THROWING DARTS
Based on the Hawaii Five-0 Series Finale | Season 10 Episode 22: Aloha
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CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
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MCGARRETT HOUSE - JULY 24, 2020 - 0700 HOURS
Catherine carefully eased down the stairs on one leg. Halfway down. I can do this. She grimaced as her hand gripped onto the railing. Finally, she made it down to the living room floor and breathed a sigh of relief. She timidly put weight on her injured leg and hobbled over to the kitchen. Glancing around, she surveyed the current situation and devised her plan of attack. Flour. Baking powder. Salt. Sugar. Vanilla. Butter. Eggs. Milk. Catherine gathered her ingredients and began mixing. She had missed her independence. She didn't doubt for a second that she loved her husband with her whole heart, but being injured and newly married at the same time was quite the learning curve. Not to mention, that for the last few years, she had been completely on her own. Steve had been nothing but the perfect husband. He was incredibly attentive and loving. He practically waited on her hand and foot, and although she knew that she would do the same thing if the roles were reversed, Catherine couldn't help but feel at least a little bit guilty.
She turned on the stovetop and warmed the skillet before pouring circles of batter and smiling at the sizzle that echoed in the pan. She fished around for a spatula and quickly flipped her perfectly round pancakes. She eased over to the fridge and grabbed the syrup and a carton of blueberries before flipping on the coffee maker. Forgot the butter. She went back to the fridge and smiled as she shook her head at his strange habit of putting butter in his coffee.
"What the hell?" Steve pushed back the sliding door and stepped in from the lanai. Salt water dripped from his swim trunks as he toweled off from his early morning swim.
Catherine smiled, "Pancakes."
"I can see that." He chuckled. "I was wondering more along the lines of why you were making pancakes and not still in bed?" Steve crossed his arms over his bare chest and gave her a disapproving look.
She smiled and handed him a cup of coffee. "Because your pregnant wife wanted pancakes and I was tired of lying around."
Steve smirked, "Playing the pregnancy card early, I see." He kissed her lips and took the spatula out of her hand to finish cooking the pancakes. "You should've waited for me to help you down the stairs, Cath." He scolded.
"I've always been a bit 'rules-optional'." She smiled. "Steve, I love you." She leaned against his chest and kissed his lips, "But I'm tired of being carried around all the time." Catherine stepped back to let him flip the last batch of pancakes. "Besides. My physical therapist says I should start trying to walk a little bit more on my leg to help the muscle heal, and my wrist is feeling pretty good. See? No brace today!" She held up her arm. Her skin was still slightly discolored, but the majority of the bruises had faded. Her scars from the surgery were beginning to heal.
He flipped off the burner and set the pile of pancakes aside. "Well then. He smirked as he cornered her against the counter top and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "We should see just how good you're feeling." The words vibrating off of her skin sent shivers down her spine. His nose nudged against the soft skin behind her ear as he kissed the side of her neck. He slipped his hands under the hem of her robe and trailed his fingers up and down her spine. His lips returned to hers in a beguilingly slow kiss. "Still feeling good?" He mumbled before his tongue delved between her lips.
Catherine's only response was a satisfied moan and that's all it took for Steve to wrap his arms around her, grab her ass, and lift her onto the counter. Catherine wrapped her legs around his waist and tossed her head back as he pushed her robe off and nipped at her cleavage. "Mmm… Steve…" She moaned, earning a satisfied grin from him, "Pancakes?...Oh, God…"
"Can be microwaved." He chuckled as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss before sliding her off the counter and carrying her over to the couch. Steve laid her back on the leather and crawled over her body. Catherine extended her injured leg on the couch and wrapped the other around his waist, bringing him closer. Steve ran his hand up and down her thigh as his calloused fingers sent shockwaves of pleasure through her body. Catherine's back arched as she relished the glorious sensations he sent through her body. Just as she reached out and tugged at the waistband of his swim trunks, the unmistakable sound of her stomach growling killed their steamy moment.
"Ignore it." She demanded as she pulled at his shorts again, but was thwarted by the incessant sound of her stomach rumbling.
Steve chuckled and kissed her gently, "C'mon, mama. Rain check. Baby's hungry." He pushed off of the couch and padded back into the kitchen.
"Steve!" She whined, rather frustrated… and hot and bothered. He returned a second later with a plateful of pancakes and handed it to her. She frowned playfully, "Don't think you can win back by affections with pancakes. I'll be cashing in that rain check as soon as I finish these."
Steve poured a generous amount of syrup on her pancakes and smiled, "What about now?"
Catherine's smile peeked through, "Okay, maybe you can win some of my affections back."
He grinned as he walked back into the kitchen and fixed himself a plate. "What can I say, Rollins. Sorry you married such a stud." He winked. "I can't help it if you get turned on every time I walk into a room."
"Behold, the great Steve McGarrett. You are as humble as you are handsome." She laughed sarcastically as she pretended to bow down. Catherine shoved a bite in her mouth as Steve joined her on the couch. "Why do you still call me Rollins?"
Steve chuckled, "Old habits die hard, I guess. I mean, I've called you Rollins for what… twenty years?" He paused, "Does it, uh, does it bother you?"
Catherine shook her head and smiled, "No, it just always makes me think of when we were both in the Navy a million years ago."
He smiled as he took a bite of his pancakes, "I guess it reminds me of falling in love… with you." He said wistfully before shrugging, "I guess I just don't wanna ever forget that."
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"Rollins!" Steve grinned as he called her name across the gym when he spotted Catherine sitting beside a punching bag, taping her knuckles. He returned the barbell to the holder and walked over to the corner she was in. "Look who finally decided to come out of her cave." He chuckled as he sat down on the mat in front of her.
Catherine's brow furrowed, "Sir? I'm sorry, I don't understand. I've been at my station every day this week… even pulled overtime last night…"
Steve rolled his eyes, "Please don't call me 'sir', Catherine. We're off the clock."
"It's protocol, Sir." She was obviously flustered and irritated as she packed the layers of tape on her knuckles.
Steve reached out and put his hand on top of hers. Their eyes locked for a moment, but Steve was the first one to break away from their gaze. He looked down at her hands and pulled a few layers of tape off of her knuckles and crumpled them up. "You'll break every bone in your hand if you tape up like that." He stated as he tore off a new strip from the roll with his teeth. He re-did the final layers and packed them down for her. "Gloves." He had picked up her boxing gloves and helped her slide her hands in. Steve hopped up from his spot on the mat and extended his hand to help her up. "All I meant was that I haven't, uh, haven't seen you around anywhere lately besides work… Not the mess hall… not the gym.." He looked around as he stood with his hands on his hips, deciding it wasn't the time to confront her. Steve shrugged, "Go get 'em, killer." He mumbled as he walked back to the free weights and began lifting.
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Punch after punch, hit after hit - sweat beaded on Catherine's forehead as her fists connected with the punching bag over and over again. The gym on board the Enterprise had cleared out and the only sound that echoed through the empty room was the rhythmic thumping of her boxing gloves on the leather bag. Time seemed to stand still as she took out her frustrations in the only way she knew how. Her throat tightened as she buried her feelings of anger and betrayal. Tears pricked at her eyes as her arms fell to her sides and she stilled the punching bag with her body.
Catherine sat on the mat and took a long drink from her water bottle. Her shirt was soaked in sweat and clung to her body. She peeled it off and adjusted her sports bra. Catherine laid back on the mat and closed her eyes. For a long time she laid there and pushed out every thought that attempted to creep into her mind. A dark shadow approached and hovered over her body. "Rollins?"
Catherine's eyes blinked open and focused on the familiar face standing over her. "Sir." She groaned as she sat up and grabbed the balled up shirt that was beside her. She wrinkled her nose at how soaked it was and dug around in her bag for something to cover up with.
Steve frowned as he sat down beside her and rested his forearms on top of his knees. "You missed dinner."
"Wasn't hungry, sir." Catherine stated as she pulled a jacket out of her bag and slipped her arms in the sleeves, not bothering to zip it up.
Steve looked around at the empty gym. "You know you're on duty in three hours."
Catherine gritted her teeth, "I can assure you that I take my job seriously, Lieutenant McGarrett." She snapped. "My work won't suffer just because I chose to work out before my shift."
Steve blew air out of his nose as he chuckled, "I know, Rollins." He tugged a protein bar out of his pocket and handed it to her. "You're so good at your job that sometimes I forget that you're a person and not a computer." A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "What's going on with you, Cath?"
Catherine looked down at the protein bar and traced her finger along the edge. "I'm fine, Sir. I just haven't felt like socializing much lately."
"Wanna tell me why?" Steve asked as he leaned back against the wall and patted the spot beside him.
She scooted over and took the open space beside him. Catherine stretched her legs out and crossed her ankles as she tore into the protein bar. "Just haven't." She shrugged.
Steve crossed his arms over his chest and chuckled, "Is this one of those times when you say that nothing's wrong, but you're actually upset?
"No." Catherine stated solemnly.
"So, yes?" Steve smiled as his eyes caught hers.
Catherine rolled her eyes and shook her head, subduing a smile. "You're not gonna let this go, are you?"
Steve shook his head, "Not until I see you smile." Catherine gave him the biggest, cheesy, fake smile she could muster, causing him to laugh. "Not like a five year old." He added. "A real smile. And don't think you can fake it either because when you REALLY smile, your face looks like it's gonna explode from happiness and you get those little lines around your eyes." He laughed. Catherine giggled at his description as her cheeks flushed from slight embarrassment. "See?" Steve grinned, "That's a real smile."
Catherine finished off the protein bar he had given her and sat in silence for a few minutes as she stared at the wrapper. "I broke up with my boyfriend." She mumbled as she stared at her hands.
Steve nodded. "So that explains the overtime shifts and why you assaulted a punching bag for two hours…" He looked over at her, "How are you, though?"
Catherine shrugged, "I'm the one who ended things… I'm fine."
"Have you talked to Amy about it?" He asked as he scratched the back of his head.
"No." She shook her head.
Steve hesitated for a moment but decided to ask anyways, "Will you talk to me about it?"
Catherine looked at him as if he had three heads, "You're kidding, right?!" She laughed. "Steve, you're my C.O.! I'm not gonna talk about my break up with you."
"See?" Steve grinned.
"See what?" Catherine's brow furrowed.
"I got you to call me Steve." He gave her the most endearing, lopsided smirk.
Catherine laughed quietly and looked down at her hands, "He cheated…" She mumbled. "Got tired of me always being gone."
Steve nodded. "How long were you together?"
"Four years... We, uh, we met right before I went to the Naval Academy and hit it off, but he's a civilian, so…." Her voice trailed off.
Steve nodded. "They don't get the life."
"Yeah." She agreed quietly. "He was my first...everything… And all my prospects went out the window with that relationship."
"What do you mean?" He mumbled.
"I don't date Navy guys and it's become very apparent that a relationship with a civilian will never be compatible with my lifestyle." She shrugged.
"You wanna know what I think?" Steve declared as he stretched his arms and looked over at her. "I think that you're too smart for your own good." He smiled, "Sometimes you just gotta let life bring people your way and then you can decide what will and won't work for you. But you just have to take it in waves. If you have all these criteria for who you let in your life, you build up walls and you're gonna miss out on some really great people."
Catherine laughed quietly and shook her head, "I bet your girlfriend loves being psychoanalyzed like that."
Steve laughed, "Probably why I'm single." He stood up and extended his hand to help her up.
Catherine got up and picked up her boxing gloves. "Okay, I'm a little surprised… You just seem like the all-American type. You know.. The type who married his high school sweetheart, you have a couple perfect kids and a dog and a house on main street with a picket fence…"
"Maybe one day I'll tell you my story." He chuckled. "But thanks for telling me yours… or at least part of it."
"Thanks for listening." She smiled softly.
Steve pointed to the punching bag, "You, uh, you gonna go a few more rounds with this guy or are you gonna get some shut eye before your shift."
"A few more rounds." She stated as she slid off her jacket and secured her boxing gloves. "Don't worry. I don't slack on duty. I'll be bright eyed and bushy tailed in…" She glanced over at the clock on the wall, "Two and a half hours."
Steve chuckled. "Do you want some company?"
Catherine shrugged, "You can stay if you want. It's a free country...er...boat."
"Can I give you a tip?" He tilted his head, awaiting her answer. Catherine nodded and he moved to stand behind her. Gently, she felt his hands grasp her hips. His muscular chest brushed against the back of her shoulders. "You're facing the bag too much. Your hips are too square." His husky voice sent shivers down her spine as he whispered against her ear. He gently tapped the back of her heel with his toe and adjusted her feet. His hands turned her hips to a slight angle, "There. Like that." His breath trailed down her neck. It was….intoxicating. "You'll get more power off your back foot and be able to use more core strength in your swing." She felt cold air wrap around her body as he took a few steps back. All she wanted was to feel the warmth of his body again. "Now hit." He commanded. Catherine's arm shot out from her side and rammed the bag, launching it into the wall. Steve gave her a slow clap before he caught the bag and stilled it for her. "Now doesn't that feel good?" He grinned.
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NORTH SHORE, O'AHU - JULY 24, 2020 - 1100 HOURS
"Hi guys!" Tani smiled as she jogged down the beach with Junior following close behind, carrying a surfboard.
Steve grinned and pulled her in for a hug, "Hey, kiddo!" He turned and bumped Junior's fist. "You ready to catch some waves?"
"Let's do it." Junior grinned as he and Steve headed down to the water.
Tani spread out her towel and joined Catherine on the sand. "So, I see we're down one cast." She grinned as she pointed to Catherine's wrist.
"One down, two to go." She grinned. "How's work?"
Tani shrugged, "Weird." She laid back on her towel and soaked in the sun, "It's, uh, it's different without Steve."
"He misses it." Catherine stated quietly. Tani looked over at her and raised her eyebrows, "I mean, he'll never admit it, but I know it's killing him thinking about going to work behind a desk."
Tani nodded, "When does he start at the V.A.?"
"Next week." Catherine sighed, "It's gonna be different. You know? He won't be with Five-0. I'm pregnant. We're married." She laughed, "When did I become so… domestic?"
Tani laughed, "Oh please, Miss Former-CIA-Agent-Badass. You are literally gonna be the coolest mom ever."
Catherine laughed and tilted her head up to watch her husband paddle out and ride a wave in.
"What's it like?" Tani asked quietly. "Being married to a former SEAL, I mean…"
"Well…" Catherine thought for a moment before continuing, "I don't think there's such a thing as a former SEAL. It, uh, it's who they are at their core…." She watched the two boys as they bobbed up and down in the water. "When they go through BUD/s and SQT, and then go through a career of combat… it changes who they are. After that sort of life change, they can never just hang up their instinct to protect and serve." She looked over at Tani and smiled, "Junior's smitten with you. It's all over his face. He adores you."
Tani blushed, "Did you and Steve… did you two know each other before he went into the SEALs?"
Catherine nodded, "Yeah, we, uh, we worked together in Naval Intelligence for a couple years before he went to BUD/s. We were...good friends... For a long time before we got involved."
"And when you did?" Her eyebrows raised. "Fireworks?"
"More like a nuclear explosion." Catherine laughed. "We, uh, we had this chase for the longest time. Neither of us wanted to be the one to admit that there were more than friends."
Tani stared out at the ocean. "Why didn't you two just give it a go, though? What was the harm in seeing what happened?"
"He was my commanding officer." Catherine cringed with a smile. Tani burst into a fit of laughter. Catherine shook her head and laughed, "Nothing happened when I was in his chain of command." She waved her hand dismissively, "There was a lot of flirting, but we were professional."
Tani laid back on her towel and closed her eyes, "What was the CIA like? I mean, I know it's not what it seems, but it seems cool…"
"You're a ghost." Catherine began. "Everyone uses the term 'spook', but that doesn't really quantify it in my mind. You're a ghost...a, uh, an empty shell. You're filled and made up to be whatever they need you to be and sent wherever they need you to go. You realize that the reason you blend in so well to your environment is because you're wasting away as an individual. When you spend years pretending to be something you're not, you end up exactly how they want you to be: nothing."
"What kept you from wasting away?" Tani asked quietly.
"Steve." Catherine admitted. "We, uh, didn't talk for a long time after I left him, and then his mother got in trouble and I came to Hawaii and told him what happened and we went after her…" She gazed out across the ocean as she remembered that night. "We had a really long flight and it was just us and we…. We had it out. I mean, we yelled and screamed at each other for hours and I had never felt so… alive." Catherine laughed. "Somehow that argument charged me and kept me grounded and reminded me what living really felt like."
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"So how's it going, uh, living with her?" Steve asked as they bobbed up and down in the water, waiting for a wave.
Junior chuckled. "Good, man. It's different than living with you and Danny, that's for sure."
Steve smirked, "I bet." He glanced over his shoulder and watched Catherine and Tani laughing. "Thanks for setting this up. It's, uh, it's good for her to get out of the house."
"Course." Junior smiled. "Tani was excited to hang out with her."
"I'm worried about her…" Steve admitted as they began to paddle out further. "Neither of us have family on the island. I'm about to go back to work… I just know how trapped you can feel in that house…"
"You worried she's gonna leave?" Junior frowned.
Steve shrugged, "I just don't want her feeling lonely, you know? I mean, she's always had the Navy or Five-0 or something… I just…" He ran his hand through his hair. "I dunno, man." He sighed.
"Maybe she's ready for this. To slow down, I mean." Junior suggested. "Maybe you're the one who's not ready for her to be done."
"Maybe." Steve mumbled. They sat in the water for a few more minutes before Steve spoke up again. "When we cleared Coen's safehouse… how many people did you see?"
Junior thought for a moment. "Just two… Agent Coen and Igor Basayev."
Steve nodded and looked back at him. "So you didn't see a third person either?"
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hi, loves! I really don't have any notes to leave today, but I just wanted to say that you are wonderful, beautiful, awesome human beings! You are loved and the world would not be the same without you in it! Have a wonderful, wonderful week!
I can't wait to read your thoughts on this chapter, so leave them in the reviews!
XO,
-Mags-
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