Mari & Ilna- you guys are the absolute best. Thanks for EVERYTHING! There are no two people I'd rather be on this ride with.
Sandy-what would I do without you?
REAL Worlders-I can never fully express what all your amazing support means to me. All I can say is that in our fourth calendar year your support and encouragement keeps me as enthusiastic as I was about this project day one.
Teamwork (1/1)
As Catherine exited the elevator and headed down the short hall towards Five-0 headquarters she could see Steve and Danny through the glass doors, standing next to a pile of evidence boxes stacked in the middle of the bullpen. Steve's arms were crossed over his chest and Danny was adamantly shaking his head no. Their voices were muffled but she smiled to herself as there was no mistaking the bickering tone she'd heard so many times before.
She smiled to herself at the familiar dynamic as she pulled open the door and their voices became more clear.
"Catherine will understand," Steve insisted.
Danny's hands landed on his hips with an exasperated sigh. "She doesn't need to understand. I can handle this. You go condo hunting with your wife."
Catherine could tell by the determined looks on both their faces as well as their dug-in body language they'd been at it for a while already.
"Something wrong?" she asked as she approached them.
Steve leaned over and kissed her on the cheek then turned his attention immediately back to his partner. "Frank Kaewa thinks the defense attorneys in the Kahili murder case have something up their sleeves so he wants us to go over the evidence with a fine-tooth comb and make sure everything is in order by tomorrow so he can start trial prep." He slapped his hand down on the boxes and scowled. "It's gonna take half the night to get through this stuff."
Danny glared at his best friend but as he turned towards Catherine his features softened.
"Catherine, please … tell your husband I am perfectly capable of handling this on my own. Get him out of here and go find your parents a place close by where they can practice the fine art of grandparenting," Danny pleaded. "Niblet will be before you know it and you'll need as much space as possible to store all the toys and clothes I predict will be coming her way."
Between trial work, new cases, and their expanded responsibilities with the governor's office the team put in quite a few long nights over the previous two weeks and so had decided that as long as no new case came up they would take Friday afternoon off and, with a little luck, enjoy a long, stress-free weekend.
Catherine and Steve had arranged to use the time to view several condos the agency her parents were working with had lined up for them to see. It wasn't easy shopping for property from five thousand miles away but luckily Elizabeth and Joseph had some experience with the process from their time moving to far flung locations with the Navy.
They always wanted to make the transition period between postings as smooth as possible, especially for Catherine, so they tried to have their new housing arrangements set before arrival.
In those days they'd often had to count on an agent or a base housing officer to make sure their new home was suitable for their needs. They learned very early how deceiving pictures could be. So even with the advent of virtual house tours and high quality imaging it made them feel better to have Steve and Catherine actually view the property before any decisions were made.
Catherine looked apprehensively at the boxes and bit her bottom lip.
"We can reschedule with the real estate agent," she offered.
Steve gave Danny a triumphant 'I told you so' smile.
"Absolutely not." Danny held his ground. "Grace is eating dinner at Linda's and then Grandma Josie is taking them to a movie and Gabby is going to a baby shower for one of her coworkers so I'm free as a bird."
"You said you were going to … let me get this exactly right … 'savor the solitude'," Steve reminded him.
Danny picked up the top box from the stack. "I'll do that some other day."
"Are you sure?" Catherine placed her purse on the smart table. "I could pitch in and help and with the three of us working together we could knock this out in no time."
"You're as bad as he is." Danny rolled his eyes and shooed them away with his hands. "I want you to find a place for your parents. The more time Joseph spends on the island the more stories he can tell me and the more ammunition I'll have." He smirked. "Now go."
Steve hesitated for just a minute. Joseph and Elizabeth were unquestionably anxious to find a place and he knew that if they wanted to have everything in order before Niblet arrived they needed to make a purchase soon.
Steve suddenly got a picture in his mind of Joseph, Elizabeth and Grandma Ang wrapping Niblet in the same kind of loving atmosphere that had created Catherine and his mind was made up. "Thanks, buddy. I appreciate it. Call if anything comes up."
"Will do."
"So, this first place I'm going to show you just came on the market yesterday," the real estate agent Joseph and Elizabeth had been working with online, Kayla Markham, said as they crossed the parking lot and approached a three-story building on the outskirts of Honolulu.
Kayla appeared to be in early sixties. She was well-dressed, impressed coiffed and had a no-nonsense manner about her. She carried a clip board with information about the condos they'd be visiting which she clutched as though it carried the secrets of the universe. Anytime they stopped moving to talk she tapped her pen impatiently against the clipboard.
Steve and Catherine tore their attention away from Kayla's endless string of chatter and looked at the building. The wooden shingles covering the outside appeared to be in good shape though they were in definite need of a coat of paint. Steve noticed several telltale darkened areas around some of the window frames, a sure indicator of water damage. He made a mental note to check the inside walls very carefully.
As they crossed the threshold and entered the main lobby he caught Catherine's eye, noticed her slightly raised eyebrows, and knew immediately what she was thinking. It was the same thing he was thinking.
The carpets, worn nearly bare in the high traffic area between the front door and the elevator, along with and overflowing trash can in the corner and several burned out lightbulbs in the chandelier made it clear maintenance was not a high priority.
Kayla recited the specs of the property, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1500 square feet, as she moved towards the elevators. She frowned momentarily at the 'temporarily out of order' sign taped to the shiny metal door then pasted her smile back on and turned to Steve and Catherine.
"I guess we'll have to take the stairs."
"I thought my parents said they were looking for a place on the ground floor," Catherine said as Kayla, undeterred, headed for the stairway.
"They said that was their preference," Kayla confirmed, "but this place is so lovely and I know for a fact the seller is motivated so I decided to put it on the list."
"Does the elevator go out often?" Steve asked, standing at the base of the stairs, Catherine at his side.
Kayla turned back when she realized they weren't following her and her pen began its familiar tapping. "This is an older building so there are certain concessions that need to be made."
"I don't want my grandmother having to deal with stairs if we can avoid it." Catherine shook her head. "I know my parents feel the same way."
"Plus, when they have the baby with them there'll be a stroller and lots of things that need carried," Steve agreed. "I think stairs are a deal breaker."
"The view from the third floor is amazing." Kayla tried to tempt them. "Just imagine them sitting on the balcony and looking out at the ocean while they sip their morning coffee."
Catherine smiled politely. "I believe my parents also said they were fine with something a little farther inland. They're more than willing to trade an ocean view for more space."
"Most people looking for a place in Hawaii are all about ocean views," Kayla said, her smile slipping just slightly. "I find that once they get a glimpse of it everything else they thought they wanted takes a back seat."
Catherine was polite but firm. "That's not the case with my parents."
"They can sit on our deck and watch the ocean whenever they want," Steve added. "They'd definitely rather have an extra bedroom or maybe a playroom."
"Well, ok then," Kayla said tightly. "I guess we won't bother going up to see this one," she huffed as she breezed past Steve and Catherine who glanced at each other and fell in behind the clearly perturbed woman.
"Have you been selling real estate long?" Catherine asked in an attempt to lessen the tension as they headed across the parking lot.
"Thirty-five years," Kayla replied. "I've worked on each of the islands and I know Hawaii real estate like the back of my hand. I have a knack for cutting through what people think they want and getting to what they really want," she said smugly.
Steve and Catherine shared a wary look.
"Don't you worry," Kayla said, her bright smile firmly back in place. "You're in good hands."
"Well, it's very … modern," Catherine said as she looked around the second condo on Kayla's list. She knew as soon as they pulled into the parking lot that the towering structure with the shiny silver facade was not her parents' taste but she wanted to give it a chance.
"It's on the first floor," Kayla pointed out.
"That's true." Catherine nodded as she ran her fingers along the sharp edges of the kitchen cabinets.
"It does have the bonus room you were looking for." Kayla pointed to two halls branching off the living room, one to the left and one to the right. "There are two bedrooms and a bathroom down each hall. Plus, this unit was fully updated less than two years ago."
Steve frowned slightly at the sunken living room. "I think this step might be a problem. Same with these tile floors. They're not exactly kid friendly."
"It'll be a while until you have to worry about the baby toddling around," Kayla scoffed. "All kids get their share of bumps and bruises. It's part of growing up."
Neither Steve nor Catherine cared for the cavalier tone in the agent's voice.
Kayla, oblivious to their growing discomfort, plunged forward. "Wait until you see the master suite. There's a jetted bathtub, a steam shower and a hot tub on the attached patio."
Catherine and Steve followed her down the hallway taking note of even more tile and a chair rail with a sharp edge as Kayla chattered on about recessed lighting and retractable awnings.
When they stopped to look at the bathroom the two bedrooms in this hall would share Steve's eyes were drawn instantly to the ceiling and a subpar patch job directly over their heads.
"What happened there?" he asked.
Kayla looked up with consternation. "It appears there was a leak in the unit above this one."
All three of them watched as a drop of water formed along the taped over crack and fell with a soft splat an inch from Catherine's shoe.
"I think you mean there is a leak, not there was one," Catherine stated flatly.
"We can definitely have someone take a look a look at that," Kayla said dismissively. "It's inconvenient but shouldn't be a deal breaker. Wait until you see this patio."
They made their way through the master bedroom and out a set of sliding glass doors to a nice sized brick patio. There were several chairs crowded to one side and right in the middle sat a large cedar sided hot tub.
"Wow, that's … big," Catherine said.
"It's a 10 seater." Kayla reported proudly.
Steve rubbed the back of his neck. "The way it sits right there in the middle of the patio makes it hard to find room to do anything else out here."
"Why would you want to do anything else?" Kayla ran her hand reverently along the edge of the hot tub's cover. "Trust me, once you get a little older you appreciate having somewhere to soak your sore muscles. You can put the baby's swing right there in the corner and then relax in the hot tub for a couple of hours while they amuse themselves bouncing."
Neither Catherine nor Steve could keep the look of disgust off their faces though Kayla was so lost in dreams of soaking in warm bubbles she didn't notice.
"I'm not sure about this." Steve shook his head doubtfully as he stood on the front step of the third condo and looked around. The private outdoor entrance was a plus but on the other hand the unit sat just steps from the gate that led to the pool and play area shared by all the residents of the complex. "This area probably gets pretty congested."
"And loud," Catherine said as she studied the sign that listed the hours of operation.
She looked around at the sprawling complex which consisted of eight large, five-story buildings. It was clean and well maintained. The landscaping was lush and beautiful. It was convenient to not only their house but pretty much all the shopping and entertainment her parents and Grandma Ang could ever want.
Everything about it was perfect.
Well …almost everything.
"Are there any other units available?" she asked hopefully.
Kayla pursed her lips. "I'm not sure. I'd have to consult the listings back at the office."
Steve and Catherine both knew in a complex this large there had to be multiple units for sale. Steve opened his mouth to say just that then read the look on Catherine's face. Kayla obviously wasn't anxious to show them offerings from other realty companies because it would mean she would be forced to split the commission.
"Why don't we just look since we're here," Kayla sighed.
"I think it would be waste of everyone's time," Catherine said as politely as she could considering her irritation with the agent's apparent refusal to listen to what her parents had been very clear they were looking for. "This unit would work great for some people but not my parents and grandmother. They need something a little less in the middle of traffic."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Kayla's spine straightened. Selling condos to tourists was her specialty and she was used to her clients, most of whom were out of towners, treating her as the expert and following her advice with very few questions. "Those were the only three condos I made arrangements to see today."
The fact was she rarely showed a client more than three listings. A few drop-in comments about how active the Hawaii real estate market is and how fast properties get snapped up usually did the trick to bring in a quick offer.
How was she supposed to know when she pounced on the online inquiry that this couple in New York had family that lived on the island?
They'd be a much tougher sell.
"Why don't we call it a day then," Catherine suggested. "You can check to see what else is available, that fits my parents' criteria," she said pointedly, "and email me the listings. If anything looks good we'll call you and arrange a walk through."
"That works for me." Kayla shook both their hands and made her way to her car without a backwards glance.
"This place is great," Steve said as he watched Kayla's little red sports car pull away. "Just not this unit."
"Should we take a walk around and see if we see anything else for sale?" Catherine smiled.
"You read my mind." He kissed her lips softly. "Like always."
"Smooth Dog, is that you?" a voice called as Steve and Catherine walked slowly along the sidewalk keeping an eye out for realty signs.
"Jack Hershey," Steve said with a wide smile. "I haven't seen you since …"
"Too long," Jack laughed. "Let's not think about it. If we do we'll both have to admit we're getting old."
Steve chuckled in agreement.
In exactly a week he'd be turning forty.
"You remember Catherine Rollins." He said as he draped his arm across Catherine's shoulders.
"I do indeed." Jack smiled. "Pretty as ever, lieutenant. I heard you took pity on this poor guy and married him."
"I did," Catherine responded. "But there was no pity involved."
"She was always too good for you, Smooth Dog." Jack slapped Steve's back.
"You'll get no argument from me," Steve agreed.
"And now it appears even more congratulations are in order." Jack indicated Catherine's midsection. "When are you due?"
"June 29th." Catherine's heart did the familiar flip that occurred every time she said the date.
"Do you know what you're having yet?" Steve's former teammate asked.
"She's a girl." Steve grinned happily.
"Got two of those of my own." Jack returned the smile. "Plus two boys."
"I'll bet they keep you busy," Catherine replied.
"Always on my toes." Jack nodded. "Luckily my wife Trish is picks up all my slack and keeps things running smoothly."
"You outkicked your coverage in the marriage department too," Steve teased.
"No question," Jack grinned. "She's the best. In fact, she's on a cross country flight with all the kids as we speak. I was here for a few days to take some meetings at Pearl and while I was there our dream posting came through. San Diego. We've wanted that for a while. I'm headed there now to meet Trish and the kids to celebrate. The best part is this new position will give us a chance to put down some roots and stay in one place long term."
Steve looked Jack in the eyes. "I can't recommend that strongly enough."
"It sure agrees with you, Smooth Dog," Jack said sincerely. He took note of the sales brochure in Catherine's hand. "What are you guys doing here though? I thought I heard you have a place at the beach."
"We do." Steve nodded. "We're looking for a place for Catherine's parents. With the baby coming they want to spend more time on the island."
"Can't remember the last time I ever saw a man look so happy about his in-laws moving closer," Jack observed.
"You've never met Cath's parents," Steve explained. "If they said they wanted to move here permanently I'd happily fly to New York and help them pack."
"They sound like great people."
Steve squeezed Catherine's shoulder. "They are."
"You think they'd like to live in this complex?" Jack asked.
"I think they would," Catherine said. "Problem is the unit the agent showed us was right next to the pool and playground. I was hoping to find something a little quieter."
"If you're interested, we're gonna be getting rid of our place here," Jack offered.
Catherine's face lit up. "Really?"
"We've had it for years. We used it as a layover spot between assignments. Once in a while Trish and the kids would spend summer vacations here. Now that we're gonna be in San Diego full time we won't need it."
"Which building is it in?" Steve asked.
Jack pointed to the one on the end. "When we first bought here it was just the two buildings. All this other stuff has been added over the years. We're lucky though. Our unit is on the end. Ground floor. Nice and quiet. Close parking."
"Sounds perfect." Catherine clapped excitedly.
"When we had our third kid we bought the unit next door and knocked down a wall so there's plenty of space. If Catherine's folks are interested we'll make you a good deal. Save us the aggravation of trying to sell from the mainland."
"Sounds great," Steve said. "We appreciate it."
"I'm up against the clock or I'd give you the tour now," Jack apologized.
"No, we understand," Steve assured him.
"Listen, my neighbor has a key. I'll give you a call over the weekend after I talk to him and arrange a good time for you to take a look. If it seems like something you might be interested in, we can talk."
"Sounds great." Steve shook his old friend's hand and handed him a card with his numbers on it. "Thanks for giving us first shot at it."
"My pleasure."
As they walked back to the truck chatting happily Steve's phone buzzed with an incoming call. He pushed the button to connect.
"Hey, John. What's up?"
Catherine watched as all the blood drained from Steve's face. She squeezed his forearm, offering her support even though she had no idea what was happening.
"How bad?" he asked and she was instantly on alert. Her heart began to pound at the thought that something might have happened to Carrie.
"Okay, call me back if you get more details. Thanks for letting me know."
He disconnected the call and pulled her into a tight hug.
"There was an explosion during a training exercise at Coronado. No word yet on any casualties. John's pretty sure it was Floyd Erickson's team though."
"Oh no." She squeezed his forearm as her mind whirled with what to do next.
As usual it took her only seconds to formulate a plan.
"Give me your keys."
Steve pulled them out of his pocket and handed them over without question. He began scrolling through his contact list trying to decide who would be in the best position to give him more information.
"I'll drive while you make phone calls," Catherine said as they headed across the parking lot. "We need more information. Let's not assume the worst until we have more details."
They made their way to the truck and as Catherine navigated the streets towards the beach house Steve called Al Cuzzi. Al had been trying to get through to the Naval Special Warfare Training Center since he heard but had had no luck to this point.
By the time Catherine pulled up to the house Steve had contacted someone on the ground at Coronado. He exited the truck but remained in the driveway, phone pressed to his ear, pacing nervously as Catherine flashed him a supportive look then headed into the house.
She took Cammie on a quick potty run and as she made her way back into the house her phone buzzed. She glanced quickly at the caller ID.
"Hi, Danny."
"Cath, is everything ok? I tried Steve but he's not answering."
"There was an accident at Coronado. He's calling around trying to get details. Is everything ok on your end?"
"Actually, I found a few problems with the evidence. Quite a few to be honest. They're fixable but I need to get access to Steve's original case notes. Can you have him call me when he gets a minute? It's obviously not a priority considering what else is going on but if he can point me in the right direction it'd be a big help."
"I'll have him call you as soon as he can," she promised.
"Thanks. And let me know if there's anything I can do."
When Steve reentered the house she looked at him hopefully and her heart leapt when she saw a look of relief on his face.
"There are some injuries," he conveyed, "but none appear to be life threatening."
"Thank God," Catherine exhaled. "What happened?"
"There was an ordinance explosion. No details yet but it looks like some kind of malfunction in the machinery."
Catherine hugged him. "At least everyone's ok."
"I talked to Tom Avery." Steve cleared his throat and Catherine could tell he was fighting to get his emotions under control. "His team was a couple hundred yards down the beach. He said by the time he made it to the site of the explosion almost everyone had been pulled free. Floyd's team stayed calm and the less injured men ran back into the burning structure to help pull out the more injured men."
"They did what they were trained to do." Catherine's eyes were damp. "They're SEALs."
"I asked Tom to have Floyd call me as soon as things settle down. He's at the hospital with his trainees right now."
Steve shook his hands in front of him as his body began to release the tension.
"Danny called. He needs your original case notes and he said they're not in the file." Catherine rubbed Steve's forearm. "I told him what was going on and he said for you to just call him when you get a minute."
"I will." Steve hesitated. You know what …" he glanced at his watch, "maybe I'll just head into the office and help him. Unless you have something you want me to do."
"No, you go ahead," Catherine smiled. "I'm gonna call my folks and tell them we might have found them the perfect place."
She knew that in the wake of an incident like this Steve's instinct was to go to his team.
To make sure everyone was ok.
And in this case to not leave Danny to handle the task alone.
"I love you." He kissed her softly on the lips. "I'll be home as soon as I can."
An hour later Catherine approached the bullpen at Five-0 headquarters carrying two large pizzas. She wasn't the least bit surprised to see Chin and Kono working side by side with Steve and Danny sorting the evidence.
"You're an angel," Danny said as he jumped up and took the boxes from her. "You must have read my mind. I'm starved."
"Two larges?" Chin questioned. "How did you know Kono and I were here too?
Catherine smiled as her eyes met Steve's. "I just know that when things go wrong it's all hands-on deck. That's what makes a great team."
"Does that mean you're here to help?" Kono asked.
Catherine smiled as she took a seat beside Steve. "I wouldn't be anywhere else."
THE END
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