One for Sorrow
Pairing: McRoll
Spoilers for season 10 - Episode 7
Chapter - 15
"Uncle Steve, Uncle Steve, we're over here Uncle Steve", came a little voice a few hundred feet in front of him. He smiled and waved back at the small figure standing up and jumping up and down as she waved at him. As much as he loved the videos and photos and face time calls he had with Joan and Mary, it never compared to being face to face in person with them. There was just an undeniable joy he got whenever he heard his name being called out as Uncle, first from Grace, she was the first one, then Joanie, Sammie, Will and now Charlie even calls him Uncle Steve.
He was skeptical at first when Mary first came back home to introduce him to the baby she had adopted, she had always had trouble with looking after even herself, he had to help her out of many situations when she was on the mainland and he was still the SEALS. Some of those times she didn't even know her big brother had helped her out but even though they weren't close back then, he would always look out for her.
She had really changed through the years and had proven him wrong. She was a wonderful mother to that little girl, and Joanie had him wrapped around her fingers like all nieces did to their Uncles. His desk at work, he wasn't a man to have many photos in and around his office, but he had a photo of Mary and Joan together, one of Catherine, one of his family when they were younger before his mother faked her death and then one of his grandparents.
That little girl had stolen his heart and there wasn't anything that he wouldn't do for her. He understood Mary had been living on the mainland longer than she had ever lived on the island of O'ahu, and she liked it in California, however he hoped that he would be able to get her to move out there. Hawaii was the best place on earth to live and there was nothing more then he wanted to see than his sister and niece living close by to him, as well as Catherine living with him.
"There's my girl", he smiled as she came running towards him as he drew closer and as soon as she was close enough, he lifted her in the air and tossed her up lightly before settling her on his hip and kissing her temple as she gave him a huge hug. "We missed you Uncle Steve", he smiled and chuckled lightly as he walked the rest of the way to where Catherine and Mary were sitting down at a table at an outside cafe.
He ruffled his niece's hair and put her down in her chair as he leaned in and kissed his sister on the cheek and then Catherine on the lips softly before sitting down next to Catherine. "I missed you guys too.. I heard you went somewhere real exciting this morning". As much as he could sense all Catherine wanted to do was ask him how he was and how it all went, she knew that it was a conversation that could wait till later, however as he spoke to his niece, he could feel her hand entwining into his and squeezing softly.
Smiling softly at her, he appreciated the gesture and squeezed back as he listened intently to his niece speak about their day at the Air and Space Museum. Catherine had been texting him photos and small videos throughout the morning so he had something to take his mind off the meeting that had occurred earlier in the day. "It was so cool Uncle Steve, I went in a simulator", as she said simulator, her voice went up in pitch as she became more excited, "Wow, that is awesome Joanie, give me a high five". He held out his hand and chuckled as she gave him a high five. "Aunt Cath has been sending me some photos of you having so much fun, I'll tell you right now.. I am so jealous".
Joan giggled as her Uncle said he was jealous of not going to the Air and Space museum, her mother putting her hand gently on her shoulder to calm over overly excitable daughter. "Now that Uncle Steve is here, I think it's time we looked at the menu and see what's good here for lunch, I dunno about you munchkin but Mommy is starving after our big morning". Joan smiled and nodded, "Me too..". She reached for a menu and handed it to her Uncle Steve for Steve and Cath to share, just as the waiter came over to take their order, "What do you think looks good Joanie?", he asked seriously, "I think the burgers and fries, and of course the chocolate shake". He chuckled, and nodded his head, "I think that is perfect, I think I'll order that as well, how about you Lieutenant?"
Catherine had been quiet this whole time, letting Steve and his niece catch up, as soon as she heard him speak to her, she smiled and chuckled, she had been thinking of the same thing as soon as she had seen the menu when they first sat down at the table, "Well Commander, I don't think you can go wrong with burgers and fries, though I might make mine a strawberry shake". Mary who was sitting next to Catherine's left hand side nodded as she put down the menu herself, "I'm convinced, burgers and fries, and a vanilla shake for me".
Steve nodded to the waiter and smiled, "Well, that's four burgers and fries, two chocolate shakes, one strawberry shake and one vanilla shake will do us please". The waiter nodded his head and smiled as he wrote down the order, "the child order of burgers and fries also comes with a free ice cream for desert, it won't be too long, your shakes will be out shortly". As he walked away, Steve leant over to Joan and whispered, "You gonna share some of your ice cream with me?", both of them glancing over at Mary and Catherine as though sharing their own little secret, "You got it Uncle Steve", she whispered back, smiling brightly as she leant over to hug him, barely noticing both Mary and Catherine with their phones out taking a photo of the two of them.
Author Notes:
Thank you all so much for all of your patience. I haven't really written anything for this since late November so I appreciate you all sticking by and waiting for the next chapters to come. I hope this is a lovely belated Christmas gift to you all. I wasn't aware where I began this journey on this story that it would turn out the way it has but I am really enjoying writing it and really enjoying going through this journey as well. Getting back home after our holidays, December just became quite busy but finally I have had a bit of downtime to get these next ones done.