All Steve could hear was the sound of water rushing through his ears, like he was drowning in white noise. Your daughter. He realized he was looking right at the little girl - she'd slipped off Catherine's lap and was toddling around chasing something - butterflies? - her brown hair flowing in the wind. My daughter.

With a jolt, he was dragged out of his stupor by Catherine waving her hand in front of his face. His eyes snapped to hers. She still looked nervous if a little more concerned. "My daughter?" he hissed at her, not wanting to raise his voice in front of the girl.

"Steve…" Catherine began.

"How old is she, Catherine?" he snapped, interrupting her.

Catherine took a deep breath. "She's three years old, Steve."

"I've had a daughter for three years." It wasn't a question but Catherine seemed to take it as such.

"Yes. I found out I was pregnant after that weekend in Dubai."

"Wh… why didn't you tell me?" Steve asked incredulously, still watching the girl, his daughter, playing in the grass.

"Because you were about to go back to Afghanistan and I… We both had careers, important ones and-"

"My career wasn't more important than being a father!" he exploded. Catherine looked at him, wide eyed. Well if she was expecting me to take this well, she's an idiot. Steve got up and paced around the bench.

Catherine must have sensed his need for quiet because she sat back and kept her mouth shut. Steve was grateful for it. As he paced, Steve tried to calm his whirling thoughts. He's a father… And apparently has been for three years. How could she keep this from him and still carry on with him like they'd been doing? It was so dishonest that Steve started feeling a little sick to his stomach. What am I gonna do? he thought as he paced. Am I ready for this?

Just then a familiar voice broke through his thoughts. "Yo, babe. What gives?" Steve turned his head to see Danny standing at the end of the same path he'd taken to get to Catherine. He had his arms spread in typical Danno fashion as he stared questioningly at Steve. From where Danny was standing, he still couldn't see Catherine or Jennifer. What am I gonna tell Danny?

Something must have shown on Steve's face because Danny's softened as he started to walk towards Steve. "Babe?" Please stop calling me that and not meaning it... Steve growled at himself in frustration. This is not the time for those thoughts.

"Dada dada wook!" Jennifer ran up to Steve waving a flower around. Not able to face Danny or Catherine, Steve crouched down to look at Jenny's flower.

"Wow! That's so pretty, Jen. Not as pretty as you, though" he added, giving the girl a light bop on the nose with his finger, making her giggle.

"I pwity," she repeated.

"Yes you are, princess," Steve responded. At that, she ran off back to her patch of grass in front of Catherine, who was once again staring at Steve with wide eyes. The look on her face was nothing compared to the look on Danny's when he finally turned towards him.

"Steve, what's going on?" Danny asked in a somewhat small voice. Steve hated that voice.

"Danno…"

"Don't 'Danno' me, Steve," Danny snapped, still keeping his voice soft the girl's sake. "You've had a daughter - a family - this whole time and you haven't said a word."

"Danny," Steve began, trying to stay calm. He needed to get through to Danny. He couldn't let him think he didn't trust him. "I didn't know. I swear, I didn't know about Jennifer until five minutes ago." He couldn't let Danny think he'd abandon his kid - not when Danny was the type of man to uproot his entire life to follow his daughter.

Danny looked over and gave Catherine a sharp look, but his gaze softened as he looked at Jennifer who, having sensed the tension in the air, was eyeing the adults curiously. Danny let out a long breath and, seeming to come to a decision, nodded and looked back toward Stave. "What do you need?"

Steve's eyebrows rose at Danny's quick acceptance. He suspected that they would be having a longer conversation later. "Can you take Jennifer and play just over there?" he asked, indicating a patch of grass further away yet still in eyesight, "I'd like to talk to Catherine." Alone, went unsaid.

But Danny got the message. Understanding, he walked over to the little girl and crouched down, putting himself at her level. "Hey Jennifer, I'm your uncle, Danno," he introduced.

"Danno?" she tried.

"That's right," he praised, making the girl smile, "Do you wanna come over there and play with me?"

Unsure of this new person, Jennifer looked towards her parents who gestured for her to go ahead. Once she was further away and out of earshot, Steve turned towards Catherine.

"How could you keep this from me?" he asked, trying to keep his temper in check.

"Steve…" Catherine began.

"No, seriously, Catherine, how could you keep my daughter from me and sleep with me the way we've been for three years?"

"Steve, I'm sorry, I just… I just wasn't ready to give up my career with the Navy and made a choice. Maybe it was a bad one," she shrugged.

"Catherine, your choice took away mine," he replied softly, his hurt coming through in his voice.

Seemingly unmoved, Catherine replied, "I don't know what to say, Steve. I can't change the decision I made when I found out I was pregnant."

Sighing, Steve looked over and watched Danny play with Jenny for a moment. They were doing some sort of clapping activity - it was unclear who was teaching whom. The sight of the two of them brought a smile to his face. "Where's she been?" Steve asked suddenly.

"What?" Catherine asked, surprised by the question.

"Where has she been for three years?" Steve pressed, "I know she hasn't been with you on the Enterprise."

"After she was born, I left her with my parents in Oklahoma."

"You 'left' her?"

"Steve…"

"Did you go back? Did you help?" he asked incredulously.

"I sent money and visited when I could," Catherine admitted.

"Jesus, Catherine."

"What would you have done differently, Steve?" she asked, clearly getting irritated.

"I would've transferred to the reserves sooner and raised my damn daughter," he exclaimed, causing Danny and Jennifer to glance over. Steve noted gratefully that Danny was quick to distract Jennifer again.

"Really, Steve?" Catherine asked disbelievingly.

"Really, Catherine," Steve responded, as sure of his answer as he'd ever been sure of anything. His answer, though, surprised even him. He had always been so dedicated to the Navy that, until his father's murder and the creation of the Five-0 Task Force, he never would have considered leaving full-time active duty.

Steve took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

"What's changed, Cath?" Steve asked, resigned.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why are you telling me about her now?" he clarified.

"My parents," she replied simply. "They're retired. They want to travel and that's no life for a toddler." She looked towards Jennifer with a look of fondness on her face.

Steve nodded in agreement. For a moment, Steve let his mind wander towards what his daughter's life must have been like. Robert and Margaret were good people so he was confident she would've been surrounded by love. She would've been loved with me, he thought somewhat bitterly.

He was broken from his thoughts by Catherine's voice. "That leaves you, Steve."

Shaking his head to clear it, he turned towards her. "I'm sorry, what?" he asked.

"My parents can't care for her anymore and I can't either. That leaves you."

Steve thought his chest would explode from the mixture of joy, rage and hope he felt in that moment. I get to keep her? "You're leaving again." It wasn't a question.

"Steve, my career with the Navy is too important. I can't give that up now," she tried to explain.

"But you can give up your daughter?" he shot back.

"Steve, listen…"

"You're practically dropping her on my doorstep, Catherine," Steve interrupted.

Catherine sighed. Deciding that arguing was futile, she pressed on with her goal.

"Will you take her or not, Steve?" she asked bluntly.

"Of course I'll take her, Catherine," he responded immediately. Oh, Jesus…

Catherine nodded and stood up, holding a folder out to Steve. "All the legal documents you need." Steve was at a loss, still in a state of shock over what was happening.

"Does he have legal guardianship?" Danny's voice broke through the fog of panic. Like it always does…

"Excuse me?" Catherine asked, rounding on Danny who they hadn't noticed walk up with Jennifer on his hip.

"I asked if you're giving him legal guardianship of his daughter," Danny clarified, clearly irritated with Catherine but unwilling to alarm the toddler.

"Of course," Catherine responded, thrusting the folder at Steve, who took it automatically.

"What about a car seat and stuff?" Danny pressed on, taking charge of the situation while Steve momentarily collected himself.

"I have some of her things in my car…" she trailed off, unsure of where Danny was going with this.

"How about you and I go get the stuff while Steve stays here with Jennifer?" Danny asked pointedly.

"Okay…" Catherine responded, prompting Danny to set Jennifer down on the bench next to Steve.

Danny then turned to Steve and, placing a warm hand on his shoulder, close to his neck, murmured, "We'll figure this out, babe. I'll be right back okay?" Steve nodded in response, looking at the little girl next to him as she looked back. Patting his shoulder a few times, Danny steered Catherine away from the daddy-daughter duo.

As Danny walked away with Catherine, Steve and Jennifer studied each other. Steve noted that her blue eyes were a similar shade to his own. In fact, he was surprised to notice that she looked a great deal like him. He couldn't help but grin at that realization.

His happiness was soon replaced with panic, however, as Jennifer's face suddenly softened and she crawled into his lap. Steve tensed immediately. What am I supposed to do? he thought frantically as Jennifer settled herself on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. She seemed comfortable enough, though Steve couldn't imagine how she could be.

Steve thought he could physically feel his heart melt when he heard her murmur contentedly, "You my daddy."

Swallowing thickly, Steve brought his arms up around the small girl and held her before responding, "Yeah, kiddo. I'm your daddy."

Seemingly satisfied, Jennifer unwrapped her arms and Steve loosened his grip to allow her to sit on his lap. Steve kept his hand on her back to steady her as she spoke. "Mommy go away 'gan?" she asked.

"Yeah," he responded simply.

"Daddy go away?" she asked quietly.

"No, sweetheart," Steve promised pulling her close, "Daddy won't go away."

Jennifer seemed satisfied with that answer as she nodded and settled back into her father. Steve himself settled back into the bench to await Danny's return.