By popular demand (thank you!) I present another Oblivious one-shot. This series will forever be very special to me because Sammy, my friend & wonderful writing partner told me if she hadn't read Oblivious in December 2013, she wouldn't have posted in this fandom. I'd never have met her or my other terrific friend and REAL World Team member, Ilna, since Sammy encouraged Ilna to write for H50! (And I was her 1st reviewer…awww). Therefore Oblivious will always continue as long as I write!
Hugs to my McRoll Team, to the fabulous reviewers and, #REALMcRollers … you are the best, ever.
Hugs, Mari
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Oblivious: Taken – A McRoll in the REAL World Story
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HQ – 3:40 p.m.
"Hey, do me a favor?" Danny stared speaking before Steve even said 'hello' into his cell.
"What's up?" Steve looked away from the evidence bag on his desk.
"Camaro's got a flat. Which I'm sure is your fault, by the way. I need you pick up Grace, I'm supposed to be there in fifteen minutes."
"I've been reviewing the Reilly evidence," Steve nodded at his desk as if his partner could see it. "For the past three hours and I haven't driven the Camaro since yesterday, how is your flat my fault?" He asked his best friend.
"Because everything that's wrong with my car is always your fault." Danny huffed. "Now we have thirteen minutes, can you go?"
"Of course I can go." Unless he was in the middle of an armed conflict, Steve would be there. He'd always drop everything for Gracie. "I'm leaving now." He stood, grabbing his Sig and locking his desk.
"Good. Great. Thanks. Just take her to your house; I'll pick her up as soon as I get the flat changed and get back."
"Okay. Catherine's out on the Ryan investigation. Text her not to come back to HQ, and and to go straight home. Gracie can eat dinner with us. If you're nice, I may save you a plate." Steve said as he crossed the bullpen.
"Nice? I'm always nice!" Danny said before he realized his partner had ended the call. "Goodbye to you, too." he said, but grinned at Steve's willingness to run and get Grace. Shaking his head, he opened the trunk and grabbed the jack.
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Steve's Truck
3:51 p.m.
"Thanks for picking me up, Uncle Steve." Grace said. She hopped into the cab of the truck as Steve got to the front of the 'pick up' queue. "And thanks for not cutting the line." She grinned.
A few times when Steve had picked her up at school, he'd driven right to the front, flashing his badge at the angry horns and yelling parents. Danny had been in the hospital the first time and Steve had had no intention of wasting even one extra second in getting his daughter to him. But the second time, Danny was only stuck in court. Grace had asked him not to do that if it wasn't an emergency because it wasn't fair, and Steve had agreed. Not that he had much patience to wait in what Danny called the Rich-Mommy-Line, but because Steve couldn't refuse Gracie anything and he was proud of her sense of fair play.
"Even if I'm anxious to see you?" Steve teased.
Grace rolled her eyes and leaned over to plant a kiss on his cheek. "What's wrong with Danno's car? He said you broke it again." She giggled as she buckled in.
"Danno's car has a flat, which was totally not my fault, by the way." Steve smiled. "I'm taking you to my house; he'll pick you up there."
"Cool." Grace nodded happily, she loved going to the beach house. "Is Aunty Cath home?"
"She will be." Steve turned off the main road, heading for home. "We need to stop for some groceries, though. We'll have dinner while we wait for your dad. I may save him some if he stops telling people I broke the car."
Grace laughed out loud at that. "Uncle Steve, you do kinda break the car … a lot."
"Yeah, but …" Steve was interrupted by his phone. Glancing at the screen he said "It's Catherine. Gracie, pick it up for me?" Grace had scolded him in the past when he'd answered the phone while at the wheel.
"Uncle Steve's phone." Grace sing-songed into the cell and followed up with, "Okay." And "Aunty Cath said to put her on speaker."
"Hey!" Catherine's voice filled the truck. "Your dad texted me that you're coming for dinner. If there's anything special you'd like, tell Uncle Steve to pick it up at the store."
"I'll eat whatever." Grace told him. "What were you going to have?"
"Grilled fish and veggies." Steve told her "But if you want something else…"
"No, that's great." Grace nodded.
"Steve? Get some ice cream, oh and chocolate sauce." Catherine's suggestion made Grace smile.
"Okay. We'll probably be home in an hour. See you later." Steve said.
"See you both in an hour. Hey, Grace?"
"Yes?"
"Get the big bottle of chocolate."
Grace giggled and ended the conversation as Steve rolled his eyes at her. "The big bottle, really?"
"Really, Uncle Steve, you can never have too much chocolate."
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Foodland 4:20 p.m.
"I think that's it, Gracie." Steve tossed a sixteen ounce bottle of chocolate syrup into the basket. "Let's get some fresh almond butter at the deli counter and we're good to go."
Steve was reading a text from Max about a report when Grace's "Our turn, Uncle Steve." Got his attention and he moved up to the counter.
"Hi Commander McGarrett!" The two college aged girls behind the counter said in sync.
"Sorry. Hi." Steve turned to Grace. "Do you want anything, Gracie?"
"Nope, I'm good."
"Hi! Aren't you cute?" The taller girl smiled at Grace, but her eyes never left Steve. "We have cookie samples, want some?" She took down a tray and offered them to Grace, who took two chocolate chip cookies and handed one to Steve.
"Thank you." Grace said and grinned at Steve when the girls juggled to get closest to the counter and take his order, but he didn't seem to notice.
"We just need a half pound of the fresh almond butter."
"Great!" The shorter of the two girls, whose nametag identified her as Katie beamed.
"I've got it!" Her coworker announced and dashed past her to fill the order.
The store manager popped around the corner. "Hey, Steve!"
"Hi, Jirou." Steve greeted a 60-something man with sparkling eyes and a ready smile. "How's Kim and the baby?" Steve inquired about the man's daughter. Jirou and his brothers owned four Foodland stores. His oldest brother had been a friend of John McGarrett's and Jirou was working for the family business back when Steve had frequented the store with his parents as a child. Kim had just made Jirou a first time grandfather.
"They're great! Look!" He pulled out his phone to show Steve a photo of the baby with two women, Kim and Lizzie, Jirou's wife. "Luckily they both favor Lizzie!" He grinned.
"She's beautiful." Steve said sincerely of the tiny, alert child looking directly into the camera.
"Isn't she? Oh, Steve, please thank Catherine for the outfit, again." He winked. "That's quite a special girl you've got there."
"Yes, she is." Steve nodded. "And I will." Even after all their years together, Cath's thoughtfulness never failed to amaze him. When Jirou had hung a giant It's A Girl! banner on the store, she'd sought him out to congratulate him and then brought a small baby gift they next time they'd gone shopping.
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"Here you are, Commander!" The dark haired girl who'd run past her co worker to fill a tub with almond butter announced. "Do you need anything else? Anything at all? We're not that busy. If you want to talk to Mr. Ko I could run and get whatever else is on your list."
Steve looked up at the girl who was biting her bottom lip and smiling. "No, that's nice but we're done, thanks."
Jirou Ko shook his head. "Lisa, get the Commander a half pound of the new mango salsa." At Steve's protest he said, "On the house, for you and Catherine. C'mon. I know you since John used to take you in here in a stroller. I made a ton, please try some. If you like it, order some for your next barbeque, deal?" He called to Lisa, "And then … back to work, please."
Grace covered her mouth with a hand to stifle a giggle as Katie smirked at Lisa's reprimand.
Seeing an opportunity, Katie stepped forward. "You know we deliver, right, Commander? I live not too far from Five-0 headquarters, or we can just pull your address from when you ordered the catering that time and I could drop off your groceries …"
"That's also very nice, but we don't have our groceries delivered." Steve couldn't imagine having someone else buy their food and drop it off, unless he and Catherine were both incapacitated from an injury or something, and even then, they had friends who'd help them out.
Steve was saying goodbye and thanking Jirou when, "Hey, can I get a half pound of Swiss cheese, here?" A woman in her forties with a grammar school aged boy called out. "I know he's a hottie as you girls say, but I need to get home and make dinner."
Steve ducked his head as Jiro Ko raised an eyebrow at his employees "Sorry, Ma'am, right away. Girls, back to work!" and Grace burst into laughter.
"C'mon Gracie." Steve started to lead her towards the checkout, but she stepped away and ran up to the counter, whispering something to the girls and grabbing a third cookie before hurrying back to Steve.
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McGarrett/Rollins Residence 5:10 p.m.
"You're too funny, Uncle Steve!" Grace was laughing as they walked into the house ten minutes later.
Catherine came in from the lanai wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Hey, Grace." She crossed to Grace for a hug and brushed her lips against Steve's as she took two of the bags he was holding. "Dinner's ready to go on the grill. Did you get everything?"
As Steve went to deposit the groceries in the kitchen, Grace said to Catherine, "We got two kinds of ice cream and the giant bottle of chocolate sauce …" She was interrupted by her cell and said, "Oh, 'scuse me. Hi, Danno!" Followed by, "We just got here. I stopped at the store with Uncle Steve…"
While Grace talked to Danny, Catherine brought the bags she'd taken from Steve into the kitchen and started to hand him items as he put them away. "Got two kinds of ice cream, did you?"
"Grace couldn't decide. She finally settled on vanilla, which I think she did because she knows it's my favorite," Steve smiled happily. "So I got chocolate, too. Then she can have some of each." He reasoned.
Catherine smirked and gently poked him in the ribs. "Softie."
"She made me get enough chocolate sauce to make a hundred sundaes, too." Steve held up the bottle. "Which I believe was your idea."
Catherine glanced at the door, making sure Grace was out of earshot. Her eyes glinted mischievously as she stepped very close to Steve and whispered, "I thought you might enjoy using up the leftover chocolate sauce, later …" and laughed when the bottle nearly slipped from his grasp.
"Oh, you're on, Rollins." He said hoarsely, and cleared his throat as Grace was entering the room.
Grace turned to Catherine. "Sorry about that. Danno said the tire's changed. He'll be here in half an hour and don't let Uncle Steve eat all the fish."
Steve was heading for the lanai when the doorbell rang. He turned and raised an eyebrow at Catherine "I'm not expecting anyone."
"Me either." She shrugged and put the bags down. "I'll get it." Grace followed Catherine, curious to see who the visitor might be.
At the door stood the girl from the grocery store. She was shifting from one foot to the other, smiling nervously. She looked a little stunned to see Catherine, who said, "Can I help you?"
"Oh, uh, I'm Katie." Green apron emblazoned with FOODLAND notwithstanding, she added, "From Foodland?" It sounded like a question. "Is um, Commander McGarrett home?"
Catherine stepped back, amused. "Sure. Just a sec. Steve!" She called over her shoulder as Grace stared the girl down.
When Steve came back in he looked between Catherine and Katie. "Yeah?"
"This young lady asked for you." Catherine couldn't hide her grin.
"You forgot this … I asked Mr. Ko if I could drop it off …" She bit her bottom lip and thrust a bag at Steve. "It's the mango salsa."
"Thanks." He turned and handed the bag to Catherine and said, "Here, let me give you …" As he was fishing for his wallet.
Katie blushed furiously. "Oh, no! No thank you, I'm on my own time. I just wanted to, like, you know, drop it off … for you."
Steve looked puzzled as Katie was staring at him, wide-eyed. "Okay, well thanks a lot …"
"I'll let you out." Grace said with a super friendly voice that belied a stern look. "My Aunt and Uncle have to finish making dinner now."
Katie glanced at a grinning Catherine, and then down at the floor. "I do have to get home. Have a good night. And Commander? Don't forget if you ever need a delivery or anything …" She stopped with a giggle and turned to leave.
Catherine grabbed Steve's hand and tugged him away from the door, struggling to hold back a laugh.
"What the hell?" Steve whispered when Catherine burst into laughter as soon as they were outside.
"Oh my God!" Catherine let a laugh escape. "Grace is protecting me, you ... us. She's adorable. And less oblivious than you, I might add."
Steve shook his head. "Gracie is always adorable, but that kid was just dropping of the salsa because Jirou made it and wanted us to try it on the house."
Catherine patted his cheek. "Sure she was."
"Catherine. She looks about fifteen."
"Steve, she's in college, and …" She smirked. "Why do I bother?" She gave him a kiss and rolled her eyes. "Probably because you're adorable when you're oblivious. Go put the food on the grill." Catherine's smile followed Steve as he walked towards the grill, shaking his head with a grin of his own.
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5:20 p.m.
"Got any lemonade, Uncle Steve?" Grace asked as she set the outside table for dinner.
"Of course, go help yourself." Steve indicated the kitchen with a chin tilt. He'd started buying Grace's favorite drink after the first time she and Danny had come to his house. He and Catherine always had some on hand. "Tell Catherine dinner's in five minutes."
"Okay." Grace placed the last napkin on the table and ran inside. Catherine was grabbing glasses from the cabinet when she entered the kitchen. "Uncle Steve said the food's ready." Grace regarded her Aunt with a head tilt. "Hey, Aunty Cath?"
Catherine looked at Grace's expression and stopped. "Yeah, Grace?"
"I wasn't being mean. To that girl. I hope Uncle Steve's not upset with me."
"What?" Catherine was genuinely perplexed. She'd never seen Grace be intentionally mean to anyone. "Who are you talking about?"
"That girl from the store. It was funny when she and her friend were flirting with Uncle Steve in the Foodland, because he didn't even notice, but then she did it here. Right in front of you."
Catherine nodded. "Ahh. Your Uncle Steve rarely notices and I promise he's not upset with you."
"Good. Because she was rude. This is your house. And Uncle Steve is your boyfriend. I told her my Aunt and Uncle had to make dinner, meaning she should go home. And in the store? I went back and asked for another one of the cookies they gave us. Know why?"
Catherine smiled at her niece. "For me?"
Grace, relieved Catherine 'got it', nodded. "Yeah. I said 'May I have one for my Aunt? You know my Uncle Steve's girlfriend, they shop here all the time.' Those girls needed to understand Uncle Steve was, well, taken. So they'd stop … bothering him." Grace looked annoyed.
Catherine was touched at Grace's sense of loyalty.
"He's like way too old for them, anyway. I know he's really cute and I know lots of women kinda chase him. The girls at Foodland flirt with Danno all the time, too. Saying how cute I am." Grace rolled her eyes. "Like I'm two. I'm closer to their age than Uncle Steve or Danno are." She huffed. "But … Danno's never been in there with a girlfriend. They've seen you and Uncle Steve shop there together." Grace shook her head. "Uncle Steve loves you, he'd never … I just really didn't like her coming here like that." Grace let the sentence fade.
Catherine opened her arms and Grace walked into a hug. "You're the best, Grace. You know that?" Cath placed a kiss on the girl's head.
Grace pulled back, smiling. "Thanks."
"You know you don't ever have to worry about anything like that with your Uncle Steve, or with me, for that matter, right? But I appreciate you looking out for us."
"Worry about what?" Steve came in and looked between Catherine and Grace. "The food's ready; I came in to see what's taking you two so long. You didn't start eating the ice cream before dinner, did you?" He admonished, but he couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from twitching up and the spark of fun lighting his hazel eyes when Grace laughed at his remark.
Catherine treasured seeing Steve so relaxed and happy, teasing Grace about ice cream. It made her feel like a tiny part of the darkness inflicted by his own childhood dissipated with every happy moment he spent with their niece.
Grace let go of Catherine and went to grab Steve in a hug. He caught Catherine's eyes as he planted a kiss on Grace's head.
"Not worried, really. I just didn't want you to think I was being mean to that Katie, but she was flirting with you in front of Aunty Cath. I just wanted her to get the message."
"Aw, Gracie, Catherine's right, you never have to worry about that." Warmth flooded Steve's heart at how protective his niece was of him and Catherine; and their relationship. Steve smiled down at her. "What message?"
"I wanted her to know that you don't notice flirting because you're not interested." Grace grinned. "Because you're … taken."
Steve laughed at Gracie's unwavering tone. With one arm around Grace, he held the other out to Catherine. Hugging his two favorite women, Steve's eyes glowed with happiness. "That I am, Gracie. That I am."
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End Thx for reading ~ Mari