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.


Weeks flew by. Fall turned into winter and Catherine had to admit, there was something a little magical about experiencing all four seasons. She missed Hawaii. Missed the sun and sand and surf. But there was something extraordinary about Virginia in the fall. The colors were vibrant, the air was crisp, and Jude's cabin, nestled in the mountains, made for the perfect place to unwind.

The leaves fell and with their departure came the snow. When was the last time she had actually had a white Christmas? The team had lucked out and were stateside for the holidays. Between short assignments putting them all over Europe and the Middle East, she was floored when Christmas Eve rolled around and she was home.

Her parents had flown in for Thanksgiving, but had returned to Texas the next day when the team had gotten called up to fly out for a last minute op. Catherine had tried to convince Jude to spend Thanksgiving at her house and to meet Evelyn and Tom, but he had evaded, claiming that he and Decker's holiday tradition was to smoke turkey legs at his cabin and watch football.

It was probably for the best, she thought. Evelyn had been crushed when Catherine told her that she and Steve were over. She had been even more devestated when Catherine sat her parents down and told them about the miscarriage. Evelyn cried and wrapped her arms around Catherine as she recounted the declassified version of her time in Kiev. Catherine had to talk her father down when she said that Steve hadn't been there with her.

But she hadn't told them about Jude. He was a good man- a great man. Did she really want to tease them with the idea that she would settle down? Hang it up? And then there was the fact that she and Jude were just friends. Sure, they bickered and argued like an old married couple, and yes, they had kissed on more than one occasion, but they were just friends.

True to his word, the Senator had swept her off her feet. They had been seeing each other off and on as her schedule allowed. Every date was something new. Dinner in D.C.'s hottest restaurants, tickets to the opera, and the occasional black tie concert at Constitution Hall. He had been relentless in his pursuit of her. A new arrangement of flowers showed up at her house once a week, even when she was out of the country on assignment.

Casual was the name of the game. She had explained her position to him; citing that with the uncertainty of her work schedule, she didn't want anything serious or exclusive. Catherine conveniently left out that it was partly due to a dashing Navy SEAL and partly due to a Marine who was more teddy than bear. Regardless, Catherine loved the thrill of the Senator's lifestyle and he was happy to oblige.

Donovan flew back to Connecticut for Christmas and Catherine was relieved that he made no mention of her joining him. She wasn't about to do the 'meet the family' thing again. Mary still hadn't forgiven her for leaving Steve. It must be a sibling thing, she thought. She didn't really know. Being an only child had left her without those experiences, but she imagined that if she did have a sibling, she would fight for them more fiercely than they would fight for themselves.

Jude had kept his distance, per se. Their professional relationship hadn't been harmed by his obvious flirting, and his occasional displays of affection kept her on her toes. A little innocent flirting with him kept her and the Senator's arrangement from getting serious and the constant onslaught of assignments kept her and Jude in line. Besides, she wasn't sleeping with either of them.

Catherine closed her journal and tucked it away as she glanced at the clock. Jude would be there any minute to pick her up. They had agreed to spend Christmas together and with the threat of snow, he offered to pick her up and take her to his cabin. She knew the rear wheel drive of her Corvette would be a deathtrap should she get caught on the slick, winding roads. Jude's truck growled as it idled beside the house. "You ready to go, Princess?" He picked up the bag she had waiting at the door and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Is this gonna be enough for you if we get snowed in?"

She laughed as she walked through the house, making sure appliances were turned off and nothing was out of place, "You know me. I pack light."

"I know. I just want you to be comfortable."

Catherine pulled the door behind her and locked up, "I've been to your place plenty of times."

"I know." He tossed her bag into the back of the truck and opened her door. "It doesn't mean I don't want you to have to rough it."

She lingered in the open truck door "I'm not a damsel in distress, Beckett."

"Fuck no, you're not." He grinned as he grabbed her waist and lifted her up onto the passenger's seat. Jude leaned in and planted a searing kiss on her mouth. Catherine returned the heat when she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Jude slid his hands up her thighs before hooking his thumbs in the back pockets of her jeans. "Mmm." He broke away and took a calming breath, "Evil woman. You keep kissing me like that and we're not gonna make it back to the cabin."

Catherine giggled and swung her legs into the cab as he shut her door and hopped in behind the wheel, "Definitely can't get snowed in here. I think I have some ketchup and Ranch in my fridge and like… half a bottle of wine. That's it." Fat snowflakes began to fall on the windshield as he pulled away from her house and headed towards the cabin.


Catherine spotted the plumes of smoke rising from the chimney as they crested the hill and pulled up to the cabin. "You already started a fire?"

"Yep." He hopped out of the truck and slammed the door shut, "Got it started before I left so your little island loving ass wouldn't freeze to death."

"In the morning we should go up to the corner market and get-"

"Apple cider doughnuts are already in the kitchen." He smirked, "Picked them up this morning."

Catherine groaned in delight, "Marry me."

"Yes, ma'am." He chuckled. Begging to get hitched had become a running joke of theirs. In an effort to drive the rest of the team nuts and simultaneously keep them invested in the betting pool, Jude and Catherine would, almost daily, beg for the other's hand in marriage.

She kicked her shoes off inside the door and tossed her bags in the guest bedroom that had become her room. "How long do you think the storm is gonna last?"

Jude shrugged, "Dunno. Couple days before they'll get everything plowed." He poked his head into her room, "Why? You, uh, you got a hot date with Senator Fancy Pants?"

Catherine snorted at the nickname, "He's in Connecticut for Christmas, but there's some gala he wants me to be his date for on New Year's Eve." Sadness flickered across Jude's face, but as quickly as it happened, it disappeared. Catherine caught it, though. That slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. The wrinkle of his brow. The tiny flare of his nose. "Beth…" She whispered when it dawned on her. No wonder he had brought up spending the holidays together. Decker and Caroline were out of town and he didn't want to face the anniversary of her death alone. Again.

"No factor. You know me. I'll find a good time and if I can't find one, I'll make one." He shrugged with a cocky grin.

"Jude…"

"Catherine."

She rolled her eyes, "You don't have to do that. Not with me, anyways."

"Do what?"

"Pretend." She pressed her hands against his enormous pecs. "You don't have to be okay around me."


"You gonna call him?" Jude looked down at Catherine who was stretched out across the couch. Her head rested on his thigh as they watched It's a Wonderful Life.

Catherine momentarily peeled her eyes away from the TV and looked up at him. "Who? Donovan?"

"Charming."

"Why would I call Steve?"

Jude shrugged, "It's Christmas Eve. You said he wanted to keep in touch. Be friends. Seems like something a friend would do."

"I'm not gonna call Steve." She closed her eyes, signaling that the conversation was over.

He ran his fingers through her hair and massaged her scalp. "Snow's comin' down pretty hard out there."

Catherine sighed contentedly, "Good thing you came and got me." She mumbled, "Would've sucked being stuck at my house, sleeping alone."

His chuckled nearly shook her off the couch, "You're still sleeping alone. I'm just across the hall."

"You know what I meant."

"Do I?" His brows furrowed. Jude pushed her up just enough to slide underneath her body and stretched his long legs out on the couch. He manhandled her until she rested comfortably tucked into his side. "This is nice." He murmured.

Catherine giggled, "You make a great pillow. I should've been taking advantage of this a long time ago."

"You're just using me for my body, aren't you?"

"Oh, one hundred percent." She tilted her chin up and looked at him. "When was the last time you didn't sleep alone?"

He chuckled, "The first night you spent here after we got back from Hawaii. It was the, uh, the night you were having nightmares and I got in bed with you."

"Mm. I remember that." Another thought crept into her mind, "You haven't slept with anyone since then? What happened to bachelor Jude who hooks up with women when he's not in the field."

Jude chuckled, "I'm getting too old for that, Princess."

Catherine closed her eyes again, "You gonna settle down? Hang it up?"

"Not until you're out."

"Your contract ends before mine."

"I guess I'll just have to re-up and get out after you." He reached down and hooked his hand behind her knee, drawing it up to rest across his legs. "I'm not gonna let some sub-par security agent do a half-ass job of protecting my girl."

"You're too good to me."

Jude tilted her chin up and gazed into her whiskey eyes, "Any man would be a fool not to love you."

She chewed on her lip as the movie faded into the background. Was it too much to ask to share a bed? To not feel quite so alone for one damn night? Would he expect sex? Of course not. This was Jude for crying out loud. He's the epitome of chivalry. But would he be disappointed? She couldn't stomach the thought.

"Sleep with me."

Catherine pinched herself. Did he just read her mind?

"No expectations. Just share my bed."


Jude was a perpetual early riser. The Marines had made sure of that. Catherine, on the other hand, had transitioned quite well to her post-military adjusted sleep schedule. So when Jude woke up on December 25th, he didn't need a calendar to tell him that it was Christmas morning. Nestled in his arms was a sleeping Catherine Rollins. She was his Christmas morning.

After his suggestion the night before, Catherine had, in not so many words, agreed. She had pushed off the couch and taken his hand, leading him back into his bedroom. She stripped down to a thin tank top and panties and crawled under the covers. Sure, it was only nine o' clock at night, but who was he to argue? Jude was made to be the big spoon. He was the protector. The guardian. Her back curled against his chest, and he secured her against him with two strong arms.

It was the best sleep he'd had in a long time, he realized. The bedside clock told him it was just after oh-five-hundred and as much as he needed to get up and bring in more firewood or put on a pot of coffee, he wasn't about to let her out of his arms.

Catherine's dark hair feathered across his bare chest. The gentle rise and fall of her shoulders soothed him. Her face was serene. There were no worry lines, no frowns. She looked peaceful. The way she should. The way she deserved.

She stirred, her eyes fluttering open like delicate butterflies. "Mm. Whatimezit?"

Jude chuckled and kissed her forehead, "Quarter after five. Just go back to sleep, Princess." He made an attempt to slide out from under her and get started with his day, but when she closed her eyes and snuggled closer, he was a goner.

Who cared if the fire in the wood stove went out and they froze to death? He had Catherine Rollins in his arms. He'd die a happy man.


Catherine stirred again, but this time the bed was empty. She would have been mad about it, but the smell of bacon wafted through the air. She tiptoed across the chilly floor and dug around in his dresser for something warm. His long sleeve shirt ended at her knees, but she pushed the sleeves up and went with it. The three undone buttons on the collar of the henley showed off her cleavage. Unintentional, but why not? There was something about wearing men's shirts, she thought, that was more comforting than her own clothes.

"Merry Christmas, Princess." Jude stood at the stove top and pulled strip after strip of bacon out of the cast iron skillet. His shirt was nowhere to be found and his jeans rode dangerously low on his hips. Those swooping lines that started on either side of his abs and dipped below his belt were tempting. Very tempting.

She hopped up on the counter and stole a piece of bacon off the plate, "Merry Christmas, yourself."

Jude snatched it out of her hand after she took a bite, "Naughty girl. Go set the table. Waffles will be ready in a sec."

"I thought I was going to be cooking today."

He waved the metal tongs in her direction, "Dinner's all you. But, uh, I figured I'd let you sleep in and I'd handle the bacon and eggs."

Catherine set two place settings at the table and poured the coffee. Sugar, cream, and cinnamon in hers. Straight up for him. Waffles, bacon, and eggs made their way to the table, as did Jude and two mimosas.

"Alcohol before ten? I like it." She grinned as she accepted the glass.

Jude smirked and began to load up his plate, "It has orange juice in it. It's breakfast alcohol." He chuckled, "And besides, it's Christmas."

Catherine shoved a bite into her mouth. "Look, I'm really sorry about the New Year's Eve thing. I'd try to get out of it, but I already told him I'd go."

He shrugged and waved off the notion, "Don't worry about me. When your carriage turns back into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight, I'll still be waiting at your place to make sure you get home alright."


Catherine tiptoed through the farm house. The clock on the stove said it was just past five. Steve had already gone out to feed the horses and turn them out for a bit. She curled up in her favorite window seat and looked out across the valley.

Christmas in Montana had been a good choice. After the year they'd had, they were overdue for a little peace and quiet. It had been Steve's idea, but when Catherine realized she would get a white Christmas, there was no debating it.

Will had taken his first steps and it wasn't long before the little man was running around on those big feet of his. Steve was proud of his baby's feet, claiming they would make SEAL training easier. Built-in flippers, he called them. Shelby was just old enough to understand the concept of presents, but hadn't quite grasped why she had to wait days to open them. Regardless, she was enthralled by the idea of a tree being inside the house. Shelby Jo had a streak of daredevil in her that could have only originated from Steve. Catherine realized that when Shelby made a toddler's attempt at climbing the damn thing.

She wouldn't trade it for the world. Presents sat packed under the tree, Shelby and Will were sleeping peacefully in their room- though, not for long, she guessed. And then there was her husband…

Calling Steve her husband still gave her goose bumps. It had been a few years since their 'I dos', and still, every time she would wake up next to him she had to pinch herself. That dashing boy she had met on board the Enterprise had grown into a handsome man, who turned into her silver fox of a husband. She wouldn't have it any other way.

Steve toed his boots off at the door and slipped into the house. He shook the snow off of his coat and hung it up by the fireplace. "Morning." He leaned over and kissed her softly. "Kids up yet?"

Catherine shook her head, "Just us."

His coy smile turned into a grin, "C'mere, you." Steve lifted her into his arms and stumbled to the couch. He landed on the cushion with her straddling his lap. "You know, I, uh, I kind of hated Christmas until that one I spent with you at your parents' house."

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, "You mean the one where we had our first kiss?"

"Uh huh." He smirked and planted a blistering kiss on her mouth. "Ever since then… I've been a total sap around the holidays." He trailed his fingers across the strip of skin that peeked out between her flannel pajama pants and thermal shirt. "You wore those jeans that, uh, that sat real low. And that sweater that barely made it down your stomach. He trailed a finger from her collar bone to the valley of her breasts. "And it was real low." He grinned and kissed her again, "It was a good thing we kissed. I needed to let off some steam or looking at you for seventy-two hours probably would've killed me."

Catherine returned his kiss with a scorching one of her own. "Good thing we did."

Two little feet pitter patted down the hallway. "Momma! Daddy!" Shelby Jo stopped just short of the Christmas tree, "Presents?" She asked with wide, hopeful eyes.

Damn those puppy dog eyes. That girl could ask for anything and Steve would move mountains to make it happen. He was putty in her chubby, little hands. "After breakfast, baby girl."


Steve and Catherine set out to divide and conquer. Steve and Shelby made a mountain of waffles while Catherine danced between scrambling eggs, frying bacon, and feeding Will who was more than happy to watch the other three McGarretts from his high chair.

Catherine dabbed the grease off the crispy bacon with a paper towel and disposed of it in the trash. She set the plate down on the table when something caught her eye. "Steve, you set four plates. We only need three. Will's in his chair."

He didn't say a word as he walked over to her with a champagne glass and thin box that was topped with a bright red bow. "Time for presents." He handed her the mimosa and the box.

"Presents!" Shelby Jo squealed as she darted for the tree.

"No, no, no." Steve hooked her with one arm and reeled her back in, "Just for momma. You have to wait a little longer." With a frowning Shelby contained, he turned his attention back to Catherine and nodded for her to open the box.

Catherine took a sip of the mimosa and set it on the table. She gingerly lifted the top off of the box. Inside, one of her journal entries had been torn out of the leather book and laid on a tuft of tissue paper.

"Read it." Steve commanded.


Journal #9
Jude's Cabin - Winchester, VA

It's snowing. I can't remember the last time I had a white Christmas. Between living in Hawaii, being on the Enterprise, or deployed to the Middle East, I didn't realize how long it had been. There's something magical about snow on Christmas morning.

Hell, there's something magical about Christmas altogether.

Christmas has a way of making the most cynical person a little less calloused. For just a day, you forget all your troubles and you let yourself believe in the magic of it all.

My first Christmas with Steve, we had our first kiss. I had just gotten home from a deployment and he was getting ready to ship out again. But for a day, it was magic.

The Christmas we spent together in Hawaii, when he turned my house into a winter wonderland, it was magic.

Today, I needed a little magic and Jude was my damn fairy godmother. It wasn't just the mimosas at breakfast. He chopped a fucking tree down and hauled it into the cabin in the middle of a snowstorm just so it felt a little more festive. It was us sitting around, watching Christmas movies until it was dark again. It was him putting that little thought in my head that maybe, just maybe, I should call Steve and wish him a Merry Christmas.

Spoiler alert: I didn't.

But after we were good and tipsy on spiked hot chocolate, I texted him.

Not Donovan.

I texted Steve.

Merry Christmas, Sailor.

Three little words. Three little innocuous words. I knew his number by heart. Frankly, I don't even know if he has my number anymore. If I were him, I would have deleted me a long time ago.

Still, I texted him and then went to bed.


Journal #9

Jude's Cabin - Winchester, VA

I woke up to a massive hangover and seven words that made everything better.

Merry Christmas, Cath. I got your six.


Catherine looked up at Steve with tears in her eyes. She didn't have a chance to speak. "You're hard to buy for, so, I, uh... I wanted to give you a little magic." Steve pointed out the window. "White Christmas." He pointed to the glass in her trembling hand, "Mimosa." He unleashed Shelby, who immediately made a beeline for the Christmas tree, "I chopped you down a tree and brought it inside."

She laughed as she wiped the tears off of her cheeks, "It's perfect. Everything's-"

Steve held up his hand to stop her, "I, uh, I have one more gift for you." There was a knock at the door and Catherine stopped breathing. Gently, he pushed her towards the door. "Merry Christmas, Cath. I got your six."

Placing her hand on the doorknob and giving it a turn was an out of body experience. Catherine barely got the door open before tears flooded her eyes.

"Merry Christmas, Princess."

Catherine covered her mouth. She didn't dare blink. Afraid that if she did, he would disappear. The single syllable that escaped her mouth was a whisper.

"Jude."


AUTHOR'S NOTE

Did you see that coming? ;)

Leave your reactions in the reviews, loves!

XO,

-Mags-


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