See ANs in Chapter 1. Thanks to Ilna for letting me borrow her idea for a piece of this.

Unbreakable (10/12)

January 1st
Nonna's Guest Room
6:00 A.M.

Catherine and Steve finished dressing and were just about to head downstairs, bleary-eyed but determined to let Nonna sleep in while they prepared the morning meal. After the ball dropped, the confetti settled and the New Year's toast was made they helped Grace put away food and tidy up from the 'party' so it was nearly 1:00 A.M when everyone made it to bed.

By the time Steve and Catherine finished with their private New Year's celebration it was nearly 3:00 A.M.

They had decided the night before, however, that they would make breakfast so Nonna could relax for a change. They were sure she'd be busy in the kitchen later in the day, preparing a New Year's Day meal, so they wanted to take the breakfast duties on themselves.

Just as they were about to slip out of the guest room and head downstairs their phones pinged in unison with the sound of incoming texts.

"Esther," they chuckled to each other as they looked at their screens and saw a picture of Cammie posing contentedly in a "Happy 2015" hat. There was also a second picture of Cammie and Esther together, both in hats, Esther blowing a noisemaker.

"It's 1:00 A.M there," Catherine smiled. "But she must still be up so I'm gonna call her real quick."

"I'll head down and start the coffee," Steve said as he gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Tell her I said hi."

Catherine took a seat on the edge of the bed and dialed Esther's familiar number.

"Happy New Year!" an excited voice said on the other end of the line.

"Happy New Year!" Catherine replied in kind.

"I hope I didn't text too early," Esther said. "I didn't want to wake you up so I waited an hour past midnight. I know you and the Commander are usually up early."

"No worries. We were up and getting dressed," Catherine assured her. "Steve says hi."

"Tell him I said Happy New Year!" Esther bubbled. "I knew you guys would be missing Cammie and wanted to make sure you saw her first thing."

"I appreciate that," Catherine said sincerely. "Is everything okay there?

"Everything is fine," Esther said as she scratched Cammie behind the ears. "I volunteered to stay over tonight so Chin could go out and spend some time with Leilani. I know sometimes people set off fireworks on the beach at midnight and I thought it would be best if someone was here with Cammie just in case … on account of the loud booms."

"That was very thoughtful of you," Catherine smiled. "I was a little worried about that. How'd she do?"

"She's a champ," Esther said proudly. "Though she was definitely happy when they were over."

"I'm glad you could be there," Catherine said. "Steve and I both really appreciate it. I hope we didn't keep you from any plans."

Catherine and Steve were still trying to determine what kind of relationship, if any, existed between Esther and Kamekona and she never missed a chance to try subtly to get information.

"My plans kind of fell through at the last minute so I was happy to do it," Esther said.

"I'm sorry to hear your plans fell through," Catherine replied sympathetically.

"It couldn't be avoided," Esther said matter-of-factly. "There's some pretty bad flu going around the island and my friend had to cover for someone at work. So what did you guys do?" she asked as she deftly changed the subject.

"Grace threw a party here at Nonna's," Catherine smiled broadly. "She was adorable, planned the whole thing herself, and we had a ball."

"Sounds awesome," Esther said. "Tell her and Danny I said Happy New Year. It's 2015, I can't believe it."

"Yeah," Catherine agreed. "Me either."

"You know," Esther said thoughtfully. "2015 is a big deal for me."

"Why's that?" Catherine was intrigued.

"When I was in 5th grade, 2015 seemed so far away," Esther sighed. "And I thought for sure we'd have flying cars by then. I remember a lot of talk about flying cars."

Catherine laughed. "Well, they've got a year to get that done for you."

"They better get on it then," Esther laughed. "I'm gonna let you go. Cammie and I are gonna put on an old movie and fall asleep in front of the TV."

"Kiss her for us and tell her we'll be home soon," Catherine said. She didn't have to be embarrassed to be honest with Esther about exactly how much she missed Cammie. "Tell her we're sorry for the delay."

"I'll tell her," Esther smiled. "I'll be here all day so Skype later if you want to talk to her."

"Thanks," Catherine said. "I will. Enjoy your movie."

She disconnected the call, looked at the pictures of Cammie one more time, then headed downstairs to help Steve with breakfast.

Basement
Noon

Steve and Danny were in the basement retrieving the boxes needed to pack away the Christmas decorations while Catherine, Grace and Nonna were in the living room taking the ornaments off the tree and wrapping them.

Just as the boys were ready to head back upstairs Steve's phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen.

"It's Mary," he smiled.

"You take it," Danny said as he picked up a stack of boxes and headed up the stairs. "I'll take these up to Nonna."

"Thanks," Steve replied. "I'll be right up."

"Take your time," Danny smiled. "Tell her I said Happy New Year," he said as he reached the top of the stairs then closed the door behind him so Steve could have some privacy.

"Hey Mary," he said as he took a seat on the stairs.

"Hey big brother, still snowed in in Jersey?" she asked.

"We sure are," Steve chuckled. "It's let up some but it's still coming down."

"Any idea when you'll be able to get back to the sunshine," she teased. "I'd imagine you've about had it with the snow."

"Probably not today," Steve sighed. "Catherine called the airport information line earlier and they said it doesn't look good."

"Oh well, look on the bright side," Mary shrugged. "At least you've got a warm bed and I'm sure you're being fed well."

"Very well," Steve laughed. "So how was your New Year's Eve?"

"Quiet," Mary chuckled. "Joan and I tried to stay awake till midnight but we fell asleep on the couch watching the Frozen DVD Elizabeth and Joseph sent her for Christmas."

Steve laughed. "I'm living the Frozen DVD."

"Joan will be more than happy to watch the movie with you," Mary said. "Again and again and again. I don't think we've watched anything else since Christmas."

"Make sure you bring it with you next time you visit," Steve said. "Gracie sang 'Let it Go' for months after she saw that movie so we can all watch it together."

Mary couldn't help but smile at her brother's words. She truly never thought she'd see the day he would willingly offer to watch an animated movie.

"Be prepared," Mary warned, "because she has the Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf dolls as well and she likes to try to act out the movie scenes with them."

Steve laughed. "Lucky you."

"She did the entire final sequence last night on Skype for Elizabeth." Mary laughed out loud at the memory. "You could barely understand a word she was saying but she did it with gusto."

"I'm sure Elizabeth enjoyed it," Steve said.

"She absolutely did," Mary beamed. "You know …" her voice trailed off.

"What?" Steve went on immediate alert at the change in Mary's tone.

"Elizabeth and Joseph call or skype at least three or four times a week." Mary said quietly with a touch of something that seemed to Steve to be almost awe in her voice. "Usually once or twice at bedtime so they can read to Joan before she goes to sleep."

"Is that a problem?" Steve asked.

"No, no," Mary said adamantly. "Exactly the opposite. It's … really awesome."

"Cath's parents are great." Steve's heart warmed at the knowledge that the closeness Elizabeth and Joseph established with Mary and Joan over Thanksgiving continued after they left the island.

"They really are," Mary agreed. "You know, along with all their other very generous Christmas gifts for me and Joan, Joseph sent me a beginner's tool set and told me that if anything minor breaks around the house I can skype him and he can talk me through fixing it."

"That's great," Steve smiled.

"He said he's trying to help me avoid unscrupulous handymen."

"Sounds like him," Steve nodded. "And I gotta admit I like the thought of him looking out for you."

"And he said if there's anything big that needs done, as long as it's not a safety issue that I need to get fixed right away, he and Elizabeth will be in California in February and he can come by and fix it. How awesome is that?"

"Really awesome," Steve agreed.

"I just … I mean …" Mary struggled to find the words.

"What?" Steve asked softly.

"I forgot what it felt like to be part of a real family," Mary said with a slight tremble in her voice.

"It feels good doesn't it?" Steve beamed.

"It sure does."

"I'm really happy for you, Mary," Steve said. "For both of us."

"I am too," Mary nodded. "I'll let you go. Tell Catherine I said Happy New Year. And let me know when you get back to Hawaii."

"Will do." Steve said. "And Mary?"

"Yeah?"

"This is gonna be a really good year." Steve turned and headed up the stairs. "I can feel it."

Living Room
1:00 P.M.

"Danno made this one," Grace said as she held up a macaroni and glue concoction that Steve and Catherine were reasonably sure was supposed to be a wreath.

"That's a real masterpiece, partner," Steve teased.

"I was in the third grade," Danny defended.

"It was apparently his Picasso period," Catherine laughed.

"It was not your finest work," Nonna agreed. "Your mother said you hurried through making it because you wanted to go outside and play with your friends. But I love it just the same."

"Thank you," Danny said as he kissed Nonna on the cheek.

"Let me see the box of glass ornaments, please," Nonna asked from her seat on the recliner. Steve, Danny, Catherine and Grace had insisted she relax and act in a solely supervisory position while they removed the lights, tinsel and ornaments from the tree and packed them away carefully.

Grace picked up the large box and carried it to her great grandmother who studied the ornaments carefully. Finally she lifted one out of the box carefully and summoned Steve and Catherine. Once they reached her side she showed them the delicate glass ball and said, "This one is the one I want to give to the two of you. I hope you'll take it back to Hawaii with you and hang it on your tree for many happy holiday seasons to come."

"Nonna," Catherine said as she looked at the beautiful red and silver ball. "That's very generous of you. But this is beautiful and it looks like it's very old. You don't have to give it to us."

"Nonsense, bella. I want you to have it," Nonna smiled. "It's a very special ornament for two very special people. It's been waiting many years for you to come along. I feel it."

Nonna's tone left no room for argument.

"Ah, they're getting the magic ornament," Danny said when he saw which decoration his grandmother was holding.

"Magic?" Steve asked.

Nonna smiled. "Not really. That's just how the family refers to it."

"Why?" Catherine asked as she touched the ornament lightly.

"This is part of a set Thomas and I bought not long after were married," Nonna explained with a soft smile. "There were twenty matching balls. We used to hang them all over the tree and the lights caught them and made the whole tree sparkle."

"It sounds beautiful," Steve said as he and Catherine knelt next to Nonna's chair.

"It was. I'm sure I have pictures somewhere," Nonna nodded. "We hung them proudly for several years. But once the children came, and then the grandchildren, and then the great grandchildren," she smiled fondly at Grace, "one by one the pieces of the set got broken. Never on purpose, of course, but over the years the number dwindled down to just this one."

"And the fact that it has survived this long is why we refer to it as magic," Danny said.

"It has been dropped, knocked off the tree, sat on and once the box of glass ornaments even fell down the basement steps and almost every ball broke," Nonna said. "But not this one. This one is … unbreakable."

"Nonna," Catherine said as tears began to slip down her cheeks, "Surely you want to keep such a special ornament."

"No, bella, I want you and Steven to have it. It represents the two of you and your love … unbreakable."

Steve wrapped his arms around an emotional Catherine. "We're honored," he said to Nonna. "And we will treasure it forever. Truly."

"I know you will, Nipote," Nonna patted his hand. "That's why I want you to have it."

"Thank you," Catherine whispered. She was so overcome with emotion no other words would come.

"My pleasure, bella." Nonna wiped a stray tear off her own cheek.

Grace leaned against Danny who put his arm across her shoulders. "I think the magic ornament will be happy with Uncle Steve and Auntie Catherine don't you?"

"I definitely do," Danny smiled. "I definitely do."

.

END CHAPTER 10

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