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Never a Problem

Steve's Office

Danny bounced the baby and rattled his keys to make her smile as he explained Steve's bloodied shirt and scraped knuckles to Catherine as though he was discussing the Honolulu weather.

"...then he started screaming like a lunatic how he wanted protective custody because he was gonna get killed if he opened his mouth. When we refused without some info on what he had on the cartel, he got nasty," he shook his head. "You were at his last arrest and he made a few …" he glanced at Elizabeth, who'd brought Angie to meet her parents so she could attend the annual decoration party at the local center that participated with Child Care Connection Hawaii. "Inappropriate comments."

"Ah," Catherine glanced between her husband and his partner.

Danny smirked. "I explained, in the nicest possible way ..." his expression said it had been anything but, "that lots of things could kill him, none more efficiently than Steve, and told him he needed to shut his mouth."

Catherine pressed her lips together and held out a hand for her husband's shirt as he pulled on a fresh one. "He didn't." She examined the shirt and opened his desk drawer to extract a large evidence bag to place it in for disposal.

"He did not." Danny confirmed and turned Angie so she could face Steve who was now wearing a clean shirt. "Who's that?" He bounced her when she said, 'baaaa ahhh ahhh' "Is that your Daddy? Look, he's all cleaned up, go see Daddy."

"How's my girl?" Steve lifted her above his head and when it made her laugh, smiled like he won the lottery. Holding her close, he turned to his mother in law. "Are you staying? You're welcome to come."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, you go have fun, grandma is going home and do some paperwork for the tutoring program." She kissed Angie and bid them all goodbye, squeezing her daughter's hand as she passed her Sophie, the teething giraffe.

Preschool Open Doors and Oahu Head Start Center

The little girl wearing a mele kalikimaka t-shirt and a sparkly green headband came up to Catherine balancing a plate of cookies which she carefully placed on one of the card tables that had been set up for visitors. "Hi, you want a cookie?"

"I'd love a cookie." She took a snowman shaped sugar cookie with white icing and chocolate chips for the eyes and nose. Talisha Harvey, the center's director, who she'd been speaking with winked at the child, giving her a thumbs up and telling her, "good job" before moving to the next table to chat with another volunteer.

"Did you decorate these?" Catherine asked and took a bite, humming, "hmm delicious."

"We all decorated 'em." The ponytailed, grinning girl indicated the group of five and six year olds also passing out cookies to the adults who'd come to help decorate the floor to ceiling artificial tree, string lights, hoist a huge menorah and set up a Kwanzaa display next to one of Santa's outrigger canoes filled with presents. "I'm Izumi." She climbed up on the folding chair next to Catherine, who automatically reached a hand to steady it while balancing Angie on her lap. "Your baby's pretty."

"Thank you. Her name is Angie." She turned her to face Izumi and the baby immediately said, 'ahh ahhhh ehhh.'

"Hi Angie, I got two boy cousins." She pointed out toddler twins who were among the children watching Steve with wide eyes as he perched on a ladder to secure the tree to a wall so it wouldn't topple over. "I want a sister."

As Catherine smiled, a young woman came up and barked a laugh. "Sorry, baby girl, not happening. I'm in the one-and-done club." She kissed her daughter and offered her hand. "I'm Joya. Thanks for your help today."

"Catherine …" she began, but Joya shook her head.

"You don't need to introduce yourself, Lieutenant. I saw you on the news a million times."

Izumi had been picking out a cookie and placed it on a paper plate near her mom's. "That's for daddy, 'kay?" She looked up. "Mama's got your wedding in her magazine. We look at the pictures sometimes."

"That doesn't sound stalkerish or anything." Joya pinked. "I loved your wedding photos, your dress was so beautiful. I saved the Oahu Today with the pictures. We're going to do a little vow renewal thing for our tenth anniversary. Just family, but I want a dress and stuff but … priorities, ya know? We figured that's another five years and we'll have our masters' by then." She ran a hand over her daughter's hair. "She was a surprise, sophomore year. We were engaged but we moved up the date." When Catherine nodded, she continued, "We got married in the courthouse."

Catherine was pleased to see Joya's smile was happy, not disappointed.

"I wore a sundress and slippers and Delashaun wore boardies and a t-shirt. So sometimes me and Izumi look at wedding stuff."

"I'm the maid of honor," Izumi announced.

"That's Awesome. I bet you'll be amazing." Catherine grinned at her.

Joya smiled her thanks. "So anyway, your wedding pictures were just so beautiful I couldn't bring myself to throw the magazine out. I really love your dress."

As Catherine thanked her, she glanced across the room at the twenty-something man with Ben Franklin glasses who was leading the effort to 'float' the outrigger on huge styrofoam 'waves'.

"Del graduated last year. I've got one semester to go. This place was a godsend." She indicated the center with a wave. "It's the only way we could finish school and work. We staggered schedules and Izumi got great daycare based on our incomes."

"That's wonderful," Catherine grinned as Izumi hopped down and ran off calling, "Daddy! I saved you a cookie!"

"Can I ask you a question?" Joya picked a chocolate chip off her cookie and nibbled it.

"Of course."

"I heard on the news there's maybe a tutoring program happening through the governor's office. People are saying they're getting a professor who's been setting programs up for like thirty years to be in charge. Any of that true?"

"It's being strongly considered. And the program director they're considering is one of the best." She couldn't confirm until it was officially announced. "Nothing's written in stone yet, though."

"I wanna volunteer when it's ready. My degree is going to be elementary education. I figure I can do a couple hours a week by next year." She pushed back a strand of hair that escaped one of her braids. "I figure it's my turn to give back a little."

"That's outstanding." Catherine reached for her purse in the diaper bag. "Here's my card. You let me know when you're ready and I'll introduce you to the program head. I know her pretty well." She grinned at the thought of her mother being a resident less than six months and already her work and reputation were being lauded.

Joya took the card and examined both sides. Just as she said, "I will." Steve walked up, said, "hello" and scooped Angie from Catherine's lap just as Izumi returned, her father's hand in hers.

"Ready to get her home?" He asked as Catherine introduced him and she gathered their things.

"You're Angie's daddy, I seen you in the picture at the wedding."

"That's Commander McGarrett, can you say hi and have a good night, to him and the Lieutenant, please?" Delashaun raised his brows. "Thanks again for your help, Sir, Ma'am."

"Hi Comman'er, Angie's pretty. I like her red pants." She pointed to the tiny red and white outfit, another gift from Elizabeth. "G'night. G'night Angie and L'tenant."

They left the family to eat their snack and Steve bounced the baby who was babbling happily and had swiveled her head to gaze wide-eyed at the newly lit colored lights. " Somebody wants to see the lights, let's go look at the lights before we go home, Angie."

Minutes later, they were walking through the exit. Catherine glanced up at him to say, "looks like we're in for a storm."

That's when they heard the screams.

Acting instantly, Catherine dropped the diaper bag and took Angie from Steve who, like his wife, had identified the source as coming from around the southwest corner of the building. A silent conversation that took mere seconds transpired before he took off at a dead run as she angled her body between the street and their daughter, backed into the doorway of the center and directed everyone to get back inside.

When Talisha Harvey appeared at her side, Catherine asked the Head Start Director who she'd grown to know since her tenure as chief of staff, to hold Angie. "I need to see what's going on, Steve may need backup," she explained calmly and kissed the baby. "Mommy's going to be right back."

Izumi, who'd wormed her way to her parents' sides called, "I'll help watch her, Miz Harvey!" But Catherine only just registered the little girl's voice as she moved to round the corner after Steve.

A sigh of relief expelled the breath she'd been holding when she saw him in the wide alley. A relief stronger than any she'd known before July 6th. It made her almost giddy, and when he looked up and caught her eyes with a thankful nod and smile, a bubble of laughter escaped her lips.

Steve was soaked. Drenched to the skin as he stood several feet from a gushing water hydrant, yet he still cut quite an intimidating figure, hands on hips as he shook his head. Next to the hydrant stood two early- teen boys with shocked eyes staring at the task force commander. A car was five yards away. A car with a rope tied between the rear bumper and the hydrant cap.

Apparently, a prank that was intended to jolt their sister's car actually popped the spigot cap off the hydrant.

The kids were stammering explanations and apologies at Steve which were interspersed with pleas of 'don't arrest us' and 'are we going to jail?'

Smiling as she pulled her phone from her pocket to update HPD as well as call in a fire truck, Catherine backed out of the alley. Returning to the center, she collected her baby, thanked everyone for remaining inside and calm, and went outside with Angie to wait for Steve.

McGarrett/Rollins Home

Steve ended the call with Danny and dropped the phone next to the pizza box on the coffee table as soon as he entered the house.

"Everything okay?" Catherine handed him a plate as he sat at her side. They'd opted for pizza after the alley incident.

He nodded. "The kids are gonna get community service at the firehouse. Since the car was their older sister's no one's pressing charges there. The mom made them apologize to HPD and the firefighters for wasting their time."

"And?" She took a sip of water and passed him the baby. He'd barely handed the hydrant incident to HPD when he got called that the suspect from that morning was ready to talk. He'd given Catherine his keys and grabbed a ride back with a detective, promising to pick up dinner if he didn't run too late.

He kissed her and the baby before reaching for a slice of pizza. "The scum from this morning rolled on the cartel." His mouth quirked up in a smile when Angie grabbed for the food in his hand. "Not yet, baby girl." He kissed her cheek. "You're still too little for pizza."

When she grabbed at his chin and babbled, he reached for her bottle that sat on the table.

"There's a couple of ounces left," he said as Angie took a swallow before pushing it away to make another grab at the pizza.

Catherine laughed. "That's her second bottle, she just wants your dinner." She'd fed her, so Steve would tuck her in. "Want me to take her while you eat? Cammie and I gave Angie peas and carrots and some mashed potatoes."

At the sound of her name, the dog looked up from her bolster bed and made sure all was well, before lying back down with a sigh.

Cradling the baby as he took another bite, he shook his head. "We got this, right, baby girl?" Balancing the food on his knee, he pinched the tiniest bit of tomato sauce and dabbed her lips.

Angie's eyes opened wide as her tongue played over the new taste, said, "Ahhh ehhh" and settled back against Steve's chest. "See, you just wanted a taste, right? What do you think?"

Catherine shook her head with a smile. "I think you're a softie."

He snorted. "I am not." He couldn't hide his smile. "Besides, I was asking Angie,"

She waved a hand. "We both know you're a big softie." She turned to the baby. "But we'll keep your daddy's secret, right?"

He nodded, smile still in place as he tickled Angie's tummy and she ran her fingers over his knuckles. "Thank you. I gotta keep up my reputation." He addressed their daughter. "Wouldn't want any bad guys thinking fatherhood made me soft, right, Angie?"

Catherine watched the baby's little fingers play over his bruised knuckles. "That bad guy was more afraid of your daddy than a whole drug cartel," she kissed the little cheek and looked at Steve. "I don't think your reputation's ever gonna be a problem."

His eyes lifted to hers. "Scum made a comment about us. You." His shrug was almost imperceptible, but the familiar set of his jaw was not. Steve in protective mode. Even if he knew Catherine was one hundred percent capable of protecting herself. "He had it coming."

Angie looked between her parents and said, 'ahh ehhh oooh,'

Catherine leaned in and kissed him over the baby's head. "Like she said, never gonna be a problem."

# End thanks for reading

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