eyes. "Well I doubt that's true but if it is they'll have to find their entertainment elsewhere."
"You know what else," Danny shook his head ruefully. "Your days on Oahu's Most Eligible Bachelor list will probably be the next thing to go."
"Let's hope so."
"Alright you're no fun today," Danny said as he pushed off the wall and prepared to leave. "I wish I could stay here all afternoon explaining things to you but I have an appointment to get to. I'll be over at the PA's office for the next hour or so if you need me."
"Got it." Steve turned his attention back to his paperwork as Danny headed out. But he found himself unable to concentrate as his partner's words played over in his head.
He thought about his early days on the island, before Catherine arrived and before anyone really knew him very well. There were seemingly endless invitations to dinner parties and charity events. It was part of his job. The Governor expected him to meet and mingle as a way to help gain support for the new task force.
And there was always the inevitable question from the event hostess. 'Will you be bringing someone?'
He remembered the looks they always got on their faces when he told them he'd be attending alone.
Sometimes it was a barely concealed glee at the chance to play matchmaker and fix him up with a friend or colleague they thought he might click with.
Sometimes it was a look of … not quite pity but something close to it. They'd shake their head and assure him he'd be placed at a table full of interesting people so he wouldn't be alone the whole night.
Steve wasn't sure which reaction was worse.
He'd spent more than a few nights making small talk with a perfectly nice woman until he felt he'd put in as much of an appearance as necessary then excusing himself and heading home alone. He guessed maybe that had given him a bit of an air of mystery in those days.
He often had to fend off next day phone calls from the hostess of the event inquiring as to whether he liked the partner he'd been paired with for the night and if he was planning to maybe ask her out for a more private date.
Luckily all of that changed when Catherine arrived on the island full-time. Even before she moved into the beach house it became clear she would always be his date for those kinds of events. They were never flashy or showy about their relationship. They didn't go around town talking about it or engaging in overt PDAs. But it was clear to anyone paying attention the two of them were very much together and very much in love.
He tried to remember the last time a well-meaning hostess had attempted to fix him up. It'd been awhile and that made him smile. The life that he and Catherine were building, their ever-expanding family, their deepening ties to the community … Steve felt it all so powerfully inside that he hoped it showed on his outside. He hoped people could see how truly happy he was.
He turned his head to the side and his eyes landed on a picture of his father. He was in uniform, smiling broadly for the camera, but Steve couldn't help but wonder if John was ever truly as happy as he was now.
Doris kept so many secrets from her husband and children. And Steve knew first-hand the devastation those secrets could cause. He wondered if his father had some sort of hint Doris wasn't being completely honest and if it affected their relationship.
"Can you believe it, Dad," he said softly. "Me … in a healthy relationship, happier than I ever thought a person could be, making a life for myself here with Catherine. I bet you never thought I'd end up like this."
Steve's mind went back to his father's comments after meeting Catherine, about how special she is, and he smiled softly.
As if his father was sending him a sign Catherine entered his office. "I'm back from HPD," she smiled brightly. "All my paperwork is done and I'm ready for the weekend."
"Wish I could say the same," he sighed. He took one last glance at the picture then turned his attention to Catherine.
"Anything I can help with?"
"You don't have to do that," he said. "I'm the one that let it get so far behind."
"You've had a busy week," she shrugged. "Let me give you a hand. If we do it together we'll get out of here faster and maybe we can put up the new Halloween decorations. Plus we need to start finalizing some plans for Thanksgiving."
Steve beamed. He couldn't think of anything he'd rather spend the weekend doing.
"Thanks, Cath." He handed her half of the files. "I appreciate it."
"Together all the way," she grinned as she took the files and placed them on the coffee table before settling herself on the couch to get to work.
He looked back to the picture of his father. 'Or maybe you believed it all along,' he thought to himself and smiled.
He turned back and dug into the paperwork. He was eager to get home and get on not only with the weekend but with the rest of their lives together.
THE END
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