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You've Got Mail

Steve grabbed a water bottle for himself and one to top off Cammie's bowl after their swim. After a stop in the the garage to toss his and the dog's damp towels, along with a ready basket of laundry into the machine, he followed Cammie into the living room when she alerted, figuring the mail carrier wasn't more than a few yards away.

"Morning, Commander." Their regular mailman gave him a bright smile when he opened the door. "Hey, Cammie, how's my favorite dog?"

"Hi, Akamu, how's it going?" Steve asked as he took the mail and Cammie nuzzled the man's hand.

"Good, good. Looks like your little angel got her very own mail today," Akamu nodded at the package he'd given Steve. "Take care, say hi to Angie and the lieutenant for me."

"Thanks, will do," he replied as he closed the door and examined the twelve by twelve inch box. The addressee made him grin broadly.

Angeline Elizabeth McGarrett

2727 Piikoi Street

Honolulu, HI 96822

He placed the envelopes - that all seemed to be Mother's Day cards for his wife - on the end table and headed towards the steps with his daughter's very first piece of mail.

At the top landing, Catherine was just exiting the baby's room with a dressed and ready-for-the-day Angie. Mother and daughter both wore denim. Catherine's jeans and purple tank top coordinated with the baby's lavender onesie with attached denim skirt combo.

"Dada!" greeted Steve and he stepped up to take Angie and kiss her cheek. "Good morning, you. Let's see those teeth." He lifted her lip gently to check the tooth-buds that would soon be her front teeth. The gums looked less inflamed and he kissed the little cheek again.

"She didn't need the Tylenol yet this morning," Catherine reported happily, then noted the package in his hand. "What's that?"

He passed it over with a grin. "Not sure. It's not addressed to me."

A bright smile lit the brown eyes as she read her daughter's name. "Awww, Angie, you got your own mail." Seeing the name in print still delighted her. "Let's go downstairs and open your package, sweetie." She held up the box and Angie clapped and made a grab for it.

"Look who it's from," Catherine pointed out as the family made their way into the kitchen. Steve set the baby in her highchair while her mommy carefully opened the box where the little one could watch. "Annie Cuzzi."

A stuffed Bill the Goat mascot toy had Angie squealing "EEEEE gaaaaa aaahh!" and hugging it as soon as Catherine removed the tags. Also in the package was a US Naval Academy T-shirt and leggings and two pairs of matching blue and white socks.

"Awwww, look at these." Catherine held the tiny socks up. "Wait till your grandpa gets a look at you dressed in this."

At the word grandpa, Angie's eyes searched the kitchen before returning to the stuffed goat she was clutching.

Steve kissed her head. "See that, Cath? She was looking for your dad." He beamed proudly and ran a hand over Angie's hair. "Daddy's brilliant girl."

Catherine smiled at his look. "Hey, here's a letter." She held it up. "And a card addressed to you."

"Let's see," he said as he opened the card and read aloud:

Greetings from Annapolis!

I hope you're all doing great.

Mom and I arrived in Annapolis early and we're doing some visiting and sightseeing before I-Day on June 28th. Daddy is coming in on the 21st - fingers crossed - to spend the week before I start Plebe Summer. Plebe Summer! I can't believe it's actually here. I hope I get as lucky with a roommate as Catherine and Carrie did. I'm a little nervous - okay a lot nervous - lol - but I am mostly excited to be fulfilling my dream and following Daddy into a Naval career.

Anyway, I wanted to send these for Angie. Grace keeps me updated on her since she and I (and Cody, Jess, Casey and Jadon) got to be friends when I was there for your beautiful wedding. I thought since you're both Academy graduates you would like the outfit and I hope Angie likes the stuffed Bill!

I sent a letter for Angie, too. You can read it to her now and maybe save it so she can read it herself when she's old enough. I got one when I was little and I think it's cool to pay it forward as my dad would say. It's kind of funny but also serious because this way Angie knows she's got her whole Navy family in addition to her regular family. Lots of us kids are close - especially because of social media - and even if our dads are retired or have different designators now, we're Navy SEAL kids and we stick together, just like you guys.

Please hug Catherine, Angie and Cammie for me.

Have a great summer,

Very soon to be Midshipman Annie Cuzzi

Steve cleared his throat. "Wow. That was …"

"Incredibly sweet and thoughtful," Catherine supplied. "The letter and the sentiment. She's a great kid. Carrie and I had more than a few conversations with her while they were here for the wedding." She held up the envelope that read Angie. "Do you want to read it?"

He shook up a bottle after adding formula and water and placed it in Angie's hands. She grabbed it and grank with gusto, making both parents smile. "You go ahead. Please."

Carefully unfolding the letter, Catherine smiled and began to read.

Dear Angie,

Hi from the US Naval Academy! Well, almost. I start Plebe Summer soon because I'm going to be a Naval officer like both our dads and your mom.

I want you to know, since our dads were on the same team, you have a whole group of SEAL family members that have your back.

Between us - all of us - whose dads were or are on the teams, there are a few things we came up with and kept adding to. I didn't start it, but I'm the keeper I guess you'd say. I hope you add to it yourself, someday. It's a nice way to keep the family in touch and maybe have a little fun busting the most overwhelmingly protective group of dads in the world.

We love them to death and wouldn't change our dads for anything, but, yeah.

Most protective dads.

In. The. World. ;)

Maybe now that I'm an adult in the Navy, too, Daddy will stop running background checks on my dates … nah, never happen lol.

Honestly, though, I'm only teasing. But not about the background checks. My dad is the best and I'm really happy he loves me so much. Now, you give your daddy a kiss and hopefully your very cool, awesome mommy will help tame the SEAL protective services a little bit like mine always does.

You take care of your mommy and daddy, cutie! I'll write again - it's kind of cool to write a letter in long hand.

Love and hugs from your Navy cousin,

Annie

Catherine was smiling and wiping a tear as she read last words. "That's the…" she said with a sniff, "sweetest thing…" She reached for Steve's free hand and squeezed gently. His other one was placing a spoonful of mashed bananas in their daughter's mouth. "Annie's right, baby girl," she addressed the baby. "You're part of another special family." She looked at Steve. "Annie's the oldest of your team members' kids, right?"

His wife's voice pulled him back from remembering Al Cuzzi passing pictures of his eight year old daughter around a tent in the corner of a blistering desert. He'd sent a necklace home and received a picture of a beaming Annie wearing it at a birthday party. He'd looked like he won a million dollars.

"Yeah. Annie's eighteen this month. Erickson's oldest son is next. He's …" he calculated mentally, "seventeen sometime this summer." He wiped Angie's face and kissed her when she squawked to voice her protest.

Lifting the baby onto her lap, Catherine cooed, "And Angie's the youngest. Right, baby girl? Are you the youngest of the SEAL kids?" While tickling her tummy, she instinctively moved the printed list Annie had tucked in with her letter. "Ah ah, we need to read that and see what you're in for."

Settling the baby, Catherine began to read and immediately giggled.

"What?" His attempt at looking insulted failed. "We're not that bad." He took Angie and sat her on his lap facing Catherine.

"Ha!" Her eyes scanned the page and Angie, seeing her mommy's laughter, giggled and patted enthusiastically on her daddy's arm. "These kids have you guys pegged. They know their dads." She read a few out loud. "Look at number two: You know your dad's a Navy SEAL when you knew how to practice land navigation skills, properly pack a backpack for survival and how to build a shelter by the time you were in elementary school."

Steve's brow rose at Catherine's grin. "That's just common sense …"

She shook her head and went on, "Number seven: Every time you make a new friend, your dad will ask his or her full name and the date of birth of everyone living in their house before you can visit."

"Don't see a problem," he deadpanned, attempting to keep a straight face.

"Of course you don't," she continued. "Oh, oh, wait, here's my favorite, you'll hear 'I'm a little scared of your dad' about a thousand times before you graduate high school."

The baby giggled heartily causing Catherine to laugh out loud again. "See, she knows already."

"You, too, Angie?" Steve couldn't dim the smile that lit his face and reached his eyes. "Listen up, baby girl, Just because you're the most important person on the planet..." He tapped her nose. "Not to mention the smartest. The prettiest." He clucked her chin. "And the one with the most beautiful mommy." He tickled the giggling baby's tummy, but smiled into Catherine's eyes. "Doesn't mean I'm any more protective than anyone else. Take Uncle Danno for example…"

"Oh my God," Catherine snorted. "Danny's your example?"

Steve's eyes took in his beautiful wife and laughing daughter and he shook his head. Crossing his arms he shrugged. "Ya know what? Maybe I call Cuzzi and the guys and we start a list of our own." A laugh escaped as he added, "Tactical techniques to keep your kid safe by SEAL Team Four. Because who's gonna do that better than…"

"Dada!" Angie squealed and leaned forward, bouncing on her mother's legs as she smiled at him.

Catherine grinned at his expression at Angie's opportune announcement of his name. Leaning down to kiss their daughter she nodded enthusiastically at the baby. "That's right, sweetheart. That's exactly right."

# End. Thanks for reading!

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