Sammy and Ilna, I can't say enough about the fun, support and general wonderfulness you've brought to my life. This past week was even more amazing for reasons. Much love!

REALMcRollers, readers and guests, your support for Steve and Catherine & the REAL World warms our hearts. We promise They will ALWAYS be safe with us and we aren't going anywhere. Xoxox and Nonna hugs!

Sweet Dreams

McGarrett/Rollins residence
Saturday 5:15 a.m.

Catherine stretched and groaned softly, turning onto her right side and tucking an arm under her head. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself." Steve was awake, having climbed back in beside her after feeding and taking Cammie outside a few minutes before.

He smiled into the sleepy brown eyes gazing into his and reached to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just a little stiff. Ya know, I was thinking ..."

He slid his hand over her waist, his fingers coming to rest gently on her hip. "Already? It's 5:15 on Saturday, Rollins ... wait, why are you stiff?" His eyes grew serious.

"That's what I was thinking about. Steve, how old is this mattress?"

He shrugged. "Not sure."

"You didn't replace it when you moved back in." She knew him so well. It was a statement, not a question.

"No. I just ... no." He raised an eyebrow.

"And when I helped pick out this headboard and frame, not long after that, you didn't order a new mattress then either."

"It seemed fine, so why?"

Her hand moved to cover Steve's where it rested on her hip. Lacing their fingers, she moved their entwined hands forward to rest comfortably on her tummy. Her grin made him smile.

"Because, we don't actually know how old it is. And mattresses need replacing every seven or eight years."

"Even if they're not lumpy?" He smiled, remembering the box spring from all those years ago. "Or broken?"

Catherine grinned, that look on his face was adorable. "Even if."

"Neither of us has spent seven years in one place, how do you know all these ... things?" He smiled.

"I don't know. I do know I thought this one seemed less comfortable lately."

"Have you not been sleeping? Catherine, why didn't you say something? I can sleep on a bag of rocks, you know that." Steve looked in her eyes, suddenly serious. "We'll order one today."

"I'm fine." She kissed him lightly. "It's only the past few days, and I did just say something. Seems like that's what we're doing today; getting a new mattress."

"I'm glad." He pulled her hand forward and kissed it. "We're getting one ASAP, Lieutenant. I want you to have good dreams," he finished softly.

"I'm next to you, that always helps me have sweet dreams." She kissed him, touched by his concern for her comfort.

Catherine knew as well as Steve that a comfortable night's sleep aided in keeping the occasional nightmares they both suffered at bay. "But later today, we'll go mattress shopping. Most places have twenty four hour delivery. Right now, I say we grab another few hours sleep." She kissed him, snuggled into his side and closed her eyes. "Then, before we go, we send this one off with a bang."

Steve smiled again as he felt her nose press against his chest as she settled down with a sigh.

9:40 a.m.

Steve exited the shower to find Catherine dressed and on the phone. "Thanks, Carrie. Oh, my God, stop." She burst into laughter. "I'll let you know, oh wait, he's out …"

She looked up. "Carrie wants to talk to you." She offered Steve her phone. "I called to see what kind of mattress they have. She just bought one when she was reassigned to Pearl."

Steve took the phone and grinned."You're hawking mattresses, now, Stagler? What makes you an expert?" He winked at Catherine. "You've been on sea duty on and off for almost twenty."

Catherine smiled at Steve's expression as he put Carrie on speaker and her friend's teasing voice filled the room.

"Of course we're comparing mattresses. I'm the deciding factor on where you shop, my friend, because guys just buy what's on sale. So be nice to me."

"So where are you sending us on this mission?" Steve's eyebrows knitted.

"No so fast. First, I get to tell you that Catherine deserves the best mattress on the market."

"Agreed." Steve smiled at her, and Catherine's eyes crinkled.

"And not for the reasons you're thinking." Carrie giggled. "For my best friend sleeping on a mattress that's probably ten or fifteen years old. Your only saving grace, McGarrett, is the fact that it's not old enough that your parents would have had sex on it."

"Jesus, Carrie, that's …" Steve cringed. "Stop. I bought a new bed as soon as Catherine started coming here, ya know, because the frame was theirs. She even picked it out with me."

Catherine smiled at that memory. She'd been so happy when Steve suggested they pick out a new bed together. When he'd shrugged and said, 'Since you'll be sleeping in it on all your leaves from now on, I want you to like it.' There was just something so … domestic about it, she'd grinned for the rest of the day.

Carrie's laugh brought Catherine back to the present. "And yet, not a new mattress. I'm gonna let you slide, because I've properly creeped you out, which was totally my goal. And I know you have that face that's been cracking me up since the Academy, but Cath finds adorable.

Now, here's my personal tip. Get a double pillow top; they last longer. And memory foam is a no go, but test them all out, don't take my word."

"Hanging up now." Steve said as he took her off speaker and handed the phone back to Catherine. The women finished up their conversation as he pulled on clothes and grabbed his cell.

"So …" Catherine said as she pocketed her phone and bent to kiss Cammie on the nose. "We'll be back soon, Baby. Hold the fort." To Steve, she continued with a wink, "Let's do this, Commander. The faster we order, the faster we have a new mattress to break in."

En route to mattress store

Danny's voice filled the truck as Steve said "Hey!" into the speaker.

"Hey, I got that info for the Tom Greer trial from my informant. I'm gonna send it to your phones. We don't need to act on it before Tuesday, but in case Cath wants to look at the blueprints of the compound."

"Thanks, Danny." Catherine checked her cell. "I got it. I'll look it over as soon as we get home."

"Like I said, no rush. Where are you off to?"

"Mattress shopping," she said and shared an immediate smirk with Steve. "Ours … wore out."

"Of course it did. I'm sorry I asked." Catherine could visualize their friend's eye roll as he added, "Try to control yourselves in the store."

"Bite me." Steve said as he held back a laugh at Catherine's expression.

"It's the two of you. In a building full of beds is all I'm sayin'. " Danny barked a laugh. "Don't make me have to come bail you out."

"Shut up, Danny." Steve glanced at Catherine who was grinning.

Danny was still laughing when he ended the call.

USA Mattress
Kapiolani Blvd., Honolulu

10:01 a.m.

As they drove, Catherine consulted mattress sites on her phone, and when they arrived at their destination, they were greeted by a salesperson immediately.

"Good morning! I'm Ken Geiger. I'll be your sleep consultant here at USA Mattress, where you can REST assured we'll provide you with a good night's sleep," the smiling young man greeted them. "What are we looking for today? new mattress and box-spring? New bed? A whole new bedroom? We have it all."

"Just a mattress and box spring today. Our bed is nearly new, but the mattress is over ten, it's wearing out." Catherine smiled and Steve nodded as she added, "I did a little research on your website this morning."

"We love an informed consumer. You make our jobs easier, because you know what you want." The young man wearing a grey suit and dazzling smile steered them toward the mattress section as he spoke. "May I ask your names?"

"Steve, and this is Catherine."

"Oh. Oh!" Ken's eyes took on a knowing look, "I thought I recognized you. I've seen you on the news, Commander McGarrett and Lieutenant Rollins, so nice to meet you both. We give ten percent discounts for military and law enforcement here at USA."

Catherine smiled at the grinning young man and he continued. "So, here's what we suggest." He gestured to the array of mattresses in the room. "You take a look around, try the ones you like out. Lie on them for five minutes. When you narrow it down, lie on a mattress that's one level up and one down from your choices before you decide.

There are several options, including traditional innerspring titanium alloy coils, which deliver superior comfort and durability for years. Then we have the Hybrids. Half foam/half springs with cooling comfort gel memory foam on top and titanium alloy springs underneath. Gel memory foam has the ability to conform to your unique body shape and weight. The body-hugging quality creates the sense that you are sleeping 'in' your mattress and not just 'on' it, it's become very popular."

He handed Catherine a chart outlining each type before going on. "Finally, there's Latex Foam, which delivers conformance and push-back support to create a consistent feel across the entire sleeping surface."

Ken took a breath. He was working his way through law school and considered memorizing the details of his job good training for his future as a litigator. "Do you have any preferences as to what you'd like to try first?"

Catherine nodded. "A double pillow top. A friend recommended that, she loves hers. She didn't like the memory foam, but I've seen a lot of information online about it …" Steve gestured almost imperceptibly with a raised eyebrow when her nose wrinkled a bit and she brushed her fingers against his where they hung at their sides.

Ken took a step back to give the couple some space. "Excellent, then we have a starting point. These are the pillow tops. The double pillow tops are your best bet, they last longer because you can flip them. They should be flipped every three months.

You two could actually forgo a pillow top, because you're not a combined weight of over three hundred and twenty five pounds, but even people who are in excellent shape, such as yourselves, find the extra padding a nice touch."

He pointed across the floor a bit. "The memory foams are right there. And like I said, they actually contour with the body. It's all a matter of personal preference as to whether or not you like the way they feel."

As he walked away, he added, "Take your time and don't be shy. You can't judge support and comfort by sitting on an edge or lying down for just a few seconds. Lie on the bed the way that you sleep, which is why our website encourages you to shop with your partner so you can decide together." Ken gave a little wave. "I'll check in on you. If you have any questions, just give a shout out."

Steve walked up to the first mattress and sat. He bounced a few times. "No," he said immediately.

Catherine laughed. "That quick? What about 'lie on them like you'd sleep.' "

"Too hard. No bounce." He smiled and motioned for her to sit next to him.

When she did, she agreed, "This one's out."

Four pillow tops, and a hybrid later, Steve was lying flat on his back and nodding. "This one's good." He turned to Catherine, who was just rising from the adjacent bed. "C'mere."

She moved to lie down and he scooted over. "No, you gotta lie on your own side."

She smiled and did. Leave it to Steve to take an assignment literally.

"This one's got bounce. But it's not too soft, right?" He was grinning when he rolled and threw an arm over her.

"Steve!" She looked around. "What if …"

"Shh, I looked, there's no one in the store watching us. Besides, we're off duty, buying a very, very important piece of furniture. We're supposed to lie like we do at home. Well, to sleep, anyway. Which is either like this or with you on your side and me on my back and I tried that already." He sat up and bounced and she laughed.

"Good bounce. I know. Good for … momentum," she whispered. "Okay, this one's first in the running. Let's try the memory foam, just for the hell of it."

The foam mattresses were around a corner and as they walked into the area only one set of customers was just walking out.

A couple in their seventies smiled at Steve and Catherine and the woman said, "The foam is very comfy. Not that you young people care about this yet, but it's nice and cushy for arthritis."

"Yes, Ma'am." Steve smiled, and the woman's husband took her hand.

"Let's go check out, Marjorie, it's almost eleven, it'll be getting crowded." To Steve he added, "Best time to furniture shop, my boy. Stores are empty before eleven thirty."

"I'll remember, thanks." Steve grinned at Catherine.

"You do that." He grinned.

As the woman passed Catherine, she whispered softly and Catherine giggled and nodded. "Um, thank you. Enjoy your day."

When they were alone in the section, Steve sat on the nearest foam mattress and asked, "What was that?"

Catherine laughed. "She said the foam doesn't have good bounce, you know, for us young people."

"Okay, ah …"

"Exactly. They lose their filter at some point, huh?" She slipped off her shoes and hopped onto the bed, moving to the center. She was immediately surrounded by the soft foam.

"Okay, this is …"

"What?" Steve scooted next to her to lie on his side. "Oh." His brows knitted.

"Kneel up, Steve." She said and did so herself.

"I suppose we won't have to worry a leg or arm will go numb. Since the foam contours, there won't be any uncomfortable positions caused by pressure points."

Catherine bounced a bit. "No squeaking, either. In case we have guests … but I don't know. C'mere," She glanced around and seeing no one, tugged him down quickly on top of her. Seconds later, they were up and standing, identical thoughtful expressions on their faces.

Ken came around the corner into the area not a minute later. "How are we doing? Any questions?"

"I think we've decided, but I have a question." Steve regarded the foam mattress.

"Ask away." Ken smiled openly.

"The display says memory foam mattresses offer traction and temperature responsiveness. If our body temperatures rise, and the mattress matches that heat with additional softness because memory foam softens in warmer environments, doesn't that make it harder to move around freely?"

"Mov … I ah, move." Ken's face, to his credit, remained completely neutral. There wasn't much he hadn't heard. "Yes, it may. Some people don't like that aspect. They say the mattress gets too soft."

Steve nodded. "Thanks." He turned to Catherine. "Yeah, no. That's not gonna work for us."

She grinned at Ken's look and said, "Thank you, Ken. I think we're going with the pillowtop innerspring. Queen size."

"Wonderful! I'll go meet you at the register." He moved toward the front of the store with a smile at his first sale of the day being a high end one, leaving Catherine and Steve to wind their way back toward the innersprings for a final look.

"That must be why Carrie didn't like the foam. Even though it's very comfortable to sleep on," Catherine said as they walked.

"That's something, the comfort, but the innerspring bed bounces back," Steve said as though he were talking about the components of an op. "Which helps with rhythm and speed."

Catherine tilted her head. "You're right. And even if the inner-spring's bounce can waste some energy and effort because when you push down, the mattress pushes back, when you put your knee on the foam mattress, it sank and your weight leaned towards that side. That'd make it hard to move."

"Exactly. I'm afraid you'd feel a little trapped in the foam, too. Not so much a problem for me, because you don't weigh much, but you might feel like you were sinking under my weight."

They'd reached the innerspring they'd chosen. "So we've decided?" Steve sat and pulled her down next to him. A middle aged couple a few feet behind whispered to each other while casting a glance their way.

As they passed by quickly, the husband said, "Let's look over here, Pearl," and didn't make eye contact.

"Must be having a bad day." Steve shrugged. "I think this is the one."

Catherine rechecked the price. "With the discount it's gonna be twenty three hundred dollars. And like my beautiful backsplash, it'll be worth every penny."

Steve grinned. "Yes, it will."

"Oh, and it has a fifteen year warranty."

"That's …" Steve's brows knitted.

"What?" Catherine tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and tilted her head in question.

"No way it's gonna last fifteen years." He shook his head slightly.

"You're probably right." She smirked.

"But I do like their slogan." Steve grinned.

Catherine rolled her eyes at him. "Of course you do." She patted his chest. "C'mon, let's order a new mattress, Commander."

As they walked to the register, she gave a last glance to the point of purchase sign. The tagline said, Whatever you do in bed ...we support it.

.

End. Thanks for reading!

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