Good morning,
Thank you for all the comments, feedbacks and PMs. I've never received so many reviews on one chapter like this one before. Great timing, I guess! But I really can't say thank you enough. Sorry for the delayed upload! This one is pretty short but I want to save the whole conversation between Steve & Cath for one chapter. I just finished writing chapter 3 last night in a very emotional state – so it will take some more time to edit and polish. But hope I can upload it before the ep is aired.
Thank you, Paula, for always being so sweet and helping me out! You rock!
Mahalo for reading!
P.S: Also, I want to reply to some guest reviews, but I can't reply because you comment as a guest. I would really appreciate it if you can PM me.
Anyway, enjoy reading!
Chapter 2:
Five hours later.
Steve stayed guard the whole night, it seemed like nobody had followed them to this place. Five hours felt like a lifetime to him.
Following Steve's text, Catherine easily found their location. She arrived in a helicopter, along with Doris and Simon – her partner in CIA. If anything good came from her days with the CIA, she had to admit it was her friendship with Simon Hills. He was pretty much like a brother to her, a partner she could rely on anytime, any day. They flew around the area several times to observe the surrounding area, making sure there was no hostiles, before finally landing nearby where Steve and Joe were staying.
Simon stayed in the helicopter, with his big machine gun ready, just in case, while Doris and Catherine rushed out of the helicopter to find Steve sitting next to Joe's body in the cave he had described.
Catherine called out Steve's name repeatedly, but he didn't react until the third time. He looked at her, all she could see in that moment was the darkness in his eyes. Seeing him in this state made her heart clench; she was afraid for him.
Doris rushed to Joe's body, kneeling down next to him, hugging him for the last time. Tears streamed down her face quickly. She had never ever seen him look that pale before, she always saw Joe laughing, telling dirty jokes over the phone, grinning with weapons in his hands. Joe White was John's best friend – her husband's friend, but over the years, he had become someone she trusted with her life.
She had known very early on, that Joe White was truly a member of her family. Joe and John had fought together, side by side, in the Vietnam War. Joe always said that John had saved his ass more than he would like to remember, so he would do anything to look out for the McGarrett family for the rest of his life. Doris came to Joe after faking her death, coming clean and asking for his help. He was surprised at first when she showed up, angry for John, but after Doris revealed her role in the CIA and the reason why she did what she did, he promised her that he would take great care of her family, making sure Steve would become a good man. And the truth was, he did so much more than that. They kept in touch over the years. Being with him, Doris never had to be afraid of being judged. Joe was the only one who seemed to always understand her decisions, every single one, and he never turned his back on her.
Seeing Doris hugging Joe's body, which already turned completely rigid, Steve thought back to the last thing Joe said to him. He looked back at Catherine, who was trying her best to control her own emotions, and not really doing a great job of it.
It took him one second to stand up and stride over to stand in front of her.
It took him another second to pull her close to him.
It took him a couple more seconds to look at her, with his full attention, drinking in the beauty in front of his very eyes. The beauty that he would never have seen again if something had gone south yesterday.
Before he realized it, his lips were drawn to hers.
It took Catherine completely by surprise, but her hands immediately crawled to his back, gripping at his jacket. Before landing, the only thing she was grateful for was that Steve still trusted her enough to call her to ask for her help. Just an hour ago – on her way coming to the rescue, she was not even sure how she could comfort him after this tragedy. His hug was so strong that it felt like it was crushing her, but Catherine didn't care, she was grateful to be in his arms. She clung to Steve like dear life, just like his body crashed into hers, seeking comfort.
It killed her inside to hear Steve's trembling voice and feel the coldness of his tears on her shoulder.
"It was my fault, Catherine."
"Stop it, Steve, please. What happened is not on you", Catherine parted her lips from his, trying her best to calm him down, her hands touching both sides of his face to make sure his attention was on her.
"It was my plan. My plan, Cath. I dragged them into this. He would still be alive if he didn't come with me. I lost Cole, and I lost Joe. He gave up, he didn't even let me fight for him. That son of a bitch called off the medic. I couldn't save him, I couldn't even call for help... it was too late. Catherine, I should have known he called off the medic. Catherine. Catherine."
He kept calling her name, the sound of her name somehow eased the pain, knowing that she's right next to him. Catherine didn't know what she could possibly say to him without knowing the entire story first, so she just held onto him, as if her hug could shield him from all the guilt.
"I wasn't thinking. I was too confident with my plan. And I let Cole, and Joe pay the price. It should be me who lies there now", he came up with his plan in an hour, and he didn't take into account the fact that Omar Hassan had spent at least several years working on his plan. He should have known better, but revenge somehow blinded him.
When Steve looked up, Doris was already standing next to them. She looked older than the last time he saw her over two years ago. Her eyes were red and swollen, he could still see the trace of dried tears on her worried face.
"Steve", she looked like she wasn't sure what she should do, whether to hug him or just let him take his time to process the loss.
Without any hesitation, Steve pulled back from Catherine, still keeping her close, he stepped one step towards Doris and embraced her in his strong arms. For a moment, seeing her face took him back to that day – 25 years ago, when he thought he had lost her, forever. The fear, the pain, the shock a 15-year-old teenager went through was no different than what he was feeling right this moment, when he was still processing the fact that Joe has passed away.
The only difference was: Doris was still alive. He still had a second chance with his mother. He never really appreciated this second chance with her until now, when he realized he would never have any chance to tell Joe how much he truly loved him.
"Mom?", Steve looked right into Doris's eyes, his voice sounded so much like when he was younger – the adorable son who followed her everywhere in the house.
"Yes, son?"
"Do you still love me? And Mary?", that question wasn't something Doris was expecting under the circumstances.
"More than anything else in this world. You might not believe that, but..."
"If you love us, then come home to us when this is over. We have to hunt down that son of a bitch, yes, but I'm asking you: Come home, please?", it could have been himself who died yesterday, and he realized that apart from his co-workers, he didn't have any real family left, and he was tired of living alone, feeling abandoned, "Or whenever you go, I will follow. If we die, at least we die together. But if I live, I want my mother back. I am done being left behind."
Catherine stepped back, getting even more emotional watching Doris nod and hug Steve. She was truly happy for both of them.
"I promise you, I won't leave this time. I'm done with the CIA."
Doris looked at Catherine over Steve's shoulder, just to see Catherine turn to gaze down at the ground, probably feeling a little bit left out. She smiled, got out of her son's hug and asked him, "Will you ask Catherine to come home, too?"
Yes, she was never shy teasing her son and his favourite girl.
Steve turned to Catherine, his hand reaching for hers, squeezing her hand, when a male voice coming out from Catherine's radio: "Really sorry to interrupt, but I really think we gotta go."
"Roger that. On our way", Catherine talked to the man on the other end.
"Who's that?", Steve asked.
"Our pilot. My CIA partner", Catherine looked at Steve, couldn't help being mad at Simon a little bit – secretly – for ruining the moment, "I brought help."
Catherine was about to rush to Joe's body where Doris was killing the fire that was keeping his body warm, when Steve gently tugged her arm, "Catherine, we will talk. I promise. I have something important to ask."
Five minutes later.
They were all inside the helicopter, the pilot took off in no time.
"Are we heading to Hawaii?", Simon asked after everyone was settled in their seat.
"No, I can't come back to Hawaii. Not yet. Not until I hunt down Omar Hassan."
"Omar Hassan?", Catherine looked at Steve, worried.
"Go somewhere safe, somewhere close here. I want to arrange a proper funeral for Joe. This is his home. Joe loved it here."
"Whatever you say, buddy."
"Can we go back to the ranch first?"
"It's still not safe for you to go back, but we arranged for some help. We got Cole's body and counted five other bodies. Wade is bringing Cole's body somewhere safe, waiting for your instruction", Doris turned back from her seat in the front, giving Steve some assurance.
"Mom, you got Wade? I thought he's retired."
"I can only say he doesn't like sitting around doing nothing", Doris smiled, shaking her head, "Also, if Joe and any SEAL team is involved, that old man volunteers before I even ask him". In fact, Wade got wind of Joe's mission even before Doris called him to break the news. He was already trying desperately to reach Joe but no luck.
"Thank you, mom", he said sincerely, and turned to Cath, mouthing "Thank you".
He looked down at Joe, squeezing his shoulder, whispering, "Let's go home, Joe. We've got this, you can rest now!"
He couldn't help but think back to the last time he went on a classified mission to rescue Joe. They almost died that day but got through it together. Fighting next to Joe was one of the most honourable things Steve had done in his life. When he visited Joe in the hospital, Steve admitted that thanks to Joe, he not only finally worked up the courage to ask Catherine out on a date, but also called his dad for the first time in years, and even flew home during a weekend to see him. They went out fishing and had a drinking night together. He didn't know how much it meant to him until his father died. That was the last real memory Steve had of his dad.
This time, he would listen to Joe, too. Forgiving his mother. Asking her to come home.
And fixing what he had broken with the only woman he ever truly loved.
But before that, he needed to hunt down the bastard who killed his whole SEAL team, and the father figure in his life.
Until then, he's not going to rest.
Good bye for now! Mahalo!
