Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-0.

The memories are in italics.

Here's the twelfth flashback. Please share your thoughts!

Catherine's shaking. She feels like the hallway suddenly became much colder. She had been in Steve's room when one of the machines started going crazy. Everyone had been ordered out of the room when the doctor came to check on him.

When the doctor steps out of Steve's room, Mary immediately stands up. "What happened? Is he okay?"

Dr. Keawe nods. "He's fine. You can see him now. It's all taken care of."

A wave of relief spreads across everyone in the hallway. Those were the words they wanted-needed-to hear.

"You're sure?" Danny questions, wanting to have a definite answer. He wants to be absolutely certain that nothing happened to decrease Steve's chances.

"Yes," the doctor confirms.

Mary sighs with relief. "Thank you, Dr. Keawe."

"Catherine?" Chin, who's sitting beside her, says. "Catherine, did you hear that?"

She doesn't respond. She's still shaking and she's staring at the ground. She shows no sign of having heard what Dr. Keawe or Chin said.

"Catherine?" Chin repeats, this time a little louder to try to get her attention.

The lieutenant blinks as she snaps her head up. "What did the doctor say? Is Steve alright? What's going on?"

"Steve's fine," Kono says, placing a hand on Catherine's arm. When she sees Catherine's pale face, she worriedly asks, "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," Catherine admits, still slightly shaking. "I think I'm going to be sick. Hold on." She pauses for a moment, trying to catch her breath. "I think I'm okay. The doctor said Steve's fine?"

"Yes," Danny says with a nod. "He said we can see him now."

Catherine quickly stands up and makes her way to Steve's room. She hurries to his bedside, taking his hand in her own. She has more hope now because Steve just pulled through. That means he's strong. That means he's going to wake up. Catherine knows he's going to.

Steve was six when one of the windows from the back of the house broke.

It was not his fault.

It started one Saturday morning. Everyone in the household had finished eating breakfast and John asked his son if he wanted to go outside to play football. Of course Steve agreed enthusiastically because this was one of those rare times when his father wasn't called in to work.

Steve caught most of the passes sent his way. He was very good at football, if he did say so himself.

"Did you see that catch, Dad?" Steve asked his father, grinning as he held the football in his hands.

"It was a nice catch, Steve," John commented proudly.

Steve threw the football back to his father. He could tell from his dad's voice that he was proud of him.

This time when John threw the football back, it went right over his son's head. Steve jumped, shooting his hands up to attempt to grab the ball, but it went soaring above him and crashing into the window.

He heard his dad say a bad word that if Steve ever said, he would be in a lot of trouble. He glared at his father. "Dad! You're not supposed to say bad words! You told me that!"

"I'm sorry, Steve," John apologized. He ran towards where the window had broke, surveying the damage. When Steve started to walk forward, John stopped him. "Don't go closer. There's a lot of broken glass. You could hurt yourself."

They could hear footsteps, someone running down the stairs. It didn't take long for Sarah to make her way to the scene. She opened the door, surprise taking over her face as she took in the broken glass covering the floor and then she looked up at her husband and son. "What happened?" she demanded in the voice Steve knew was usually reserved for ordering time-outs to he and his sister.

"I didn't do it!" Steve immediately reported, making sure his mother knew it wasn't his fault.

"John?" Sarah asked quietly, her arms crossed.

John was saved from answering as three-year-old Mary came running over to her mother. "What?" she questioned, her eyes growing wide.

"Careful, honey," Sarah cautioned, picking up her daughter. "The window broke."

Mary looked over at her brother and smirked. "Steve did it!"

"I did not!" Steve yelled back. His sister was so annoying.

"Steven, Mary Ann," Sarah warned. "Alright, this needs to get cleaned up. Mary, go sit on the couch." She placed Mary back on her feet. Sarah then reached for her son, carefully guiding him away from the broken glass and through the door. "Go sit with your sister."

"Come on, Mary," Steve said, dragging her away from the glass on the floor.

"I guess we have to clean this up," John commented sheepishly.

"We? I don't think so. You're going to clean this up." On that note, Sarah turned around and walked away.

"I have to admit it. I'm scared. You're really scaring me here, Steve," Catherine says as she takes Steve's hand in her own. "Really scaring me."

There's no response other than Steve squeezing Catherine's hand.

"You're going to be okay. I know it," Catherine tells herself more than she's really telling Steve. She's still convincing herself that he's going to be okay.

She turns to look out the window at the dark sky. "Remember when we sat outside at your house all night? I said the stars were beautiful and you told me..." Catherine trails off, tears now in her eyes. She wipes at them to prevent them from falling. "And you told me I was...I was..." Now the tears are freely falling and she's unable to stop them. She doesn't really care. "You told me I was way more beautiful than any star in the sky."

Steve squeezes Catherine's hand again.

Catherine, now sobbing, rests her head down on the edge of the bed. "You have to be okay, Steve. Please, please, please be okay. I know it's selfish, but I need you. I need you, Steve. I..." She takes a deep breath, trying to calm down enough so she can speak. "I love you."