Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

Disclaimer: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

Rating: T (for romance)

Pairing: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

Author's Note: The last chapter – as promised. Thank you very much for the reviews – please keep them coming – and for following me and the story. If you like Julia & Steve here, you'll love them in the next story of the series, Captivated. Follow me so you don't miss a single chapter. Once it's out of beta, I'll begin posting chapters soon. Mahalo for your support!

Chapter 29

As Andy and Grace started to collect shells for their castles, Steve led Julia over to a nearby beach chair. She sat next to him and looked out over the water. "Sometimes I forget how beautiful it is on the beach at night," she sighed, relaxed. "It's so peaceful and comforting." Steve put his arm around her, softly stroking his hand along her forearm as she leaned in closely to him.

"That other thing you wanted to tell me, when Danny called yesterday at the overlook… that was Andy?" Julia nodded softly. "I figured as much. Now I can see why you're so cautious about your privacy. Protecting yourself is one thing, protecting your son is another." Steve handed her a beer as he took a sip of his. "These aren't margaritas, I know, but…" he paused. "Is Andy why you left the Service?"

Julia glanced at Steve, giving him that sly look that made his breath catch. It was good to see him, and she had missed him more than she thought she ever could. She wasn't really ready to share the story with anyone, but she knew there would never be a good time, and regardless, she knew she could trust him. She sipped her beer, and took a deep breath, looking up at the stars. "No, not really," she admitted.

"I was on assignment in London when I found out I was pregnant. My superiors offered to rotate me back to the U.S., but I wanted to stay a few months longer. I was working on a joint operation with MI-6, and we had a lead on a terrorist cell being funded out of the UK. I wanted to see it through…" She paused, hesitant to go on. Steve gently took her hand in his. She looked at their intertwined hands for a moment and took another drink of her beer.

"When I was about six months pregnant, my husband Peter was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. I still can't help but think that if I'd accepted the rotation back home, he would have been diagnosed sooner," her voice drifted off, becoming a bit husky as the memories continued to flood back to her. Steve watched her silently in the moonlight. Her face darkened from the pain as her eyes began to well with unshed tears. He carefully stroked her hair, and waited patiently for her to continue. She focused on the waves, struggling to keep her composure, but it was difficult, especially with Steve sitting so close to her. She wanted to let go, to let everything go, but she couldn't. As much as she trusted him, she just couldn't take that risk. Not yet, at least.

"I went into premature labor before we could return to the States. The doctors were able to hold it off long enough for Andy's lungs to mature, and he was born a few weeks early in London. Thankfully he was big and healthy, and we were able to bring him home right away." She smiled, softly. "I remember those first few weeks with him, how amazing it was to see him grow so quickly. It was like the three of us were in this little protective cocoon, and everything seemed to be perfect."

She paused, looking at Steve. "Andy has dual citizenship, and because he was born overseas, he doesn't show up on most background checks or public records. In that way, I'm grateful that he was born in London. I still worry a great deal that the work I did may put him at risk. I don't think I could ever live with myself if something happened to him."

Andy raced over to show Julia and Steve a shell he'd found. Steve watched, transfixed as Julia gently turned it over and oohed and aahed at the little shell, delighting Andy. He had never thought of her as the maternal type, but he could see now how it explained many of her traits and instincts. Julia kissed the top of Andy's head, and he ran back to Grace, giggling. "Grace is really good with him," Steve commented, smiling. "I think he's found a friend."

Julia smiled at Steve, "He likes our life in Hawaii. The beach, the water, the people. I wanted him to grow up somewhere safe, where he could play in our yard, meet friends, and ride his bike. It was difficult to leave Virginia, but I'm glad we came." She turned away and looked at the water again, her voice softening. "It's so different here. For the first time in a long time, I'm starting to feel a sense of peace."

Steve brushed a stray hair away from the side of her face, noticing the sadness that crept into her eyes. He didn't want to push her or make her feel that she had to open up to him. He needed no explanation, and the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel more pain. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me, you know."

She turned to look at him, her eyes jumbled with emotions. Quietly, she said, "Yes, I do. I want you to know." Her eyes started to well up again and she looked away toward the water. Huskily, she said, "I need you to know." They sat in silence, listening to the waves crash, the peals of laughter coming from Grace and Andy, and the distant sounds of the group in the background. Steve gently placed his hand on her back, rubbing it softly. His touch made her heart race, as familiar feelings started to stir in spite of the painful memories at the forefront of her mind.

Taking a deep breath, Julia continued. "After we came home to the States, we found out that Peter wasn't responding to the treatment. We were running out of time. A friend of his at NIH was able to get him in to a clinical trial at Johns Hopkins, but our insurance wouldn't cover it. The treatment was over $15,000 a month."

"It's hard to cover that sort of expense on a government salary, especially with a new baby," Steve said, gently.

Julia nodded quietly in sad agreement. "I reached out to a former professor of mine who had moved over to the Brookings Institute. He offered me a job in analytics. It was hard to leave my friends at the Service, but that clinical trial gave us time. It gave Peter the chance to hear his son say his first words, to see him take his first steps, and to celebrate his first birthday." Julia paused, the lump in her throat making it impossible to continue. She looked over at Andy, laughing and chasing after Grace. Carefully, quietly, she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "It was all worth it," she said, whispering, turning to look at Steve. The pain in her eyes took his breath away, and he wished more than anything he could take that sadness away from her.

Wordlessly, he pulled her close to him, holding her head gently with his hand as Julia nestled into his broad chest. She could hear his heart beating soft and strong. Here in his arms, she felt so safe and warm. She wished they could stay like this forever. She closed her eyes, taking in his powerful scent, feeling his arms around her holding her close. Pulling away slowly, she looked up to him, her eyes dark with worry, her brow furrowed deeply. "This… us… it could be dangerous…for both of us. There are things that I can't share, that you can't…" She stopped, words failing her as fear for Steve gripped her heart. Her eyes continued to search his.

He met her gaze with a deep intensity, answering the questions she couldn't ask, the worries she couldn't name. Steve caressed her cheek gently with his thumb. He held her face with both hands, his eyes confident on hers, before reaching down to kiss her softly, sweetly, without any hesitation.

"It's worth it," he said, smiling. "It's all worth it."

End

Stay tuned for the next story in the series – Captivated - coming very soon. Follow me so you don't miss a chapter! Thanks for the great support and reviews!