Chapter 20
Steve knew it was not a good idea to laugh underwater, but he could not help it. After he had tackled Nate, both brothers, despite their injuries, had found great amusement in trying to be the winner in their game of water wrestling.
The McGarrett brothers stopped their roughhousing for a moment as they heard a gleeful little voice sing, "My turn, my turn!"
They focused their attention to where the sound had come from and saw Natalie waving wildly at them. Alex stood a few feet behind her, smiling as she watched them.
Nate began to move toward the shore, but Steve grabbed him saying, "I'm not done with you yet!" Then he hauled him backward and dunked him underwater.
Satisfied that Nate had finally received enough of a "beating", Steve strutted toward the shore victoriously with a smug look on his face. That look vanished as he suddenly fell face first into the water. When he finally regained his footing and wiped the salt water from his eyes he saw Alex and Natalie laughing uproariously at him.
"I wasn't done with you either," Nate said snickering behind him.
Natalie was not going to wait on shore any longer, she ran into the water toward Steve, clothes and all.
"Natalie, not in your clothes!" Alex called after her.
It was too late as Natalie plunged completely into the water and began to swim toward Steve, who met her halfway lifting her up in his arms.
"Daddy! Daddy! I wanna play, too!" she squealed.
"I can see that," Steve replied. "You were so excited you came in with your clothes on."
"So did you."
"She's got you there, Steve," Nate added.
"Why don't you play with Uncle Nate while I go and say hello to auntie," he said handing her off to Nate.
"Give her a big kiss, Daddy," Natalie ordered. "She's been missing you all day."
"I'm sure she has," he said smirking as he made his way toward Alex.
As Steve came out of the water Alex commented, "And I thought I was past the point of having to bring an extra change of clothes for her."
Steve only smiled wider and Alex realized he had something else on his mind. She knew from the look in his eyes and the way he walked towards her with purpose that he was up to no good.
"Steve," she said holding one hand out in front of her as she took a step backward. "Don't even, this is all I have to wear."
"You can wear something of mine," he said lunging for her.
"Steve!" Alex yelled as she eluded his grasp and ran off down the beach.
It was a futile effort on her part as he quickly caught up with her and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"You're getting me wet!" Alex shouted. "Let go you, idiot!"
He kissed her cheek and spoke into her ear with a low voice, "Listen, Alex, I'm getting you into that water one way or another so you better make your peace with it."
"No!" she exclaimed, mirth and determination lining her answer.
Alex knew there was no way to escape the inevitable, but she wasn't going to make it easy for him. She twisted and elbowed him trying to break free, but his hold on her only tightened.
"Do I have to remind you again that I can hurt you?" Alex asked.
"But you won't, will you."
Raising an eyebrow, Alex looked back at him. "Are you sure about that?"
Steve leaned closer until his face was inches away from hers and whispered, "Completely." Then he kissed her.
"I know what you're doing," she murmured against his lips. "We've been through this before."
Laughing, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her down to the water.
* * * * * * H50 * * * * * *
Splashing, laughter and water tag filled the next half hour. Alex finally went inside to change and make dinner, while Steve followed closely behind, leaving Nate and Natalie to continue their fun.
Nate had already gone inside to grab his old sand toys and now he sat with Natalie constructing the best sand castle ever.
"Are there horses in this castle?" Natalie asked.
"Um…sure, if you want," Nate replied, digging a trench.
"I like horses. Every knight needs a horse. Do you have a horse?"
"No," Nate replied, smiling at her comment.
"Every knight needs a damsel in distress to rescue, too. Do you have one of those?"
"If by that you mean a girlfriend, then no."
"Oh…" Natalie said, tucking that information away.
Nate could see the gears turning in her head and he decided to change the subject. "So, Natty, is everything okay?"
"Yes, auntie and daddy are okay, so I am, too," she responded as she shoveled sand into a bucket.
"Is it too hard to keep what I did the other night a secret? I understand if it is. I know it's tough to keep secrets from the people you love."
Natalie patted down the sand in the bucket. "I can keep the secret, but why don't you want anyone to know you were there? Will you have to leave if they know you helped me because I don't want you to go."
"I don't want to leave either, but sometimes…" Nate wasn't sure how to explain it to an eight year old. "…do you know who Batman is?"
Natalie's head jerked up. "Wait, you're Batman! I love Batman and so does auntie, but don't tell daddy he might not like that."
"No, no that's not what I meant," Nate added quickly. "I'm nowhere near as cool as that. What I was trying to say was, you know how at night Batman fights the bad guys and saves people, but during the day he is Bruce Wayne and he doesn't tell anyone about all the things he does at night? I'm kind of like that, but without the Bat Cave and all the other stuff."
Natalie looked at him wide eyed. "Cool! Can I be Robin?"
Nate rolled his eyes. "It's really not as cool as it sounds." Then he added more quietly, "It's pretty lonely, actually."
"Well, you don't have to be lonely anymore. You have me and Daddy and Auntie." Natalie jumped up and hugged him around the neck saying, "I love you, Uncle Nate."
* * * * * * H50 * * * * * *
Alex stood in the doorway of Steve's bedroom her wet clothing leaving little puddles around her feet.
"Here," Steve said, handing Alex some dry clothes and a towel.
Alex held up the shorts, they were too big for her. "Wow…do you have any safety pins…or duct tape?" she added the last part sarcastically.
"I'll hold them up for you," he smirked, a mischievous gleam in his eye.
Alex snapped the pair of shorts at him.
"Hey! I was just trying to be helpful," Steve defended himself.
"Stop trying to be helpful and make yourself useful and find some safety pins."
Steve left his bedroom to find the pins. When he returned, he handed them to Alex and asked, "Do you need help with anything else?"
"Yes," she smiled invitingly. "Shut the door on your way out."
He pouted momentarily then ducked as she threw a pillow at him. "I'll be waiting downstairs," he said and retreated from the room.
* * * * * * H50 * * * * * *
Alex came into the kitchen dressed in the shorts and tee shirt Steve had given her to wear. She had fastened a large safety pin onto the shorts to prevent them from falling down around her ankles.
The chocolate cake Steve and Nate had baked did not go unnoticed. She voiced her surprise and wondered if it had really come from a local bakery.
She now busied herself cooking the chicken she had marinated in lime juice, olive oil and coarse sea salt early that morning. Steve had set the outside table with four place settings and was now leaning against the counter watching her.
Alex glanced over at him and smiled. "Do you need something to do?"
"No, I'm good," he replied. "I'm admiring the view."
She rolled her eyes and moved to the sink where she placed a few dirty dishes. Alex was about to pick up one of the red peppers that sat on the counter, so she could wash it, when she noticed something.
"Steve, will you do something for me?"
"Anything."
"Wash those two peppers for me, will you?"
"Sure."
Alex hid a smile as she backed away from the sink, watching as Steve picked up one of the peppers and turned on the water. Alex raised an eyebrow as she heard his colorful response. He had forgotten about the rubber band on the sprayer.
"Sorry," Steve apologized for his outburst. "That's the second time today that happened." Then a thought occurred to him. "Wait, you saw the rubber band there didn't you?"
Alex nodded as she burst into laughter.
"I guess I deserved it," Steve admitted.
"Yeah, you did, but you still need to wash the peppers."
* * * * * * H50 * * * * * *
The dinner of chicken fajitas, topped with sautéed onions and peppers, along with cheddar cheese and sour cream was a big hit. Their stomachs would hold no more and they decided to postpone eating the chocolate cake until a little later.
When they finished the dishes, Steve and Alex stepped outside to enjoy the last remaining hour of sunshine. Alex had changed back into her freshly washed and dried clothes and was preparing to call Natalie over to do the same, but the little girl was quite busy burying Nate in the sand and Alex decided to wait for awhile.
"Natty really likes Nate doesn't she?" Alex said as Steve wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"Yeah, and I think he's having fun being her uncle," Steve replied, kissing her neck. "I'm going to miss you when you leave on Monday. Is it possible to finish up in Virginia in less than a week?" he asked, his mouth lingering near her ear.
Alex sighed with pleasure and responded, "I'll see what I can do." She barely finished her last word as Steve sought her mouth, caressing her lips with his own.
"I love you," he whispered.
Behind them the sound of someone clearing their throat caught the couple's attention. Refusing to let go of Alex, Steve turned his head to identify the unexpected guest.
Steve sighed, "Danny, what are you doing here?"
"I love you, too, Steven," Danny greeted him, a big grin plastered on his face.
Alex laughed, but Steve didn't think it was funny.
"Don't you ever knock?" Steve asked.
"Hey, I did," Danny defended himself. "No one answered and the door was unlocked and besides you're outside, the whole world can see you."
"So, back to my first question, why are you here?"
"Grace and I were just out for a drive in my new Camaro, which by the way you are not driving, ever, and I happened to let it slip that Uncle Steve knows Annie Rockford and well, here we are."
Steve released Alex and turned around completely and saw Grace looking up at him with an adorable smile. "Hi, Gracie," Steve said, returning her smile. "How's Danno's new car?"
"It's just like the old one," Grace replied. "I asked him to get a yellow one, but he said 'no'."
Crossing his arms Danny added, "Yeah, and she wanted two black stripes up the center of the car, so it would look like a bumble bee."
"You should have listened to her, I probably wouldn't have driven that car," Steve said. "Grace, this is Annie Rockford."
"Hello, Grace," Alex said. "It's nice to meet you. I like your name, it happens to be my middle name."
"Hi," was the only response the wide eyed little girl made.
"I have a secret to tell you," Alex said in a low voice. "Annie Rockford is just my pen name. My real name is Alex Reilly."
Grace's face lit up. She looked like she had just been admitted to a special club.
"Do you have a favorite story?" Alex asked.
"Danno and I like The Adventures of Commander Invincible," Grace answered.
Down on the beach, Natalie had noticed the new comers. She recognized the man, but the little girl who appeared to be her own age sparked her curiosity.
Leaving Nate buried under a pile of sand and promising to return, she hurried over just in time to hear Danny say, "Yeah, Grace calls me Commander Invincible."
"No!" Natalie said forcefully. "That's daddy!"
Danny frowned, "Well, every daddy is Commander Invincible, I guess."
"No, Auntie wrote that about, daddy!"
Danny glanced at Steve, who was looking anywhere but at him. "Wait a minute," Danny said, holding up his hand. "Alex, do you mean to tell me that you wrote this story about him," he finished, pointing at Steve.
"Yeah, I did and it's been my best selling book," Alex admitted.
"I don't believe this! That book use to be something special that Grace and I shared together, but now it won't be the same. All I am going to hear is that Uncle Steve is Commander Invincible and how cool that is. You," he said gesturing wildly at Steve, "are definitely not driving my car…ever!"
Grinning at his partner, Steve began, "Danny-"
"Don't talk to me, Commander Invincible!" Danny said sarcastically, holding up his hand in front of Steve's face.
"I could always use a sidekick," Steve offered.
"Right now, I would rather be a villain then be your sidekick."
"I know the author, I'm sure that can be arranged."
"Shut up, Steven!"
"I see things are back to normal," Chin remarked from behind them.
The group turned to see Chin and Kono, who had just come from around the side of the house unnoticed.
"Is something going on that I don't know about?" Steve asked.
"You have a sign out front that says 'the party's here'," Kono joked.
Steve glanced at Danny suspiciously.
"Why are you looking at me?" Danny asked, touching a hand to his chest.
Steve shook his head.
Alex jumped into the conversation, "Steve and Nate made dessert, would anyone like some?"
As if on cue, Nate hollered, "Hey, Natty! You said you would be right back. Are you going to come and dig me out or what?"
Natalie covered her mouth with her hand, "Oops!" She pulled on Steve's shirt to get his attention and he bent down, so she could whisper in his ear.
"Oh, sure," Steve replied. "Grace, I want you to meet Natalie."
"Natty," the little girl corrected him. Turning to Grace she asked, "Do you want to help me dig Uncle Nate out?"
Grace looked up at her father.
"Go ahead, Monkey," Danny smiled.
Natalie pulled on Steve's shirt again. He bent down once more and listened as she whispered another request.
Smiling, Steve turned to Kono, "Natty is wondering if you would be able to help them out?"
Kono looked questioningly at Natalie, who was now standing in front of her.
"Can you help us?" Natalie asked sweetly.
"Sure," Kono smiled.
She has a nice smile, Natalie thought. That's good for a damsel in distress.
The three walked over to where Nate waited under the sand.
"Do you like buried treasure?" Natalie asked Kono.
"Depends on what the treasure is."
Natalie smiled brightly. "It's Uncle Nate," she whispered.
With eyebrows raised Kono replied, "Oh."
Standing beside Nate, Natalie introduced Grace and then informed him, "We brought backup."
"Backup?" he asked.
Kono hung her head over the "buried treasure" and grinned, "I'm backup."
Nate looked at the pretty face above him and responded with a lop-sided grin that displayed the dimple in his cheek. "Hi there."
Natalie looked from Nate to Kono and smiled.
The three girls uncovered Nate with little effort. He stood up and tried to brush off the remnants of sand that clung to his clothes.
"Natty," Alex sang, "there's chocolate cake."
"Ooo!" Natalie gasped with delight. She grabbed Grace's hand. "Come on!" And the two trotted off toward the house.
"So, you and your brother made dessert?" Kono commented to Nate as they followed the little girls.
"Yeah," he answered, rubbing the sand from his hair.
"Do you bake a lot?"
"A little."
Kono rolled her eyes. Just like the boss, she thought. A man of few words.
* * * * * * H50 * * * * * *
The cake was polished off, not even a crumb was left and Danny joked that the two brothers should open up a bakery. He felt his health would be better off if he ate this cake everyday then if he continued going to work with Steve day after day. Everyone just laughed.
"Steve, we didn't want to bother you," Chin started, "but the real reason Kono and I stopped by was we have a couple of work related things to go over with you. Do you have a minute?"
"Let's go inside," Steve answered.
The four team members entered the house and sat down.
"What's up?" Steve asked.
"We didn't get to tell you yesterday about what we found out concerning the three men we discovered unconscious at the warehouse," Chin began. "The one you are probably the most interested in is the man that we found near Natalie. His name is Jonathan Quinn. He has a military, CIA background and no record, but only because no one can pin anything on him. From what we can gather he has been an associate of Keller's for the past fifteen years. When we questioned him about how he ended up unconscious and tied up, all he said was, 'it was dark'."
Steve's brow creased. "Hmm," he replied. "That's what Natalie said. I believe that coming from an eight year old, but not from a man with his background. He knows more."
"That's what we think," Kono added. "The other two men have military backgrounds also and they told us whoever took them down knew what he was doing because it happened so fast they didn't have time to react."
"So what we're dealing with here is someone who is highly trained and runs around saving little girls, leaving no sign of his presence except three unconscious men," Danny concluded.
"And a flashlight," Steve said quietly.
"Huh?" Danny questioned.
"Natalie had a flashlight that night and when I asked her about it she said she found it."
"Do you think we can get any prints off it?" Chin asked.
"I don't know," Steve answered. "I tried to get a look at it the other night, but she got really upset and wouldn't let me see it."
"Wow," Danny said. "You can't get a flashlight away from an eight year old?"
Steve ignored him, "I'll talk to Alex about it and see what I can do. Anything else?"
"No," Chin replied, shaking his head, "just a few reports you need to sign, when you get around to it."
"Okay," Steve said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "I need a favor," he continued, looking over his right shoulder.
"Does it involve being shot at?" Danny asked.
"No, it shouldn't."
Danny looked at him skeptically.
"What do you need, Boss?" Kono inquired.
"I need two of you to set something up for me."
"Where?" all three said at once.
Steve looked behind him again. "Danny you know that trail-"
"No way!" Danny interjected and Chin and Kono glanced over at each other. "I am not going up there again."
"It's fine, Danny, I just took Nate up there earlier today."
"What is wrong with you? Why do you keep putting yourself through that torture? If you fall off a cliff I'm not coming to save you, so you better think twice about who you are taking with you?"
"I don't need to think twice."
Steve went on to explain where, what and when he wanted it to happen. Danny noticed he left out the "who" was going with him and the "why", but Danny was a great detective, he figured it out.
* * * * * * H50 * * * * * *
The house was filled with light and laughter as the evening went on. Danny had asked Nate what Steve was really like as a child and Nate was more than happy to oblige, much to Steve's dismay.
Finally, Danny reluctantly left with a very sleepy Grace in tow, but Chin and Kono stayed longer as Nate began to tell his version of the day his brother received his driver's license.
Steve knew the story would be skewed because, honestly, Nate was only seven, how much could he possibly remember. He was saved from having to hear the account when Natalie asked if they could go outside and look at the stars.
Steve grabbed a blanket knowing she would probably fall asleep and Alex would not like it if Natalie was covered in sand.
They lay on the blanket side by side staring up into the starlit sky, listening as laughter erupted from inside the house.
That's a nice sound, Steve thought
"Daddy, how many stars are up there?" Natalie asked.
"A lot," Steve replied.
"Can we count them?"
"If you want."
Natalie pointed her finger at the stars and they both began counting. "One, two, three-"
"No, you have to point at the stars so you know which ones you have already counted," Natalie directed him.
"Says who?"
"Says me."
"So, I have to do this?" Steve said taking his finger and tickling her on her side.
"No, Daddy," Natalie giggled. "You do it like this." She raised her arm and continued counting and Steve tickled her under her arm. "Stop it," she laughed merrily.
"Hey, we are supposed to be counting stars what are you laughing about?" Steve asked, lifting his hand. "Four, five-"
"I already counted that one," Natalie fussed.
"How do you know?"
"Because I can see where you're pointing."
"Let's try again then."
But Natalie remained quiet.
Steve looked over at her. "Hey, what's going on in there?" he wondered, tapping her head.
Natalie kept her eyes focused on the sky. "That man…he said he was my daddy…is that true?"
Steve hesitated then answered, "Yes, it is."
"Why would he hurt me then? Daddies aren't supposed to do that. They are supposed to keep you safe, like you do."
Oh boy, Steve thought, taking a deep breath; he was really bad at this kind of thing. He tried to think of what Danny would say in a situation like this. He looked over at the little girl and even in the dark he could see her staring back at him, waiting for an answer.
"Ah…sometimes there are daddies that don't know how to be good daddies," he said hoping that would be good enough.
"How do you know how to be a good daddy?" she asked seriously.
Don't ask that. I don't have a clue, Steve thought. "You know what, I'm not really sure. I'm still figuring that out."
"Well, you are doing a good job. I love you, Daddy," she said kissing him on the cheek and hugging him.
"I love you too, Natty," he said putting his arm around her.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Natty,"
"Are you going to marry auntie now?"
Steve smiled. "Do you think I should?"
"Yes, don't you want to?"
"Yeah, I do."
She was quiet for a long time before she spoke again. "Daddy?"
"Yeah."
"After you marry auntie can I call her mommy?"
Steve didn't know what to say to that. Alex did not let Natalie call her mommy because she did not want the little girl to forget her real mother. Steve understood Alex's reasoning, but he did not agree with it because Natalie only knew her mother as the woman in the picture. As far as Natalie was concerned Alex was her mommy.
Natalie continued, "She says she doesn't want me to forget my real mommy, but I don't remember her anyway. Auntie is my mommy." She was quiet for a moment. "Doesn't she want to be my mommy?"
Steve rubbed her back as he wondered how to answer that question. "Of course she does, Sweetheart. It's just that your mommy was her good friend and sometimes it's hard to let go."
"Will you ask her about it?"
"Yes, I will."
Satisfied with his answer Natalie snuggled up next to him and closed her eyes. After a few minutes Steve heard her soft, even breathing. She had fallen asleep.
* * * * * * H50 * * * * * *
Crossing the cool sand, Alex smiled at the sight of Steve and Natalie. She loved seeing them together. There was something so sweet about the Navy SEAL and his relationship with the little girl. Alex stopped and watched them for a moment. She was filled with a deep sense of contentment that she had not felt in a long time.
Steve felt someone watching him. He angled his head back and caught a glimpse of Alex standing a short distance away.
"Hey, come here," he called quietly.
Alex walked toward him. "Chin and Kono said goodbye. I guess I should probably get Natty home to bed," she replied softly.
"Not yet," Steve said, reaching for her hand and pulling her down next to him. He drew her against himself and she rested her head on his chest.
Reaching over with her hand to smooth Natalie's soft hair Alex said, "She really loves you, you know that?"
He sighed contentedly. "If someone had told me a week ago that I'd be lying here on the beach with you and Natty right now, I never would have believed them."
"It's almost surreal," she admitted.
Steve was quiet for a moment and when he finally spoke, his tone was serious, "Alex, you need to be back here in less than a week," he paused and Alex raised her head so she could see his face, "or I'm coming to get you," he finished, tightening his hold around her.
Steve had just expressed what she was feeling; one week was too long to be apart and she knew he wouldn't tolerate a longer separation this time. They had gone four years without seeing each other and that had been difficult, but now, one week seemed like an eternity.
Alex laid her head back on his chest, sliding her hand toward his shoulder and up his neck, letting her fingers slowly glide over his skin. "Give me five days."
"Four," he countered.
"Six," she threatened.
"Five's good," he relented. "But you're mine all day tomorrow."
"Just the two of us or-"
"Just you, me and the great outdoors. We'll see Natty later in the day."
"Would hiking boots be in order?"
"Yeah, but that's all I'm saying."
"Are you sure you really want to hike again?" she asked tilting her head upward to see his face.
Steve looked down at her, a slight smile on his lips, "Absolutely."
A/N: After writing this chapter I really want to eat chicken fajitas and chocolate cake. :) Only two more chapters left now. Thank you for reading and reviewing!
As always thanks to my "staff" and my dear mother for all their help.