Pehea wau i ʻike ai i kou makuahine

Based on the characters and stories of Hawaii Five-0.

Hawaii Five-0 is owned by CBS and their respective creators.


Catherine slid her fingers into her white gloves as she hurried across the base. Her retirement ceremony was starting soon and Steve was still most likely on his case per usual. No factor. She understood the demands on him that being the head of Five-0 entailed, but that didn't mean it wasn't disappointing.

"Catherine!" Steve called her name as he jogged up behind her. "Hey, hey."

"Hey!" She adjusted her cover and spun to the sound of his voice.

He caught his breath, "Uhm, I'm glad I caught you. Just, uh… real quick." He handed her a box wrapped with bright blue paper.

Catherine picked up the box and examined it, "Wow, it's wrapped and everything!" She bit back a giggle when he rolled his eyes at her joke, "I'm impressed!

"Go ahead. Open it."

She grinned as she pulled the top of and brushed back the tissue paper, "Aw, you didn't have to do this."

"I know." He watched as Catherine pulled back the paper. She pursed her lips and blinked back tears as she looked at the cover of the vinyl record, "I remember you told me a story about when you were a little girl and your, uh, your mom would play this for you when you were scared."

She thought back to that morning in her apartment when she had told him about Chicago. To the night before where she had woken up with a PTSD induced nightmare, unable to shake herself free of it. He had stayed. He had cared for her. He had made sure she was safe. "Chicago always made everything better."

"Catherine," He began, remembering what he had said to her years prior after she told him about the record, "You got nothing to be scared of. Okay? I'm right here. You're not gonna do this alone."

Hearing him say those words was like watching their younger selves from a distance. Protecting each other. Fighting for each other. She took a shaky breath. "Thank you."

His sly smirk made her smile as he pulled her in for a hug. "One more thing." He handed her the polaroid, "I got your six."

Catherine laughed as she looked at the children in the photo, "God, we were kids." She tucked it away in her uniform and handed the present back to him, "Hold on to it for me 'til we get this over with?"

Steve chuckled and took the box from her, "I talked to Matt. He and Amy wanted to congratulate you."

Her eyebrows darted up as she smoothed out her uniform, "Oh yeah? I've been meaning to call Amy back. I need to talk to her."

His dopey, lopsided grin gave it away, "Well, you should turn around and make good on that."

Catherine spun on her heels and nearly ran smack into Amy, "Oh my god! Ames!"

Amy laughed as she squeezed Catherine in a bear hug, "Did you really think we were gonna miss this?"

"Matt! Oh my god! You guys!" Catherine exclaimed as she hugged Matt.

Matt grinned as he spun her around, "Core Four back at it!" He laughed, bringing back the moniker sailors around the Enterprise had dubbed their little group.

Steve gave Catherine a wink and clapped his hands together, "Alright, Intel. Let's move out. Cookout at my place once we get our girl retired."

Amy and Matt strolled hand in hand as they escorted Catherine to the ceremony. "Catherine, I'm glad you finally came around and joined the ranks of retirees with the rest of us." She laughed.

"Hey, hey." Steve began defensively, "You three are retired. I'm not retired."

"Reserves. Yeah, yeah. We know." Matt ribbed. "Just give it up already and slow down, old man."

Steve smirked, "You know that's never gonna happen, Solomon."


Steve watched from the crowd as Catherine had the Navy Achievement Medal pinned on her lapel. She accepted the framed certificate and shook her C.O.'s hand. Steve grinned proudly and joined in on the round of applause. Her gaze was locked on him as she smiled for the crowd. Then it wasn't. He glanced over and saw her smile at Billy who had posted himself beside Tom and Evelyn Rollins.

The ceremony ended and Steve immediately snagged the woman of honor. "Hey, Rollins." He gave her a devilish grin. "Now that you're officially retired and I'm… reserved, it means I can do this in public now." He held her waist and dipped her backwards, planting a hard kiss on her mouth. Their friends and family whooped and cheered as Steve made his move.

Catherine laughed and threw her head back. Her cover fell off, but as she went to pick it up, a hand intercepted it, "Congratulations, Catherine." Billy grinned as he handed her her cover. "Glad this guy convinced you to come on board with me." He clapped his hand against Steve's shoulder.

Before she could respond, Steve snaked his arm around her waist and declared, "Alright, everybody back to my place."


"Steve, I know what you're doing." Catherine stated as she followed him up the stairs. Closing the bedroom door behind them, she began to change into something more casual before all their guests arrived.

He yanked his tie loose and slid it out from under his collar, "And, uh, what is it that I'm doing?"

She cocked her head, "That kiss? After my ceremony?" Catherine hooked her fingers in his belt loops and pulled him closer. He gave her a guilty smile and shrugged. "I get it, okay?" She began, "But he and I were over a long time ago. You know that. And I am very happy with you."

Steve turned her around and lowered the zipper on her skirt, "What happened in Amsterdam?"

Catherine froze momentarily before continuing to undress, "He told you about Amsterdam?"

"More or less." Okay, so maybe Steve had overheard Billy talking about it in Coronado years ago, but that counted as Billy telling him, right?

Catherine picked up her dress whites and laid them across the foot of the bed, "He visited me when I was in Landstuhl after I got injured in Kabul. I had a couple days between when I got discharged and had to be back for Matt and Amy's wedding, so I met up with him in Amsterdam. She wiggled into a pair of denim shorts, "And just in case you're forgetting, you and I were very much broken up." She tugged a tank top on.

Steve sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her to stand in between his knees, "And by 'met up with him' you mean…"

"Yes, we hooked up because we were two unattached, consenting adults." She snapped. "I wasn't hiding anything from you. And are you actually telling me you didn't see anyone else while we were broken up?" Catherine already knew the answer to that.

She saw the tic in Steve's jaw as he gritted his teeth. Steve nodded, "I did." He admitted with a sigh, "Look… I'm - I'm sorry." He pulled her down onto his lap, "You know he and I have always been kind of…"

"Competitive?"

He smirked, "Sure. We'll go with that."

"I'm not a prize to be won, Steve." She chided. "And even if I was, you got me." A playful glimmer shined in her eyes, "Besides. You were the one who introduced me and Billy. So…. this is kind of your fault." She grinned.

Steve stole a kiss as he heard the front door open and close, "Alright, smarty pants. We've got guests who are here to celebrate what a badass you are. Time to go be civilians and entertain."


First through the door was none other than Billy Harrington. "You invited him?" Catherine whispered as she peered through the kitchen door.

"Yep." Steve methodically filled plastic cups with ice, "Because he's your new boss and contrary to popular belief, he and I are actually friends."

"Hmmm." Catherine narrowed her eyes in at him, "That brothers-in-arms, SEAL team thing goes a long way, doesn't it?"

He chuckled, "Covers a multitude of sins."

"Nice place, McGarrett." Billy said as he made his way into the kitchen. "Thanks for the invite."

Before he could respond, Amy and Matt barreled inside. "Commander Harrington." Amy turned on her snark, "How nice to see you again."

Steve and Catherine exchanged a look. They knew that sassy, sarcastic tone all too well. Steve chuckled, "How, uh, how do you two know each other?"

Billy was the first to pipe up, "Catherine introduced Lieutenant Hawkins and I when I was on the Enterprise for a bit."

Amy snorted, "Oh, that's how you remember it?" Catherine shot her a look that told her to keep her mouth shut. She did not want to bring up the fact that once upon a time Billy had shown up at her bunk door in the middle of the night. It'd be a real shame to end the cook-out with having to dispose of a body. Amy took the hint and changed the subject, "It's actually Solomon now." She declared as she showed off the glittering wedding ring on her left hand, "And just Amy. We both got out a while back."

"Ames, where's your daughter? I need to get out there and meet her now that I'm officially unemployed." Catherine chimed in.

Billy clarified, "Not unemployed for long, Rollins. Work starts Monday."

"She's back home with Matt's parents. God bless his mother. That woman is a saint with the patience of Mother Theresa. Grandparents are a lifesaver when your kid is driving you nuts and you need to get away. Remember that when you two finally get hitched."

Steve choked and sputtered on his beer as Catherine turned an unsightly shade of red. Billy stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked painfully uncomfortable. Matt raised an eyebrow, "Sensitive subject, McGarrett?" He smirked.

"'Ay, what's everybody doin' standin' around. We've got a retiree to celebrate." Danny announced as he and Chin sauntered in. "Congrats, babe." He grinned as he hugged Catherine.

"Thanks, Danny." She smiled, "Grace with Rachel today?" Danny nodded. "Bummer. You'll have to bring her by soon. Uh, Danny, Chin- this is Matt and Amy Solomon. They're old Navy friends. Ames and I bunked together for a couple years and so did Steve and Matt."

"The Core Four, baby." Matt grinned as he shook Danny's hand. "Amy and I got together pretty quick. Took these two a minute to get their heads out of their asses." He winked at Catherine.

She pointed to Billy, "And this is-"

"Billy Harrington." Danny interjected as he shook Billy's hand, "Steve's told me... about you."

Steve smirked. Leave it to Danny to mess with Billy's head. Billy smiled confidently, "Good to meet you, man."

"Why are we all just standing around?!" Evelyn exclaimed as she floated into the house, "It's time to party!"

"Evelyn!" Amy exclaimed as she threw her arms around Catherine's mom.

She laughed, "Well, it looks like the whole Navy's here!" Evelyn gave Matt an uninvited hug, "You must be Matthew. I've heard so much about you."

Tom Rollins appeared in the kitchen door and Billy immediately extended his hand, "Good to see you, Sir. It's been a long time."

Steve kept a watchful eye on Billy and Admiral Rollins until he felt Catherine nudge him with her elbow, "At ease, Sailor." She whispered.


Steve watched from the grill as Catherine chatted with Danny, Billy and Chin while Evelyn looked through every single photo of Matt and Amy's daughter and gushed over how cute she was. Tom Rollins sided up to Steve and handed him a Longboard, "You look like you could use a beer." He chuckled.

He grinned as he popped the top and took a long drink, "Thank you, Sir."

Tom chuckled and shook his head, "Nah, son. You know you don't have to do that with me." He tipped his beer towards Billy, "Him on the other hand - I make him call me Admiral Rollins."

Steve grinned, "Duly noted. I'm uh, I'm glad you and Evelyn made it back out here. I know it means a lot to Catherine to have you here."

Mr. Rollins took another long drink from his Longboard. "I always thought Catherine would stay in 'til her twenty, but I'm not surprised that she ended it with Pearl being her last stint. You know, as much as Evelyn and I would like her closer to us, she, uh, she seems happy here."

"Good. That's, uh, that's good." Steve mumbled as he prodded the burgers on the grill. "I want her to be."

"You know, Steve. I've gotta say, I'm a little surprised you encouraged her to take that job." Tom stated just low enough so his voice wouldn't carry over to where Billy and Catherine were. "Surprised me that she took it."

Steve shrugged, "It was a great offer. She's gonna do great with it. I have no doubt."

"Well, of course." He chuckled, "But you know things can get murky real quick when you add someone like him into the equation."

"Sir?"

Tom crossed his arms, "Steve, forgive me for being frank, but I'd hate for you to lose her just because you're too chickenshit to take the right next step."

He frowned, "And what 'right next step' would you be implying, Sir?"

"Catherine's a grown woman. I'm not privy to the details of your relationship." He raised his hands defensively and added on, "Nor do I want to be. But, man to man? I'd keep an eye on that one." He nodded towards Billy.


"So how are things going?" Amy smiled as she helped Steve cover the leftovers. Steve had been her C.O. too, but even outside of her marrying his former bunkmate, Amy and Steve had always gotten along like siblings. Occasionally getting on each other's nerves, but their good-natured banter had always been comfortable.

Steve nodded as he tore the plastic wrap from the roll and covered a dish of potato salad, "Good. We're pretty busy. Usually two or three cases a week-"

"Not work, McGarrett. You and Catherine. How are things going?" She laughed. "Don't think you can get out of this. Now spill."

He grinned. He had missed Amy's wittiness, "Good. They're good."

"You guys living together?"

He shook his head, "She's got a house in Aina Haina- I think Tom and Evelyn are staying there tonight. But, uh, she spends most of her time here."

Amy looked around, "I can see why. You've got a great place." She smiled, lulling him into a false sense of security. "You guys serious?"

He shrugged, "I think so."

"When are you gonna propose?" Amy asked nonchalantly as she rearranged the refrigerator contents to fit the leftovers.

The box of plastic wrap hit the countertop with a clatter as Steve tried to maintain his composure, "Isn't, uh, isn't that supposed to be a secret or somethin'?"

"Mm. Dodging the question will not work with me. Come on, Steve. She's loved you since we were all on the Enterprise together. Don't try and bullshit me. You guys have been together for a long time. It's the natural progression of relationships."

Steve's brows knitted together, "She what?" He turned his head and looked at her as he braced his hands on the countertop.

Amy's mouth gaped open. She knew that look of shock. "Shit." She muttered, "She's never told you, has she?"

He cleared his throat and was about to respond when Danny and Chin walked in, "Hey, we're uh, we're headin' out. See you Monday, 'aight?" Danny smacked his shoulder, "Amy, pleasure to meet you."

Steve nodded, "Yeah, man. Thanks… thanks for coming." Amy nodded politely and waved as Danny and Chin left.

"Steve, I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have heard that from me. I just… I assumed with how long you guys had been together and her leaving the Navy and putting down roots in Hawaii that you guys had….. Gosh, I'm sorry."

He shook his head, "What, uh, what happened when you met Billy on the Enterprise?"

"What do you mean?

Steve peered out the window where Matt and Billy were deep in conversation while Catherine caught up with her parents, "Just seemed like there was some tension there."

Amy smirked, "I may or may not have threatened his life if he tried to make another move on Catherine. I also may or may not have insinuated that you'd shoot him if he tried anything."

"I knew I liked you." He chuckled.

Amy chewed on her lip and leaned on the refrigerator door as she put away the last of the food, "Steve, can I give you some advice?"

Steve grinned, "You're probably going to whether I say yes or not, so, yes."

"If you're waiting for the right time to tell her you love her, you're gonna realize one day that you waited too long."


Amy and Matt had retreated to their hotel for a little quality, child-free time. Tom and Evelyn were out the door on their way to Catherine's house. Steve scrubbed the grill with a vengeance while Catherine walked her parents out. "Hey, seriously man, thanks for the invite."

"Yeah, of course." Steve sprayed the grill down before shutting the lid. "I, uh, I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of each other so you're, you're always welcome over here."

Billy finished off his beer, "You know, I… I had my doubts that we could all make this work, so I appreciate you being cool with all this."

Steve sank down into a chair and motioned for Billy to join him, "You, me and her, we- we made a pretty good team, once upon a time."

Billy grinned like the Cheshire cat, "Is that how you remember it?" He laughed, "'Cause the way I remember it, I hauled her ass out from being hit by an RPG and you just yelled at her and then hopped on a helo with an HVT."

The glass bottle clinked against Steve's teeth. He contemplated how many different ways he could kill Billy before Catherine walked back outside. At least twelve, but two of those would entail a pretty messy clean-up and he didn't have time for that. "Look, man, Catherine's good. Like, uh, like scary good. She doesn't need you to, but I expect you to have her back."

He nodded, "You know I will."

The tone Steve's voice took on wasn't a threat. It was a promise of things to come. "And if you don't?"

Billy set his beer down on the table, "Then I'll gladly stand still while you kill me slowly and painfully."

Steve smiled at that, "Deal."


Catherine pulled the door shut to the SUV, "Do you ever wonder why we made it?" She and Steve had finished their visit to John and Doris's graves. Usually she came away from those visits feeling refreshed. Today, however, she was unsettled.

"What do you mean?" Steve clicked Shelby's car seat restraints in place and double checked Will's car seat.

She leaned her head against the window, "Your parents. Freddie. Billy. Joe. The Marrakesh team? Why did we make it out and they didn't?"

He slid behind the wheel and shut the door. "Where's this coming from?"

"You and me?" She laughed, "There's no way we should be alive right now. I- I don't… I don't understand why we made it out and they didn't."

Steve reached over and held her hand, "Cath… That's survivor's guilt and you know it. You - you can't think like that." Catherine stared at the road as he pulled out onto the highway. He glanced over at her, "You, uh, you been to talk to Mel lately?"

Catherine shook her head, "No."

"Maybe you should."

Her head snapped over to him, "Steve, I'm fine. I was just thinking out loud."

"Catherine…" He began but her gaze out the window told him that the conversation was over.


AUTHOR'S NOTE

The world is kind of a nightmare, but you are loved. You are important. You are worth SO much. You are beautiful people with so much to offer.

Choose kindness. You'll never regret it.

Wear a mask, wash your hands, be good humans, and have a wonderful week, loves! You guys are my favorite people! (And leave a review if you feel so led! It makes my day when you do!)

XO,

-Mags-

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