Shauni and Steve were sharing an early morning breakfast on the lanai when Steve got a call. Shauni could tell by the look on his face something had come up and he would have to go right away.
"I'll be right there," he confirmed before hanging up and giving her an apologetic look.
"Gotta go, " he said as he leaned down for a kiss.
"Hang on a sec," Shauni motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen where she handed him a travel mug full of coffee made just the way he liked it.
"What did I ever do without you?" The smile on his handsome face warmed her all the way to her toes. He kissed her once more, "I really have to go. Don't forget to set the alarm a soon as I leave."
Shauni rolled her eyes since he had issued the same command every day for the last several weeks. Steve had an excellent security system before he and Shauni had become a "couple", but it had been amped up quite a bit since they had decided to make his house their home. Steve was grateful, happy, and surprised when Shauni insisted they live there rather than buying another house. He planned on keeping the house he'd grown up in, but assumed they would also buy something more in line with what she was used to; Something larger perhaps. However, he was pleasantly surprised when she said she wanted to live in his home.
As she put it, "This is where you grew up and it's where I want our babies to grow up too. It's perfect for us and I wouldn't change a thing."
She was constantly surprising him and he loved every new discovery.
After his directive for her to set the alarm….yet again…..Shauni saluted him smartly, "Yes, sir, Commander sir!"
Steve lips quirked, but there was a twinkle in his eye as he pulled her against him. "Don't make me take you over my knee," he teased.
"Oooooh, is that a promise?"
He swatted her backside playfully and shook his head. She was incorrigible, but he couldn't deny that he loved it. Shauni Steele "soon to be McGarrett" had turned his world upside down in the best possible way.
"Don't tempt me, young lady." After another quick kiss, he was out the door.
It was just as well, Shauni thought with a happy sigh. She had a very busy day ahead. Since the incident at the jewelry store, Steve had insisted they not take any more chances, so one of the men Steve had hired to handle her security would be accompanying her today. His name was Sean. He was like a big teddy bear, but she had no doubt the man would be lethal if anyone got out of line with her. She was also quite certain running errands to plan a wedding was the last thing he wanted to do, but to his credit, Sean never complained. Looking at the clock, she noticed she only had about 30 minutes before he would arrive, so she quickly showered and dressed.
Since they were just days before the wedding, Shauni's parents and sister had flown back in for the duration. The women would be finalizing last minute details and doing all of the 'pre-wedding' things that mother's and daughter's did together like getting final fittings, mani's, pedi's, facials, and whatever else they could think of to relax. As far as her father? Well, Derek would most likely be playing golf which would suit him perfectly. He was also hoping to catch a game or two with Steve in order to help the groom-to-be relax as well.
The plan for the day was to meet Olivia, Sasha, and Rochelle at the house where the wedding would take place before having lunch together. Steve and Shauni had chosen to get married at an estate on the island that belonged to a friend of Derek and Olivia's. Steve would have gone along with whatever Shauni wanted, but the idea of getting married at this estate was the best choice, in his opinion. First, because it was privately owned and located in a gated community which meant it would be nearly impossible for uninvited guests to gain access. It was also in a well secured location which was a top priority. The only "vulnerability" was the fact that it also provided an excellent view of the ocean, but HPD had given Steve their assurance that they would patrol the perimeter to make sure no boats came close. It sounded as if no paparazzi would have access to their ceremony which is what Steve wanted most of all. This moment would be for Shauni, Steve, and all of their loved ones.
It was understood, however, that it would be in their best interest to give one publication access to the wedding. By working with someone the Steele's trusted, it would give Shauni and Steve control of what pictures were published. Shauni decided to give that access to 'People Magazine'. Editors at that magazine were happy to accept such an agreement since it meant they would have an "Exclusive". With all of that settled, everyone was confident they would be able to pull things off with very little interruption.
Steve and Shauni would be getting married in the estates expansive garden with a view of the ocean in front of them. It was going to be the wedding Shauni had always dreamed of having. Most importantly, she would be marrying the man who had stolen her heart completely.
As Shauni's mind continued to think about what lie ahead, she walked through the grounds once more with her mom, sister, and wedding planner who explained how everything would be laid out for the ceremony. She could hardly wait for the next few days to pass!
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Two hours later…..
Danny rode in the ambulance with Steve and rushed in behind the paramedics as they rolled him into the emergency room.
Steve had been shot.
Again.
"Hang in there, buddy." Danny pleaded. "Kirkland's going to take care of you," he said referring to the surgeon who was also a friend of Steve's. "You're going to be okay."
Steve and Danny were going to question a witness for a case they were working on when things had gone completely haywire. They were caught completely off-guard and without any of their standard protection when gunfire erupted. While waiting for HPD backup, shots were being fired and Steve was hit. Danny insisted on riding along in the ambulance since the shot had caused Steve to lose quite a bit of blood. Danny was worried for his partner but also furious at the risk he had taken.
Once Steve was wheeled into an operating room and the rest of the team was on their way to the hospital, Danny stepped away to make a call.
************h50**************h50**************h50
The women were going over the reception seating one more time as she felt her phone vibrate. She looked down to see Danny's name and picture on the screen. She excused herself to step away and take the call.
"Hey Danny. What's up?"
Danny was quiet for just a moment before she heard his voice, "I hate to tell you this, but you need to come to the hospital."
Shauni felt the blood drain from her face and felt as if her heart had dropped to her toes. Sasha noticed the look on her sister's face right away and stood up to join her.
Panic stricken, Shauni asked, "What happened?"
"He was shot."
"SHOT!" Shauni exclaimed. "Oh my God, Danny, is he okay? Please tell me he's okay!"
By this point Olivia and Rochelle were listening as well, so Olivia stood up to join her daughters.
"He's okay….He's okay." Danny assured her, " They're stabilizing him now and getting him ready for surgery."
"Surgery?" Shauni sounded horrified. How bad was it?
"He's in good hands, I promise. I just think you need to get down here." Danny relayed the name of the hospital.
"I'm on my way," Shauni said even as she was running for her purse. Olivia and Sasha insisted on going along as well. It may turn into a media circus having all of them there, but Olivia decided they would worry about that later. Steve was a part of their family…and would soon be their son…..so she was just as concerned as her daughter to see how he was doing.
Sean drove the women towards the hospital while Olivia called Derek and let him know what was going on. By the time they arrived at the hospital, Shauni barely let Sean stop the SUV before she jumped out to run into the E.R. Fortunately, Kono was waiting for her and was able to start walking her back to the waiting area where they were all located.
"How is he? What happened? Is he going to be okay? When can I see him?" Shauni rambled.
"He's in surgery now. Fortunately, the doctor doesn't think any vital organs were hit, so they just need to remove the bullet. He should be okay in a little while."
Shauni didn't look convinced, so Kono put her arm around her and gave her what she hoped was an encouraging smile, "Steve is the strongest man I know, Shauni. He's going to be okay."
Shauni hoped she was right.
They walked into the waiting room and Danny came over immediately to give Shauni a hug. She looked so devastated that it broke his heart. "He's going to be okay, hon. Anyone on the team can tell you that Steve McGarrett is one tough SOB. Okay?"
He saw the worry in her eyes, but she soon found comfort looking in the faces of Lou, Chin and Kono and seeing them nod in agreement.
"Trust me," Danny said. "He's going to be fine."
By this time, the rest of the Steele's had joined them to wait for news on the outcome of Steve's surgery.
Danny informed them that the surgeon working on Steve was actually a friend and joked that they had gotten to know each other due to Steve's many injuries over the years. They all shared a laugh which eased the tension for a few minutes. But as the minutes continued to pass ever so slowly without any word, Shauni felt as if she would lose her mind. Finally, the doors opened and a doctor started walking towards them.
He took Shauni's hand, "I'm Dr. Kirkland and it's nice to finally meet you. I just wish it was under different circumstances." He offered her an encouraging smile, "Steve did great. It was a pretty clean shot through muscle on his left side. No organs were hit which is a good thing, and I was able to remove it without any trouble. He's probably going to hurt like hell for a few days, but otherwise, he should recover without any trouble."
A few days? Shauni's eyes widened in despair, "We're supposed to get married on Saturday." She said quietly.
"I wouldn't worry about that, Miss Steele. Knowing McGarrett like I do, hell or high water wouldn't keep him from being there to marry you."
"But is he WELL ENOUGH to be there?" Shauni asked.
The doctor shook his head, "He'll be fine. You may just have to take it easy on the honeymoon….Nothing too strenuous. Okay?"
Shauni saw the teasing glint in his eye as he winked at her and she felt a blush creep from her neck to her face.
"We'll have him in recovery in a little while, so you can visit…..Just keep it to one or two at a time so we don't make the hospital administrators unhappy."
As he started to walk away, Shauni said, "I don't know how to thank you, doctor."
"Please, call me Eric. And there's no need for thanks," he replied. "You've made him very happy so I'm sure he's going to heal just fine with your help. Maybe you can even keep him from visiting me here quite so often. Let's keep it to the golf course."
"Yeah, good luck with that." Danny mumbled and everyone laughed.
A nurse came in approximately thirty minutes later and said that Steve was starting to wake up. Shauni stood immediately to walk back to him and asked Danny to go with her. They followed the nurse back to the room and found Steve groggy but somewhat alert. Shauni felt her heart break as she saw her strong, seemingly invincible man hooked up to machines with I.V's in his arm. He heard them approaching and turned towards the door.
His face lit up. "You're a sight for sore eyes," he said hoarsely.
Shauni went over and leaned down to kiss him softly causing a low groan to escape from deep inside Steve's chest. As she stood back up, Steve saw tears in her eyes.
"Don't cry, babe. I'm okay. Just another day at the office." He joked.
Steve saw a quick flash of irritation in her eyes indicating that she didn't see the humor in what he'd said, "You scared the crap out of me, Steve McGarrett! You talk to me about safety and being careful all the time so what the hell were you thinking going in there without your vest or any other protection?"
Steve cast a sideways glance towards Danny. "I see my partner's been talking too much again. Thanks buddy," he teased.
"Anything I can do to help." Danny shrugged good naturedly.
Shauni looked at them as if they'd suddenly grown two heads. "It's not funny! I could have lost you! You could have been killed!" Shauni said as tears threatened to fall again.
Steve took her hand and pulled her down on the bed beside him, "But I wasn't. I'm here and I'm going to be okay." He reached up to wipe a stray tear from her face and holding her chin between his fingers so she would look at him, "Nothing's gonna happen to me. I promise. And nine days from now, I will be there waiting for you at the end of the aisle. Understand?"
Shauni swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat and leaned down to put her forehead against his, "Please don't ever scare me like this again." She whispered. Suddenly, it occurred to her that they'd had a very similar conversation when she had given him a scare.
Well, our life will be interesting, that's for sure, she mused.
Danny decided to excuse himself and give them some time together before anyone else came back. It was a relief to see that Steve was indeed okay. One thing was for sure, the man seemed to have as many lives as a cat. He told them both where he was going and left to give everyone the good news that their Commander had pulled through again.
