Ilna's Author's Notes: I owe a huge thank you to Mari and Sammy for doing this story with me. I had fully intended to do Cody's party during the graduation story, but realized I just wouldn't be able to do it justice. I'm so glad, because I always love when I get to write with you two, and I love how it turned out!

Readers and Real McRollers - Thank you for your AMAZING response to Cody's graduation. It truly warms my heart how much you all love his character.

Sammy's ANs-Mari & Ilna- you guys are the absolute best. Thanks for EVERYTHING! There are no two people I'd rather be on this ride with.

Sandy-what would I do without you?

REAL Worlders-I can never fully express what all your amazing support means to me. All I can say is that in our fourth calendar year your support and encouragement keeps me as enthusiastic as I was about this project day one.

Mari's ANs. I only did one scene in this one. Can you guess what it was REAL Worlders?

A Lot to Celebrate (1/1)

Steve looked up as Catherine entered the kitchen. The minute they got home from the graduation she'd gone upstairs to change into something a little more comfortable for the party. He smiled. "I think everything's ready to go."

"That's good." She snagged a piece of watermelon from the bowl on the island and popped it in her mouth. Studiously avoiding Steve's smirk, she grabbed two more before wiping her fingers on a kitchen towel. "Mom just texted. They'll be here in about twenty minutes."

Immediately following the ceremony Elizabeth and Joseph headed back to the condo to pick up Smokey and bring him to the party. They'd given him a week to get adjusted to his new surroundings and, along with them, acclimate to the new time zone, but today was the day he was finally going to meet Cammie.

He'd met Jenna and the Allen children a few days earlier when they stopped by the condo with a lovely palm plant as a housewarming gift. The friendly dog had taken to them immediately, seemingly ecstatic to have so many new playmates. Kaitlyn, less intimidated by Smokey's smaller size, even giggled as the hand she carefully extended for sniffs was bathed in enthusiastic doggie kisses.

"I'll take Cammie down to the beach to wait," Steve offered as he picked up the bowl of fruit and headed for the deck where Grandma Ang was waiting, having opted to come back to the house with them.

"Sounds good," Catherine replied. "Just let me grab another piece of watermelon …or two … before you go."

Catherine hummed to herself as she stood at the island transferring potato salad into a serving bowl. Jenna had prepared all the food for the event and dropped it off the night before. She'd initially considered having the party in their own backyard but aside from space concerns there was the fact that … well … oceanside was hard to beat.

Still, she remembered what it felt like to be as pregnant as Catherine currently was so she and the other kids made sure to take care of everything from decorating to food preparation themselves so Catherine and Steve wouldn't need to lift a finger.

Just as Catherine reached for a serving spoon she heard the doorbell ring. She wiped her hands and headed in that direction.

"We're here," Elizabeth said with a bright smile as the door opened. "All three of us."

Catherine bent to greet Smokey. "Hi, sweetie, I have someone who's waiting to meet you." She ruffled the fur on the medium sized dog's head and accepted a paw and enthusiastic kiss. "Okay, that's about as long as I can bend over right now." She chuckled and straightened with a hand on her back. Looking up she said, "Jacob wanted us make sure to remind Smokey that Cammie's his niece."

Joseph chuckled. "The two of them had quite a long conversation when Jacob was at the condo. He explained who everyone was and how we were a family, even if we weren't related by blood, and talked all about Cammie and Scout."

"Smokey just sat there quietly and took in every word," Elizabeth remembered. "I think he was thrilled to have someone so close to his own size around."

"I'm sure he was." Catherine nodded then turned her attention back to Smokey. "Do you wanna meet Cammie now? I'm sure you're gonna love her too."

Smokey wagged his tail happily.

Elizabeth grinned at her husband. "He's been briefed. You father prepped him in the car."

The look of pride on Joseph's face was unmistakable. "And he understood every word."

"He's the second smartest dog on Oahu." Catherine's eyes sparkled happily.

"Where are we doing this?" Elizabeth asked. "Because I'm thinking your living room isn't the best idea."

"On the beach. Steve's got Cammie out there so she's had a chance to burn off some energy first. Ready, Smokey?"

Joseph nodded. "He's a Rollins, of course he's ready. He ran before we came. Whenever you're good to go, lead the way."

They made their way out to the deck where Grandma Ang was happily ensconced at a table under an umbrella, talking to Chin, Kono, Adam, and Leilani.

Grandma Ang smiled as Smokey came immediately to greet her.

"Look at his new collar." She pointed out the dog's US NAVY collar to the others. "Joseph bought it for him at Pearl."

"That's because he needed new tags with our cells and the condo's address for when he's here." Joseph hid a smile. "Easier to swap the collar than all the tags and this way we know which is which at a glance."

"Totally sensible plan, Dad." Catherine winked at her grandmother. "Besides, we didn't have Cammie two hours when Steve had her in a camo one."

On the beach, Steve called Cammie to heel and she was sitting, eyes alight at the visitor.

"Alright?" Joseph called with his hand on Smokey's leash clip.

Steve nodded and released Cammie from a stay with a tap on her withers and an upbeat, "Okay, Cammie, go say hi."

Smokey stood at absolute attention before stepping forward to greet the large dog who carried the scent of Catherine and Steve. Both jutted forward, then back, circling a few times before Smokey dropped to a play bow in invitation.

Cammie mirrored his motion and seconds later both dogs were cavorting on the sand like old friends.

"There you go! Good job, Cammie," Steve complimented her as Joseph called out, "That's my boy, Smokey."

Catherine and Elizabeth joined them on the sand and both dogs came up to greet them.

"Look at you, pretty girl. You can show Smokey how to play in the ocean next time, okay?" She kissed Cammie's head and the dog gave a happy huff before tearing after her new buddy.

"They'll tire each other out in no time," Elizabeth said with a smile.

"Especially once Scout gets here," Catherine agreed. "Danny and Grace went home to get him. They should be here any minute."

"The more the merrier." Joseph smiled happily as he watched the dogs play.

"We put a bed and another water bowl in the den for Smokey if he needs a break," Catherine smiled. "Cammie will just go upstairs and lie down if she wants a few minutes alone later."

"Is everything ready or is there something I can do to help before everyone else gets here?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm just gonna carry the food out to the deck," Catherine replied. "Jenna was only planning on spending about 20 more minutes taking post-ceremony pictures with Jess and Jadon's families after we left, but it looks like that's taking a little longer than expected."

"I can help you do that." Elizabeth placed a hand on Joseph's arm. "You got this?"

"I commanded a carrier, dear, I can handle two dogs with a SEAL as backup," he said wryly. He couldn't hide the smile he shared with Catherine. "Go help our daughter."

"Okay, then." Elizabeth chuckled at the pleased way both men were watching their dogs. "You have the watch." Both women turned toward the house with identical smiles.

"There's a back-up bowl of watermelon in the refrigerator," Steve called over his shoulder with a mischievous grin. "Just in case."

Jenna poured more chips into a bowl and watched with a wide smile as the younger kids played on the beach with all three dogs under Joseph's watchful eye. Kaitlyn hung back slightly, holding tightly to Elizabeth's hand, but when it was her turn she happily picked up a tennis ball, ignored the sogginess, and threw it as far as she could. She giggled with delight when all three dogs took off after it in hot pursuit.

Cody, who along with Jess and Jadon had been standing just off the deck talking to Danny, headed for the nearest cooler to get a bottle of water for his girlfriend.

"Are you sure you don't want to have a regular open house, too, honey?" Jenna asked as he approached. "We could have it at the house. You could invite more of your friends from school …"

He shrugged. "A lot of people are doing open houses. I'm going to go to theirs."

"Yes, but … if it's about money, it's okay. We can manage something simple in addition to this."

"Everyone I want to celebrate with is here," he said simply, looking out over the people in the backyard. "At least, everyone on the island."

"Hey, Cody," Steve said, coming out onto the deck. "Phone call." He held up his phone.

"For me?" Cody asked, confused.

Steve just smiled and handed over the phone.

A smile spread across Cody's face as he saw the name on the screen. He put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Cody? Is that you?"

"Hi, Nonna."

"Hello, tesoro." Nonna's warm voice came over the line. "I wanted to call before I went to bed to tell you happy birthday and to congratulate you on your graduation."

"Thanks, Nonna. That's really nice of you."

"You're the nice one, caro," she countered, causing him to duck his head, a lopsided grin on his face. "Now I hear you're having a little party there."

Cody nodded, though of course she couldn't see him. "Pretty big one, actually. All our family's here, and our friends. Everybody important who's close enough to be here."

Nonna let out a happy sigh. "And that's how I know you'll always be fine, no matter what. Because you know the importance of family. Your family has been formed by blood and by heart, and you know that nothing is more important than la famiglia."

"I know," he said earnestly.

"I know you do. You're such a fine young man. And you have so much to look forward to in your life."

"Thanks, Nonna."

"I'll let you get back to your party, but you tell all those wonderful grandchildren of mine that Nonna loves them."

Cody grinned. "I will."

"Congratulations, tesoro. And a very happy birthday."

"Thanks, Nonna," he said again. "And thanks again for calling."

"How could I not?" she replied. "La famiglia, remember? Good night, caro."

"Good night." He ended the call and handed the phone back to Steve, smiling. "I can't believe she called."

Steve smiled. "That's Nonna."

"What are you doing?" Steve asked as he stepped up next to Danny who was standing at the grill.

Danny rubbed his hands together excitedly. "I figured maybe today would finally be my chance."

"Your chance for what?" Steve asked dryly.

"My chance to grill." Danny picked up a metal spatula and turned it over in his hand. "Cody obviously gets the day off since he's got a double celebration going on and I heard you promise to go swimming with the kids before we eat so … I figure today is my day. I am the grill master."

Steve smirked. "I think you might be forgetting someone."

"Who?" Danny turned around and saw Joseph standing behind him, platter of burgers, both beef and vegetable, in hand. "Are you kidding me?"

Steve shrugged. "What can I say?"

"I'll let you put the cheese on the burgers when it's time," Joseph offered.

Danny huffed as cast one last wistful glance at the spatula then returned it to the counter. "Gee, thanks."

"Happy Birf-day!" Joan squealed happily from her seat on Aaron's lap as the Skype call connected.

"And happy graduation," Mary prompted.

"Happy gwad-u-ation!" Joan bounced happily.

"Thanks." Cody grinned happily. He was thrilled to get a chance to talk to so many family members who couldn't make the party.

"Aaron and I want to take you out to dinner to celebrate when we're on the island in a few weeks," Mary said.

"Thanks." Cody blushed. "You don't really have to …"

"We want to," Mary cut him off. "Turning 18 and graduating on the same day? That's a big deal."

"It sure is." Aaron nodded. "So just pick a place you want to go. And I'm not trying to influence you or anything but I'm still dying to try that go-kart racing place."

"Are we going go-kart racing?" Jacob asked ecstatically as he zoomed into the picture.

"He has ears like a bat when someone mentions something he's interested in," Jenna chuckled.

"You guys will have plenty of time for go-kart racing," Mary promised. "Maybe you can even help the daddy-to-be burn off some energy. But for our celebration pick a place where we can talk without shouting over the sound of engines."

Cody nodded. "I will."

"Excellent. Now we'll let you get back to your party. We just wanted a chance to say congratulations before Miss Joan heads to bed."

"Fo-wa stories!" Joan squealed happily, arms in the air.

"We had spinach for dinner, which she hates," Mary explained. "Aaron bribed her with extra bed time stories if she'd finish it."

Cody chuckled. "Sounds like Jacob and lima beans."

"Sorry we couldn't make it to the ceremony but duty called," Kamekona said as he and Esther handed Cody an envelope.

"You didn't have to get me anything," Cody said, slightly embarrassed. He thought of the pile of cards and gifts waiting for him on the dining room table and once again gave thanks he had so many people in his life who cared.

"It's nothing much." Kamekona waved him off. "Just a coupon for a free helicopter tour of the islands for two."

"You can bring Jess," Esther suggested.

"You can bring me," Jenna suggested with a laugh. "I've never been in a helicopter."

"You can have a free tour anytime." Kamekona grinned as he kissed Jenna's hand. "Any makuahine with five kids deserves to get away occasionally."

Jenna grinned. "Thanks."

"There's also some free meal vouchers in there," Esther added.

"Free meals?" Steve asked incredulously. "In all the years I've known you I've never gotten a free meal voucher from you."

Kamekona's eyes sparkled. "Maybe I just like the mini-Big Kahuna better."

"I meant to ask you, when did you guys decide to decorate your mortar boards?" Jenna asked as everyone took a seat around the table and dug into their food.

"That was Cody's idea," Jess replied. "We knew some of the other kids were doing it but we hadn't really thought about it ourselves. Then Cody realized it would help Jacob see him from the stands so we ran into CVS to see what they had we could use."

Jacob's eyes were wide. "You did that for me?"

Cody smiled affectionately at his brother. "I did it for everyone. But you definitely inspired it."

"That's cool!" Jacob grinned as he flung his arms out and nearly knocked over his can of Sprite which Jenna deftly moved out of the way.

"I loved the colors of the jewels you use, Jess," Grace bubbled. "Pink and purple go great together."

"Those are the colors of the decorations for my graduation party," Jess bubbled. "We got the coolest looking balloons. They're not mylar but they're super shiny … you'll see them at the party."

"I can't wait." Grace was so excited she was practically bouncing. "I think when I graduate I want my colors to be … " She glanced at Danny. "Never mind." She grinned. "The only color I'm worried about right now is the pink in the streaks I want to get."

"Are you gonna do that?" Jess asked. "I was thinking of getting blue or purple ones. I'm gonna be working at the Y summer camp and when I went to orientation the head counselor had green streaks. She said the kids love them and it's something I've always wanted to try so I figured now would be a good time."

"I think streaks look so cool." Casey looked at her mother. "All my final grades were As and I do all my chores without having to be asked. Do you think maybe I could get streaks too?" she asked hopefully.

Jenna smiled softly. Casey had been working hard all year on both grades and sports and had excelled at both. On top of that she was a huge help at home when Cody was busy with work or his internship. "I think that would be ok," she said causing Casey to let out an uncharacteristic squeal of delight. "As long as they wash out before school starts next year."

"I definitely want mine to be gone before I start classes at UH," Jess agreed.

"What will you be studying?" Elizabeth asked with genuine interest.

"Social work," Jess answered.

"That's an admirable profession," Joseph said. "What about you, Jadon? What are your plans?"

"I'm gonna be at community college with Cody." Jadon beamed. "I gotta keep an eye on my boy. Not exactly sure what my major is gonna be yet. I figured I'll just start with some of the basics and let my future find me when it's ready."

Cody rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Everything's all set for paintball tomorrow," Steve said as they began to clear the dishes. The battle had become a yearly birthday tradition.

Jadon rubbed his hands together. "Excellent. It's payback year. I been strategizing."

"Really?" Cody asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Well, I been thinkin' 'bout strategizing." Jadon looked at Catherine. "Wish you were gonna be there, partner, but I'll try to make you proud."

"I know you will." Catherine smiled. "And your new partner can hold his own." She grinned at Danny.

"I'm sore just thinking about it." He shook his head. "I can't believe I agreed to this. Must have been a moment of weakness."

After they finished eating almost everyone headed for the beach to play a game of frisbee football and work off their dinner. Catherine remained on the deck with Grandma Ang and Jenna who was busily boxing up leftovers.

"They grow up fast, don't they?" Grandma Ang said knowingly as she watched Cody make a catch then deftly avoid an onrushing Danny.

"They sure do," Jenna agreed wistfully. "It seems like just yesterday I was tossing a ball with him in the backyard."

"This one, too." Ang grabbed Catherine's hand and squeezed. "Seems like just yesterday I watched her learn to walk and she's been going nonstop ever since."

Catherine leaned over and kissed her grandmother's cheek.

"And soon she'll be chasing after one of her own. My great-granddaughter." Ang smiled serenely. "I can't wait to meet her."

"Hey," Steve said. "Come with me a second. I've got something to show you in the garage."

"Sure," Cody said immediately, following him.

They walked around the side of the house to the garage, and Steve opened the door and waved Cody inside ahead of him.

Cody stepped into the familiar environs and stopped at a decidedly unfamiliar sight. "When'd you get a bike?" he asked, pointing to the black bicycle standing in front of the Marquis, matching helmet hanging from the handlebars.

"It's not mine," Steve said.

Cody looked back at him. "Whose is it?"

"Yours."

"Mine?" Cody asked, his eyes widening as they snapped back to the bike.
Steve smiled, leaning against the doorframe and folding his arms. "Happy birthday and happy graduation."

Cody shook his head, looking back and forth between the bike and Steve. "But … I …"

"You said you thought you could bike to school in the fall."

Cody blinked, surprised. "You remember me saying that?"

"I remember everything you say, Cody."

Though deep down he knew that, the statement so simply expressed still managed to render him momentarily speechless.

Steve stepped over to the bicycle, gripping one of the handles.

"It's a Trek Allant, seven-speed," he said, giving Cody a moment to compose himself. "Lightweight, so you can put in on the bus rack when you need to. Guy at the bike store said it's great for city riding, but we can return it for something else if you try it out and don't like it."

"Oh, I like it. I … I like it a lot."

"Well, you should at least give it a test-ride."

Cody ran his palm over the handlebar. "I will. But I'm sure it's great."

"Congratulations, Cody." Steve waited till Cody met his eyes. "I'm really proud of you. Of what you've accomplished. And the man you've become."

Cody paused, emotion threatening to spill over. He swallowed thickly.

"I wouldn't be that man without you," he said, his voice quiet but firm.

Steve was quiet, his own emotions rushing to the surface. He put a solid hand on Cody's shoulder and gave it a squeeze, nodding once.

The moment was broken when they heard Jadon yell from the beach, "Code-man! Where are you? I need your help. I forgot this kid is a card shark."

Steve chuckled, looking in the direction of the shout. "We should get back out there before your best friend gets his butt kicked by Jacob at Concentration."

"Yeah," Cody said, laughing lightly. As Steve turned toward the door, he stopped him. "Hey, remember when you said you don't like limits on best friends?"

Steve quirked an eyebrow.

"You said Catherine was your best friend, and so was Danny."

It was Steve's turn to look surprised at Cody's mention of one of their earliest conversations.

Cody's lip quirked in a half smile. "I remember everything you say, too."

Steve smiled, though it was clear the statement affected him.

"I decided I don't like that limit either," Cody continued. " 'Cause you're my best friend, too, Steve."

He paused for a beat, wetting his suddenly dry lips.

"You're the dad I never had."

Steve inhaled sharply. Cody had said something similar once before, but those words all together had a power effect on him.

"Niblet's really lucky to have you," Cody went on. "And so am I."

Steve stepped back and put an arm around him. "I'm just as lucky," he said earnestly. "I mean that, Cody. Meeting you was one of the best things that ever happened to me."

"You said that before. At Thanksgiving."

Steve nodded. "I meant it then, and I mean it now." He paused. "You know I haven't always let people get very close to me. And you know why."

Now it was Cody nodding. "I was … kind of like that, too … before."

"I know. This was all pretty new for both of us back then. But we figured things out … together. And that's what we'll keep doing. As you start college, and your career … and whatever else comes up."

"You'll be there."

"I'll be there."

"I'll be there for you, too, Steve. Whatever you need with … with Niblet, or anything else."

Steve nodded, smiling softly. "I'm counting on that." He gave his shoulder a final squeeze and released him. "Now, let's get back to your party, huh? We've got a lot to celebrate."

Cody's own smile widened. "Yeah. And I'm glad you're here to celebrate with me."

"I wouldn't be anywhere else."

THE END

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