Sammy & Ilna, I'm so happy to be writing the wedding of the century with you two. As we keep saying, we are actually planning a wedding, because it's REAL. Real details, real venue and REAL Steve & Catherine. It's so much fun to be on this adventure with such amazing friends. xoxox

REALMcRollers, the love & feedback is humbling. We are honestly having the best time and love all of our readers!

Open Arms

Steve and Catherine were on the sofa. As he was watching the TV that droned softly, she sorted through photos to scan for one of Grace's wedding projects. At some point he'd stopped watching TV and started watching her and her reaction to each picture - a small smile playing on his lips. Some photos he couldn't remember being taken - they'd been snapped by friends or colleagues - but he remembered every second of the encounters they'd captured.

Steve gently squeezed her knee as his eyes clouded momentarily at an image of the two of them in the blazing sun of Karachi. He winced a little as he began, "That was the day I got that call about …"

Flashback

Karachi, Pakistan - June 17, 2002

"Lieutenant Steve McGarrett?" Steve heard as the call connected through dispatch.

"This is Lieutenant McGarrett." His stomach tightened. He'd been called from duty for an emergency communication, and he switched the com device from one hand to the other as he waited for the caller to respond.

"This is LAPD Detective Lee Parker. I'm calling about a Mary Ann McGarrett."

His mouth went dry. "Mary?"

"She's okay -" Steve let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "But there's been some trouble. She was involved in a situation where she was in a car that was being driven by a robbery suspect."

"I'm not sure why you're calling me, Detective, I … we … I haven't seen my sister in almost ten years. Our father lives on Oahu and we have an Aunt right there in …"

"Look, son, she only gave us your name when we explained that she's over eighteen and could be charged. She said she had no family … she's going to need bail money. Seven hundred dollars. And Lieutenant," Detective Parker's voice softened. "You really don't want her in lockup overnight in East L.A."

Steve sighed heavily. "Yeah, okay. I'll get it wired. I'm in Pakistan, it may take a few hours."

"I'll hold her here till it comes." The detective seemed to be relieved as he imparted the necessary information.

Steve ended the call and crossed the compound and back into the com center. As he entered the quonset hut, he sought out the one thing that would settle the unease roiling in his gut. Catherine. Signaling silently that everything was okay, he nodded as she watched him from across the room, her eyes locked onto his.

They were on a joint NI mission after a June 14th car bomb at the US consulate in Karachi killed twelve people. They had several hours until they were relieved of duty. He'd explain it to her later.

As he watched Catherine smile encouragingly, he shook himself to remove the image of a ten year old Mary sitting in a police station.

That Mary didn't exist anymore.

And the one waiting half a world away was someone he was sure he wouldn't recognize. With a heavy sigh, he lifted the com back up to his ear to contact the Red Cross liaison and wire $700 to rescue the sister he no longer knew.

Present

Catherine placed her hand in his and gave him a soft kiss. "You've both come a very, very long way."

"We have. A lot of which we have you to thank for."

He smiled, and a look of contentment washed across his features. His gaze fell back to the pile of images, and she followed his eyes to another photo. They shared a grin at a shot taken when he'd flown to Bali to meet her on a leave before her smile grew soft at a group photo where they were huddled between her family and Carrie's on a day everyone managed to be stateside for an Army/Navy game.

December 12, 2009

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

ARMY/NAVY GAME

Kathie Stagler and Elizabeth Rollins each put an arm around Grandma Ang as Catherine and Carrie stood on opposite sides and hugged each other's mom.

Both women sported sweatshirts that read Navy Mom while Grandma Ang proudly wore one proclaiming My Granddaughter is a US Naval Officer.

"Perfect!" Joseph announced as he snapped a photo. "You know, Catherine, after thirty four years, I can honestly say your mother never once wore an article of clothing that said Navy Wife." He couldn't hide his grin.

"You never bought me any," Elizabeth teased.

"Because I knew better. And yet…" He waved a hand at her sweatshirt with a chuckle.

"Totally different." She moved to her daughter's side and kissed Catherine's cheek with a grin. "Totally and completely different."

Bill Stagler laughed and stepped next to his wife. "Get someone to take a group shot. Girls, get in close to your moms. C'mon, Joseph."

Joseph looked for a passerby to ask when Steve stepped closer. "Here, I'll take it." He motioned for the camera. "Get in there, John," he told Carrie's husband.

When two voices stated, "No," Steve didn't need to look up to know who'd spoken. Catherine and Elizabeth, in stereo.

Catherine held out her gloved fingers. When he hesitated, she walked up and took his hand, pulling him next to her. As Joseph spoke to a couple and handed the woman his camera, Catherine wrapped her arms around Steve's bicep and tugged him close while Elizabeth smiled and patted his shoulder.

Although his expression never faltered, a tiny shadow briefly clouded his eyes when he quietly said, "It's you and Carrie with your families, Cath, I …"

"And I want you next to me. Please?" she whispered.

Grandma Ang touched his hand and nodded at Catherine. "And that's exactly why you should stand right there."

Catherine's voice hitched a bit as she saw the darkness lift from Steve's eyes, and he wrapped an arm around her waist. She reached up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you."

He hugged her close, his voice rough when he murmured, "Thank you," against her hair.

The long moment they held each other's gaze was broken when Carrie's brother Kevin called, "Hey, Steve, you stole my girl, don't block my light!" as he raced from where he'd made a coffee run. Four years his sister's junior, he'd developed a crush on her beautiful roommate who was so sweet to his fourteen year old self on drop off weekend some twelve years earlier.

Placing the Box of Joe on the grass, he stretched out in front of Catherine and his sister. "I may send this one to GQ and get discovered," he teased, and Carrie and Catherine gave him simultaneous playful shoves from behind.

Present

Steve replaced the group photo on top of the one of him and Catherine squinting into the sun in Pakistan. He sat back on the sofa, pulling her against him. "That meant a lot, you know."

She remained quiet and waited for him to continue.

"Being included." He nodded towards the image.

"You belonged there," she said with a gentle smile.

"I hadn't been in a family picture in …" He calculated, "Seventeen years at that point."

She rubbed small circles on his thigh. "I know." Her voice was thready with emotion for the Steve who hadn't fully comprehended he was already part of her family and felt he'd been discarded by his own.

"I never expected to be included in that kind of thing."

"I know that, too." She leaned in and kissed him.

"You'd always accepted my family issues - accepted me with open arms, but when your family did, too …" He smiled, no trace of sadness in the eyes she loved so much. "I'm really glad Mary's getting so comfortable being part of a family again." He laced their fingers. "And that Joanie won't know anything else."

Catherine leaned forward to pick up another photo and placed it in his hand. Smiling at the camera, in the center of the large group picture, Mary and Catherine were kneeling on either side of Steve. Perched on his knee was a beaming Joan who was giving Cammie a hug.

"Nothing else." She tapped the image lightly and tucked herself into his embrace. "Look at that. She's already embraced everyone."

"Just like you." Steve smiled as he kissed her temple, his eyes leaving the photo to look into Catherine's. "With open arms."

#

End, thanks for reading

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