OK I thought the last one got unexpectedly long and then this one got even longer. YIKES.

I feel like I've spent more time editing this than I did editing my thesis. At this point I'm not sure if I'm making it better or worse so I'm just gonna stop.

Moments in Time (1/1)

Catherine Rollins jogged along the beach, earbuds firmly in place, working up a good sweat as thoughts of her CO's early morning phone call ran through her head.

"You have to make a decision, Lieutenant. Sooner rather than later. We may be looking at another deployment. If you're leaving, you need to let your team get your replacement trained up."

She had confided to him the previous month that she was considering resigning her commission. Though if she was being honest, she'd have to admit the possibility had been on her mind a lot longer.

The Navy way of life was all she'd ever known. The longest she ever lived in one place was the four years she spent in Annapolis. She'd always been aware there were people in the world who put down roots, but for most of her life she didn't think she'd be one of those people.

Place to place, one assignment after another, new people, new experiences, then off to the next destination. It was a lifestyle that suited her perfectly.

Until one day when it didn't anymore.

It hit her on a run very similar to the one she was taking now, and had taken hundreds of times in the past, that she had been in the Navy for literally half her life. Maybe it was her mother's never ending questions about the future that got the ball rolling. She couldn't be sure. But suddenly, and for the first time, she was thinking seriously about a life outside the military.

Not that she was unhappy with her current position. She wasn't. Not even dissatisfied really. There was just something….some rising discontent.

She wasn't running away from the Navy so much as she was running towards the rest of her life.

She had always known the time to make this decision would come. It came eventually for every military person. Whether or not to leave the Navy was a personal choice. One she had to make alone. But she couldn't pretend it wouldn't affect other people.

Most notably Steve.

She'd long since come to terms with the fact that she was in love with a complicated man. That was fine, since she wasn't exactly a simple girl herself. Before being assigned permanently to Pearl, there'd always been some small part of her that was afraid that maybe the magic of their relationship lay in how infrequently they saw each other.

'Absence makes the heart grow fonder' while 'familiarity breeds contempt'. Clichés only become clichés if they stand the test of time.

When Steve settled down in Hawaii everything in both their lives changed. At first she'd tried to pretend it wouldn't, but deep down she knew that wasn't true. How could it be?

The entire time they'd known each other, through their whole relationship, they were both in almost constant motion. Separations were a way of life. Phone calls and stolen moments. But now he was staying in one place and she was the only one leaving.

She knew he loved her even then. Still her biggest fear had been that this would be the excuse he would use to push her away. The old "our lives are in different places now" story. Every time she left she had a fear in the pit of her stomach that this would be the time he wouldn't call.

But he did call. Always. He flew to far flung locations on a whim when she managed to get a few days off. He encouraged her to come to Hawaii whenever she could get away. He arranged to do his reserve duty on the Enterprise just because he felt bad about their Valentine's weekend going up in smoke. When she needed to hear his voice, either because a mission had been especially tough or she just missed him, he never failed to take her call, even in the middle of the night.

But with every visit she saw changes in him. He was settling down, building a life in Hawaii, with his job and his friends. He was putting down roots.

She wanted to be a part of that.

When she was assigned to Pearl on a permanent basis (although permanent didn't mean the same thing in the Navy it meant in civilian life and they were both keenly aware another deployment could come at any time) she got a chance to see that life close up. She'd been happy, and more than a little excited, to see how eager Steve was to incorporate her into it.

When he first suggested she start leaving clothes at his place so she wouldn't have to go home in the morning to change before work, she didn't hesitate. She spent most nights there anyway so it only made sense. Gradually, and always at his suggestion, she began moving more things in. Not that she had a lot of things. Years of Navy life had taught her to travel light. More things only meant more things to move.

One day she was sitting on the beach behind the house, catching up on emails from her family, when a dog she had never seen before charged towards her chair, an older woman in hot pursuit carrying a leash and collar. Catherine was pretty sure she recognized the woman as Steve's next door neighbor.

"He won't bite," the woman assured her as the dog jumped excitedly towards Catherine. "He saw you sitting over here and slipped his collar to come over and say 'hello'. This is Rex. He's a bit of a flirt."

"Well hello, Rex," Catherine smiled as she ruffled the dog's fur playfully. "I'm Catherine," she said, extending her hand towards the woman.

"Rita," the older woman said, shaking Catherine's hand before slipping the collar around Rex's neck. "Pardon my manners. We live next door. I meant to come over and introduce myself when I realized you'd moved in but then I got busy and..well..you know how things go."

"Don't worry about it," Catherine assured her.

"Well, I have to get this one to the park to burn off some of that energy," Rita laughed. "It was nice meeting you."

"You too."

"Welcome to the neighborhood," Rita called over her shoulder as she and Rex disappeared back around the corner of their house.

At that moment it all became very real to Catherine. She and Steve were actually living together. Had been for a while now. The best part was that none of her fears about what might happen if they were ever together full time had come to pass. In fact, quite the opposite.

Every bit of the magic was still there. She was happier than she'd ever been in her life. Her stomach still did a little flip every time she heard his truck door slam in the driveway. His touch still set her on fire, except now she felt love and commitment there in addition to lust and passion.

But it was more than that. They were not only physically living together, they were building a life together. Willingly, and in fact joyfully, becoming totally enmeshed in each other's lives.

The thought of another deployment made her want to throw up.

There was no question in her mind Steve would support her decision to leave the Navy. He would support whatever she chose to do in civilian life as well. Including working for Billy Harrington, if that was what she wanted.

Because he loved her. But that wasn't the only issue at play here. As happy as they were, they'd never discussed any future plans. If she was going to leave the Navy, and she was pretty sure she was, they were going to have to talk about what that meant for them going forward.

She knew what she wanted. She loved him and was committed to him long term. She wasn't the kind of girl to throw away her own goals and desires just to please a man. She most definitely was the kind of girl, she'd come to realize, willing to make compromises and prioritize her relationship above so much of the white noise that too often got in the way.

Billy's job offer would have been the perfect way to get the conversation rolling if it had come from someone else. On paper the job was perfect for her. But she knew Billy wanted to rekindle their relationship. That was an added complication.

Her phone buzzed just as she turned the corner towards home. 'Speak of the devil,' she thought as she answered the call.

"Catherine Rollins."

"Hi, Cath. It's Billy."

"What's up, Billy?"

"Yeah…well….something just happened and I wanted to make sure you hear about it from me first."

"What did you do," Catherine questioned, not liking the tone in his voice.

"I kind of stuck my foot in my mouth."

"What are you talking about, Billy?"

"I went by 5-0 Headquarters to talk to Steve. I wanted to make sure he understood why I offered you the job and that I wasn't trying to get in the middle of anything."

Catherine rolled her eyes. She should have seen this coming. If there was one person in the world who could rival Steve in terms of being competitive, it was Billy. She should have known he wouldn't take no for an answer quite so easily.

"What? I told you no so you thought you'd go plead your case with Steve? Hope he would order me to take the job?"

"That's not what I was doing, Catherine. I didn't realize you hadn't told him about my job offer….or even about leaving the Navy." She could picture the triumphant look on Billy's face. He clearly thought he'd discovered a crack in her relationship with Steve.

"I haven't actually made the final decision yet, Billy."

"I really hope I didn't make trouble for you. I'm sorry I opened my mouth."

She was pretty sure he wasn't sorry at all. "It's fine, Billy. I'll take care of it."

"All I did was tell Steve the truth. That I think the reason you turned down the job is because you're worried that you working with me will cause problems with him."

"Why I turned down the job is really not an issue you need to get involved in."

"Maybe not, but I think it was a mistake. By the way Steve does too. I won't apologize for pursuing you for this, Catherine. I plan on making this agency a success, which means I need all the best people. That means you."

"My decision hasn't changed, Billy, but thanks for the heads up."

"We'll see. Talk to Steve."

"Goodbye, Billy."

"Goodbye, Catherine. Talk to you soon."

Catherine disconnected the call and slipped her phone back in her pocket.

'Well, I guess that talk about the future just shot to the top of the To Do list,' she thought as she headed for home.

Steve stood at the smart table watching video of Ranger Harper, both at the airport and in the bank holdup. He wondered what could have made a good officer go so bad. He also wondered if the Ranger's business in Hawaii was finished.

Even with a new case to occupy his thoughts, his mind kept drifting back to his conversation with Billy. He had been surprised to see his old teammate waiting to talk to him. They hadn't seen or spoken to each other in years.

Steve had always liked Billy. He was a bit of a pretty boy, and sometimes Steve thought, a bit of a glory hound, but he was a good guy and a good soldier. Of course he was also Catherine's ex-boyfriend. The two of them had had a relationship during a time when Steve and Catherine were broken up.

Steve didn't like it, but of course she had dated other people during their breakup. He'd done the same. He just hadn't expected it to hurt so much when he heard through the grapevine she was dating Harrington. The fact that it did was a new experience for him. He'd never had a problem leaving relationships behind in the past. Which in retrospect probably should have been his first clue that his relationship with Catherine was something different.

He kept his distance when he knew she was with Billy. They'd run into each other a few times, exchanged a few emails, but Steve was determined not to be *that* guy. The one who gets in the middle of an ex's relationship. It wasn't like he could offer Catherine anything permanent anyway.

Then one night their paths crossed in a little bar in Bangkok. The first thing he noticed was that she was there by herself. When he asked about Billy, Catherine smiled ruefully and said their relationship was over. As Steve ordered them another round he tried hard to hide his smile. A few drinks later he got up the nerve to ask her why the relationship with Billy had ended.

"That's easy," she'd whispered, her tongue loosened by the alcohol. "He wasn't you."

They spent the rest of their three day leave in a hotel room, getting reacquainted, and Steve knew he was never going to want another woman.

He wondered why she hadn't told him she was thinking of leaving the Navy. It's not that he was shocked by the possibility. Just shocked that he heard it from Billy first.

Things had changed dramatically for he and Catherine over the last 18 months. They'd gotten used to living together, being together on a day-to-day basis. Before her assignment to Pearl, their relationship had always been about stolen moments and long weekends. They were lucky if they ever spent a full month in each other's direct orbit. They both knew not to get too comfortable. It could all change in an instant.

If Steve was being honest he would have to admit that as happy as he was when he found out Catherine would be in Hawaii on a permanent basis, he was nervous too. In the past, every day had been exciting because their time together was so limited. They never took time out to deal with mundane details. Those things could be taken care of when they were alone again and there were empty hours to fill. He wondered if things would be the same for them when they were spending so much more time together?

Pretty quickly after her transfer to Pearl he found himself suggesting she leave stuff at his place so she didn't have to go home in the morning and change. Then more things so that if they wanted to go out she wouldn't need to go home to get an appropriate dress. Finally he just suggested she move everything in.

Any concerns he had about what it would be like being together full-time were quickly dispelled. He couldn't wait to get home when he knew she was there waiting. Sleeping next to her provided a peace he had never experienced before. Waking up and seeing her sleeping beside him still made his heart skip a beat. He used to tease her about how much better things would be if they were together full time and had endless hours to spend making love. He had found, to his great delight, that that part of their relationship was only getting better the more time they spent together. Her touch still affected him in ways no other woman's had ever come close to.

He didn't know when it exactly it happened, when she became more than just his live-in girlfriend, but he remembers the exact night he realized it had.

The team had finally wrapped a long, tedious case, after chasing dozens of false leads and going down countless rabbit holes. Steve hadn't made it home before midnight all week. Then he was up and out the door at the crack of dawn the next day.

Catherine didn't complain. In fact, she'd done everything she could to help make the week more bearable. There was a plate in the frig every night, his favorite energy bars on the counter every morning, and when he reached for her after falling into bed, too tired to talk but needing the physical comfort only making love to her could provide, she came willingly into his arms .

They hadn't really talked all week and he was missing her company. When Danny suggested they all go to Sidestreet for dinner and a few beers, he begged off. He told his partner he was going home. Danny gave him a knowing look and made a whip snapping sound but Steve just smiled and headed home to Catherine.

When he arrived she was dressed in shorts and a ripped t-shirt. Her laundry day outfit she called it. She was in the living room, on a step ladder, struggling to get a curtain panel back on the rod. She told him that since she was doing laundry anyway she decided it would be a good day to wash the curtains. As usual, they came down a lot easier than they went back up.

He teased her about not being good at "woman's work" and she threatened to take a picture of him hanging drapes and send it to Danny.

Right in the middle of all that….it hit him.

Like a ton of bricks.

He wasn't living with his girlfriend. It much more than that. He was building a life with the woman he loved.

Then a month or so ago she was put on notice she might be facing another deployment. He could tell by the look on her face the idea terrified her. He tried not to let her see it terrified him too. They had always dealt with separations well in the past. It was part of the life. But they'd gone so long without one. He wasn't sure how they'd handle it now.

He wondered if her not telling him about possibly leaving the Navy had to do with her fear of his reaction. He really hoped not. But he decided he was going to find out sooner rather than later.

He pulled out his phone and dialed her number.

Catherine was halfway through stripping down to get in the shower when her phone buzzed, this time showing Steve's face on the screen.

"Hi," she said, picking up the phone as she tossed her sweaty running clothes into the hamper.

"Hi, yourself. Are you busy?"

"Not really. I just got back from a run and I'm ready to jump in the shower."

"Any chance you can stop by the office for a few minutes?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"Nothing to worry about. We can talk about when you get here."

"Ok. Give me a few minutes to get a shower and I'll be right there."

'That didn't take long,' she thought.

If Catherine was a weaker woman, or less secure in Steve's feelings for her, she would most likely be curled up under the desk sobbing. Or at Sidestreet halfway to eating the worm at the bottom of a bottle of tequila.

She was fully prepared to sit Steve down and talk about leaving the Navy, and what that would mean for their relationship. She even planned on telling him about the job offer from Billy. However, she pictured it happening in the privacy of their home. Where they could relax. Maybe over a bottle of wine. And most importantly, with no interruptions.

That was before Billy forced her hand by going directly to Steve about the job offer. She wasn't surprised to hear that Steve thought she should take the job. It was a great opportunity and he always wanted what was best for her. She was surprised, however, that Billy had gotten Steve to agree to try to convince her to take the job. She could only assume Billy must have appealed to Steve's competitive nature.

Normally she loved his competitive nature. How he used it as fuel . One of the big differences between Steve and Billy was that Steve pushed himself in an effort to get better. Sure he enjoyed winning, she did too. But that wasn't his main motivation. He wanted to bring out the best in himself and everyone around him.

Billy wanted to win to have another trophy for his case.

In the early days of their relationship, Catherine told Steve she had read a study that said women have half the number of orgasms men have. Steve took that as personal challenge. It lead to him create the McGarrett Orgasm Rule. One for me-two for you.

Why would she want to squash his competitive nature? Sometimes it really worked in her favor.

5-0 HQ was most definitely not the place to have a substantive discussion. Steve could rarely go five minutes without some kind of interruption. She decided going in that she would simply explain why she hadn't mentioned leaving the Navy and suggest they discuss it later at home.

What she didn't expect was that Steve seemed…well eager was definitely too strong a word…but determined, at least, to have the conversation about their relationship. She just wasn't sure this was the place to open that particular can of worms.

But there was something in the look on his face, the way he claimed the job with Billy was perfect for her, the way he insisted to know why she turned it down, that made Catherine forget about where they were, and how this wasn't a discussion that should be taking place in his office, and just tell him the truth.

"Because I'm really happy right now. I mean…things between us are good. And I don't want a job…even if it's the perfect job…to get in the way of that."

She could see him gathering his thoughts; thinking about the exact words he wanted to say.

Then Chin interrupted.

And she was left hanging.

Out on the end of the limb holding a saw in her hand.

If this had been a cartoon she would have been about to make a Catherine shaped hole in the ground.

It wasn't his fault. He had a job to do.

He fell back on the old familiar; a joke about how he would miss seeing her in her cammies, and then out the door he went.

Now here she stood—can open; worms all over the floor.

Steve watched Catherine take her place in front of the 'Brats' dugout along the third base line. Up to this point he had managed to avoid finishing their conversation from his office the previous day. It wasn't that he didn't want to finish. He did. Very much as a matter of fact. It's just that he had never gotten to this point in a relationship before and he wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to say.

He wasn't a flower-y words guy and he was never going to be. Catherine knew that. Truth be told she wasn't a flower-y words girl either. If he started talking to her about feelings and dreams she would probably think he'd taken a blow to the head.

When he finally made it home after the rescue of Ranger Harper's daughter he was exhausted. He stripped down, took a shower and fell straight into bed. He was grateful when Catherine simply laid her head on his chest and traced soft circles on his abdomen until they both fell asleep. It wasn't the right time to talk. She instinctively understood that.

She always knew what he needed. And vice versa. It was one of the many things that made them so perfect for each other. Right now she needed to know where he stood. He'd left her hanging and he needed to make sure that she understood it wasn't because he didn't know what he wanted. He just didn't know how to say it. Most people probably wouldn't think a Pee Wee baseball game was a good choice of venue for a discussion like this, but Steve McGarrett wasn't most people.

"Listen to your Dad," he told Grace as she headed to the batter's box. He would never admit it to Danny but Steve knew his partner was at least partially right—if Billy was going to be around, he needed to fortify his position.

"Excuuuuse me."

Catherine couldn't help but smile as he bumped her lightly and walked by. Truth be told she was a little frustrated they hadn't finished their conversation yet, even though logically she understood last night wasn't the right time. She was feeling very exposed, and her patience was wearing a little thin.

"Take the job."

Apparently so was his.

She turned her head to look at him, trying and failing miserably not to look annoyed. Was he kidding her with this? Did he really think this was about the job? If she had wanted to take the job she would have. She's a grown woman who doesn't need permission from her….whatever the hell he is…to take a job.

"Steve, I'm not…."

Steve sensed her annoyance and corrected course immediately. Of course this wasn't about the job. He was hoping Catherine would just get what he was trying to say, but the look on her face clearly told him she didn't. He needed to be a little more clear.

"No, no, no…Listen to me…Catherine…hey…"

She turned her head towards him.

"We're good. Nothing's gonna change that."

He looked into her eyes, giving her a second to process his words. Their relationship was secure. No job or ex-boyfriend or whatever other thing arose was going to get in their way. They were stronger than that.

He was happy. The fact that he knew she was also happy pleased him a way he'd never experienced before. Maybe there'd been part of him that was worried Catherine's feelings didn't go as deep as his own. That moment in his office had removed all those doubts. Now he wanted desperately to remove any doubts she might have. He was in this for the long term.

"Take the job."

A smile spread across Catherine's face as she realized she was no longer standing out on the limb by herself. Steve had climbed right out there with her.

All of the sudden the moment felt big. Really, really big. So big she couldn't contain herself. Before she really knew what was happening she was leaping into Steve's arms and kissing the stuffing out of him. He was kissing her back just as enthusiastically. Forget about the game, it could wait for a few minutes, this was her future they were talking about.

Steve felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. After a small false start he had gotten the words out. He scanned Catherine's face for a sign she understood what he was saying. He could see her puzzling it out. He diverted his eyes just for a second to look at Grace in the batter's box and saw a blur of blue coming towards him out of the corner of his eye.

He caught her when she leaped, wrapped her in his arms and kissed her enthusiastically. He didn't really care who was watching or if they were holding up the game. He had made it through their first serious relationship talk with flying colors. The smiling woman in his arms was proof of that.

Maybe he was better at this kind of thing than he thought.

"I trust you. That's all I need."

The phrase was like music to Catherine's ears. She replayed it over and over in her head as she watched Steve walk back towards the house to answer his phone. Early morning calls always meant the same thing. They'd caught a case and he'd be in the shower and out the door within 15 minutes.

She turned back towards the water and thought about the enormity of his words. Trust was not something Steve gave away easily. He'd been burned too many times in the past. Most girls longed to hear a man say 'I love you' but for Catherine hearing 'I trust you' was maybe even better.

She already knew Steve loved her. Whether he actually said the word out loud or not. For him to say he trusted her—on the heels of his words at the game—Catherine couldn't help but be excited about their future.

Her professional life, however, was a different matter. She had to admit that, despite knowing she was doing the right thing, she was equal parts excited and scared about her new career path. Which is what had driven her to crawl out of bed at the crack of dawn and come down to the beach to think.

She tried to concentrate on the adventure that lay ahead but there was a part of her brain, a bigger part than she would have liked, that couldn't help focusing on what she was leaving behind. She had quite literally never lived a life that didn't revolve around the Navy. As a child she was always dealing with her father's absences and deployments, or picking up and moving, often right as she had started to open up a little and make new friends.

Once she hit high school she was laser focused on getting into the Naval Academy. It drove every decision she made as a teenager. She kissed her parents goodbye mere weeks after her high school graduation, walked through the gates at Annapolis and never looked back.

Now that was all going away.

As Steve reached the back deck and grabbed his phone, he saw Catherine watching him from the beach out of the corner of his eye.

He knew she was scared about leaving the "safety" of the Navy. Catherine had thrived in the structured military environment. She had always handled the military way of life far better than he had. Over the last year or so, spending so much time working with the 5-0 team, she'd gotten a little taste of what a less regimented lifestyle felt like.

He had no doubt she'd be fine once she got adjusted. Still the adjustment period could be tough.

He also knew she was concerned that working with Billy might cause some issues. He wasn't gonna let that happen. He could be the bigger man. He could stand back and let Catherine handle things. He meant it when he said he trusted her. Not just her fidelity. He trusted her—implicitly. In every aspect of his life.

He was going to do everything in his power to help her squash any bit of fear she might have so she could embrace this new adventure.

Catherine fought back tears as she pulled back the blue tissue paper and saw Steve's gift. She couldn't believe he remembered the story she'd told him about how her mother used to deal with her childhood fears. That familiar brown album cover brought all the memories rushing back.

Every time she was afraid. Because her father was going away. Or had been away for a long time. Because she was going to yet another new school and was worried about making friends. Or she had suddenly decided there were monsters under her bed.

Chicago always made everything better.

She looked through watery eyes at the man standing in front of her. She loved him. And he loved her back.

"You got nothin to be scared of…ok…I'm right here. You're not gonna do this alone."

Those were exactly the words she needed to hear.

As her ceremony got underway, a niggling fear threatened to overtake her. She looked out at the audience and saw Steve, so proud and happy. Danny and Chin and even Kamekona. They all looked so pleased for her and so confident she was going to take the world by storm.

Suddenly she was gripped with one thought—what if she let them all down.

Her eyes slid over to Billy. He was so certain the new agency was going to be a success. He assured her she was going to be an integral part of that. But she was concerned his feelings for her would create more chaos than order. At least in the short run.

She had to make him understand that she needed him to knock off the innuendo, and the competition with Steve, and whatever else was going on that involved his personal feelings for her. She needed him to get down to business so she could do the same.

Steve had admitted that the transition from military to civilian life was not an easy one. Especially after serving as many years as she had. She wanted to avoid any unnecessary bumps in the road.

For the first time in her life she felt as though her personal life was exactly where she wanted it to be. She could only hope her new professional life proceeded as smoothly.

Catherine could feel Billy watching her as she walked down the sidewalk towards the house. It had been a long first day, but a good one. She and Billy had worked well together and had been so busy they hadn't really had any time for the conversation to veer off into personal issues.

After their visit to HQ he had tried to tell her about something Danny said that irritated him, but she cut him off. She absolutely refused to talk to him about anything having to do with her relationship with Steve. And knowing Danny as she did, she figured that was probably what his comment was about.

As she got closer to the porch she saw Steve sitting at the table.

She wanted to tease him about waiting up but the sweet look he gave her when he said he just wanted to make sure she made it home safe melted her heart.

He was doing his best to be totally supportive, even though Billy was doing absolutely nothing to help lessen the tension between the two men.

She glanced up the sidewalk and saw Billy still sitting in the driveway. She would have to talk to him about that tomorrow. She could tell by the way Steve glanced at the car he didn't appreciate it. She didn't either.

She leaned in and kissed Steve. If Billy was going to skulk around watching her he might see some things he didn't like. That was his problem. Maybe it would help him get over his feelings for her sooner.

She couldn't wait to get out of the pantsuit and into something more comfortable. As she headed into the house she asked Steve to open a bottle of wine. She was bone tired but still she couldn't wait to talk to him about her day, and hear about his.

As Steve watched Billy finally pull out of the driveway he gave up any last pretense of believing that Billy had honorable motives. But he had told Catherine he trusted her and he did. So he was going to have to trust her to take care of the issue.

That didn't mean he didn't have a few tricks of his own up his sleeve. Catherine was happy. He had every intention of making sure she stayed that way.

He was considering raising the ratio of the McGarrett Orgasm Rule. One for me-three for you.

Catherine found him on the lanai with an open bottle of white wine and 2 glasses.

"Excellent choice," she said as she looked at the label.

"Thanks."

She looked momentarily at the chair beside Steve's and then opted instead to drop down into his lap. His arm snaked around her as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Tired?"

"A little. But I'm too wound up to sleep."

"What time do you have to be ready tomorrow?"

"8AM. Billy's picking me up."

"Oh, is that why he was familiarizing himself with the driveway tonight?"

Catherine couldn't help but laugh. "I'll talk to him about it."

"Thank you. I was worried you weren't gonna think it was creepy."

"Well I'm not sure it was what I'd call creepy."

"Stalker-ish?"

"Mildly."

"You're sure this is a phase and it'll all just go away by itself?"

"I am. Billy's not the type to pine away for very long. He'll be juggling half the girls on the island in a couple of weeks."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Listen, Steve, I've marked a very clear boundary line for Billy. I absolutely will not discuss our personal life."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"But if he can't get what he wants from me, he may try you."

Steve smiled wryly. "There is some precedent for that."

"Yes, there is."

"I won't utter a peep."

"Good boy."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"Catherine?"

"Hmmmm?"

"There's one thing that I did want to mention."

"What's that?"

"No one understands team building better than me. It's important, if you and Billy are going to be working closely, that you forge a strong friendship and partnership. If something goes down you need to be able to make split second decisions and trust the other person is on the same wavelength. It can be the difference between life and death."

"I know."

"Please, Catherine, don't ever hold back from re-building your friendship with Billy because you're afraid what my reaction will be."

"Steve…."

"No. I said I trust you. I meant it. 100%. I promise I won't let Billy get to me."

Catherine put her hand gently on the side of his face. "Thank you."

"I need to know," Steve continued, "what I mean is I need…."

"What?"

"I need to know that if you're out on a job with him, and something goes wrong, he'll have your back. Without hesitation. Which means there can't be any weirdness between the two of you. So please don't let some worry about what I'll do or how I'll react keep you from getting close to your partner."

"Steve…" Catherine smiled softly.

"And please don't make me say that again because I'm not sure I can."

"I honestly believe that in a few weeks, once Billy gets over the nerves of starting the new agency and getting it on its feet, these feelings he has for me will fade away. He'll go off and find someone else. Or several someone elses. Then he and I can get on with being friends."

"I think you underestimate how impossible you are to get over."

Catherine looked at his face, prepared to make a sarcastic remark, but it died on her lips when she saw nothing but sincerity in his eyes.

"I will always come home to you, Steve."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Well that's good, because I'll always be here waiting."

THE END