Chapter 35 - Family knows no distance
Summary: Romy's 30th birthday - or The Germans are coming
Warnings: None
Episode: Season 7 - Episode 9
Hello, lovelies,
I'm so sorry for the delay. i had this chapter in my head for so long, it literally refused to let me write it. Nothing I put down sounded like I had it in my head, and now it took a complete different turn as I anticipated.
Your reviews, comments and messages make my day, Please keep them coming.
Enjoy xx
—xx—xx—
The smile stretched over Romy's entire face as a toddler collided with her full force. She lowered herself into a squat and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly "Henri! My favourite man!" She smothered his face in kisses.
"I see how it is, once there is a nephew, the brother doesn't count anymore."
Romy looked up with an impish grin "He's so much cuter than you."
Her brother shrugged at that "Fair enough."
She stood up, her nephew still secure in her arms and let herself be pulled into a one-armed hug. "It's so good to see you, Lars" she whispered.
"I wouldn't have missed this for the world."
It took them a moment to get out of the airport and installing Henri's car seat in Romy's car. She took the long route from the airport to Aina Haina, it avoided downtown Honolulu and was may more scenic. Lars marvelled at the landscape and kept pulling at the sweater he still had on from the plane, November in Hawaii is different to November in Germany.
—xx—xx—
They sat on the lanai enjoying a coffee and some Malasadas, Lars trying to adjust to the time zone by powering through. Henri had lost the fight against jet lag and snored in the pack & play next to them.
"So my dear sister of mine what's the plan for our visit?" Lars took a sip of his coffee, watching how Romy turned on an innocent look.
"I don't know what you mean?"
"Oh please, I'm sure you have an itinerary mapped out before we even agreed to come."
Romy stuck her tongue out "I don't know if I should feel insulted by that?"
"Just knowing you very well." Lars winked, leaning back in his chair.
"I need to work for a couple of days, but I'm off today and tomorrow and next weekend." Lars nodded at her to continue. "Well, I thought these three days we don't much, then when Kristin, Paul and..."
"Just Kristin and Paul," Lars interjected.
"What?" Romy leaned forward. "No - "
"Nope, they broke up at the airport." Lars crossed his arms and rolling his eyes.
"You're kidding me?"
"Nope. They made more of a spectacle than" he nodded to his sleeping son "this one ever could."
"Fuck." Romy breathed out, a moping and heartbroken Paul for her 30th birthday.
"Yep, but I doubt he'll be moping for much longer. He and Kristin are racing down the slopes in Colorado and are enjoying the Apres Ski. She'll get him out of his funk."
"Your wife is a saint," Romy commented drily, and the Paul whisperer of the family. "Well now with that news...I thought we relax and do beach time until the others come on Sunday. Then we got my birthday on Tuesday and a party on Saturday."
"Sounds good to me." Lars grabbed another Malasada. "If there are any long hikes or other survival in the wilderness things, I'm tapping out."
Romy chuckled "Don't worry, Steve promised all activities are on a voluntary basis."
They sat in silence for a while, sipping their coffee in peace. When Lars grinned at his sister "So, little one, how do you feel? With your 30th approaching and everything?"
"I feel just fine." Romy frowned, she did not like the tone of that question.
"What? No creaking joints, grey hair, wrinkles or inability of sleeping in? You know your present will help you with all of the maladies of an old person."
"I hate you."
—xx—xx—
"I'm glad you decided to propose to my sister." Lars came to stand next to Steve. He handed him a beer.
"Thanks, I guess." Steve frowned at the slight unorthodox delivery of congratulations.
Lars shook his head with a chuckle "I mean it, man, she deserves the world."
"She does."
"And she gave up a lot coming here." Steve nodded, finally understanding where Lars wanted to go with this. "Like all of her savings and the pay cut she took."
"Do you really think we didn't talk about that?" A hint of anger crept into Steve's voice.
"Oh fuck man." Lars sighed. "I'm already sounding like Paul." He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I just want her to be taken care of."
"You know she'd hate you for that, right? And I feel the need to point out that Romy can take care of herself." Steve bit his lip, man he'd be the same if Mary suddenly decided to move to the other side of the world for a man she only knew a year.
"Sure, she can. She's Ms Independent. But that's the thing, she doesn't know when to ask for help or when to take the easier path. So thanks for being there for her."
"Now that's true." Steve thought back to their argument when they needed to get married. "I love Romy. We've got a life here."
"I know, it's just...she moved here to be with you. She sacrificed part of her career, her savings. She lives here in your house...we were worried about what would happen after...how did my Mom call it ...the first days of 'Great to see you' sex" he shuddered at that "were over. So yes, I'm glad you guys decided to make it more official."
Steve ground his teeth, he didn't want to blow up at Lars, he didn't. And god if he'd be in his shoes and Mary suddenly decided to up and move her life across the world to be with a man he'd never met...fuck...
"I love your sister."
"I know that man...but this has nothing to do with love and everything to do with power."
Power? What was Lars on about?
"And at the moment, or since the very beginning of your relationship with my sister. You had all the power. She moved to you. She gave up her job for you. She lives in your house-"
Now Steve really needed to laugh.
"I'm glad you find this funny."
"No, I'm not!" Steve couldn't stop laughing. "It's just" he needed to wipe away a tear "you clearly haven't talked to your sister about this."
Lars frowned, why would he? He didn't feel like a lecture about equality, feminism and noisy older brothers sticking their noses where they don't belong.
"Look, I get it, I don't know what I would have done if my sister had done the same as Romy. But it's different, we're different." He saw that Lars still wasn't convinced. "We...We're fine financially, Lars. Yes, Romy taking a cut wasn't great, but it's not like we're poor. And about the house" Steve scratched the back of his neck "actually Romy's been on the deed since she moved in."
"What?"
"Yeah, this is her home."
"So let me get this straight. You put her on the deed of your million dollar home, you share your finances including savings?"
Steve nodded.
"Geez, I think I got this the wrong way around. Do you want me to give my sister the shovel talk instead?" Lars laughed.
—xx—xx—
Romy knocked on the door jamb, she could hear Kristin reuniting with her so downstairs. It was amazing that her brother and sister in law were finally here as well. Finally, her birthday week could truly commence.
Paul turned around from the window, smiling at her.
"All settled in?" She asked.
"Yeah." Paul let out a little laugh. "This is a beautiful spot." He nodded out of the window overlooking the front yard. "Video calls don't do it justice."
"I know, right?" Romy pushed her glasses up, her fingers flitter over the necklace she was wearing and smoothing down her jeans. Paul smiled, glad somehow that his sister's nervous tells hadn't changed, despite living ten thousand miles away. He held out his arm and Romy took the invitation without hesitation and snuggled into her big brother's side.
"I'm sorry about you and..."
"I don't want to talk about it." Paul shut her off straight away.
"Lars said -"
He scoffed at this "Lars and his big mouth."
"He didn't say anything." Romy said indignantly on behalf of her other brother "just that you guys had a dramatic fall out at the airport and he didn't get on the plane."
"Well that's kinda the gist now, isn't it?"
There was an edge to Paul's voice that made Romy shiver, but she tried again, she needed to. Their mother's reaction to getting hurt had not only been passed on to Romy. If Paul wanted to, he could 'out petty' her in a second. She'd be dammed if her brother would let a relationship go to hell cause he inherited their mum's pride and pettiness. She looked up at him, pursing her mouth "you've been together for years, and all of a sudden it's supposed to be over?" Romy pinched his waist when Paul wouldn't answer her question.
"He cheated on me." Paul ground out.
"What?" Romy gasped. No way, oh god no wonder Paul was so tight-lipped about it. "I'm so sorry." She kissed his cheek, trying to make him feel better somehow, despite her anger boiling inside of her. "What an absolute dick. How dare he? I ought to "
Paul let out a humourless laugh "Please don't get on your soapbox, Romy. Don't worry, I got even and cheated right back."
"Oh, Paul."
"Don't!"
"Don't what?"
"Pity me...or judge...we can't all be perfect. Like you and Steve or Lars and Kristin."
"We're not per-"
"Oh please spare me. You are both bloody perfect, settled with your little families, the rings on your fingers and me?" He heaved out a breath "do you know how hard it is to reach that kind of perfection. How it's fucking required in our family?"
"Don't you dare!" Romy jabbed him in the chest, she was fuming. "Don't you fucking dare to put your cheating on me and Lars. This has nothing to do with perfection." She shouted. "Absolutely fucking nothing. Relationships are not perfect. They're messy and work hard bloody work. I choose Steve every fucking day. Every fucking day."
A door slammed upstairs making Steve wince, with a sigh he got up, put a hand on his arm prevented him from moving.
"Don't." Lars shook his head.
Steve's eyebrows rose, how could he be so calm? "Didn't you hear them? Shouldn't we check up on them?"
Lars chortled out a laugh "and get in the firing line? Definitely not. Paul and Romy have a way of riling each other up. Getting involved just makes it worse." He pointed to a fainted scar on his forehead. "Believe me. Best stay out of it."
And Lars was right by the time dinner rolled around the two siblings were in a much better mood, not talking to each other quite yet, but at least nothing was thrown at each other.
"You know Mom" Nahele handed Romy the big serving bowl.
"What, kiddo?" Romy elbow-deep in dishwater turned to him fully.
"Is it always like this when you have siblings?" Nahele mumbled "I mean this afternoon was.." he didn't know how to describe it.
"Loud?" Romy tried to help him out with a chuckle.
"Yeah," Nahele said relieved. "I just never heard you shout that loud or be that mean. And if that's what it is to have siblings, I want to remove my consent to siblings."
Now Romy really needed to laugh "consent to siblings?!" She hugged him to her, leaving wet handprints all over his shirt. "I love you." She swallowed her amusement before saying "this afternoon...Paul just managed to...you know what...hold on." She stepped away from him and hollered through the house "Paul! Get yourself in here."
It took a couple of minutes for her brother to appear and only her raised pointer finger stopped Nahele from questioning her further. Romy slapped the wet sponge right onto Paul's chest "why don't you explain to your nephew how this afternoon relates to sibling behaviour while you clean up the rest?" With that, she sauntered outside to spend some quality time with her husband.
—xx—xx—
Romy needed to grin when she spotted Jerry explaining to a very non-interested teenager the story about the corner where he's charging his phone. The teenager was more blown away by the option of using a phone booth than the actual phone call taking place there in 1963. She was about to say hello when another woman approached them, watching them exchange a hug she filed that information away for later.
"You want me to put a plague there?" She couldn't help herself.
"Romy! Hi!" Jerry smiled sheepishly like she just caught him with his hand in a cookie jar. "Did you had a nice birthday dinner yesterday?"
"It was wonderful, shame you couldn't join us."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Jerry cleared his throat
"Susie. This is Romy. Romy my friend Susie."
"Well, I won't keep you from your investigation." Romy smiled at Jerry and his friend. "I'll see you on Saturday?" She squeezed his hand.
"Definitely."
"You're more than welcome to join us, Susie. We're having a bbq the more the merrier."
—xx—xx—
Sitting at her desk she watched the aspirin fizzle in her water glass. Ugh, why didn't she listen to Steve and took the day after her birthday off? Not that she'd tell him that, he was gloating enough this morning already. Not that last night had not been fun, dinner at her favourite restaurant with her nearest and dearest. She couldn't wait for Saturday - Steve had promised her a beach day with everyone.
Her musings were interrupted by a nervous-looking Ani "Romy the FBI is here to see you."
"The FBI?"
Before Ani could confirm or deny if Romy heard correctly, she was pushed out of the way. "Yes, the FBI. I'm Agent Ward."
"Agent Ward, please do come in." Romy drawled sarcastically after the agent already stood in the middle of her office. She nodded to the chair in front of her desk, after sitting back down on her own. "What can I do for you?"
"Oh, it's quite simple. The next time someone from the 5-0 task force comes into this hotel and starts snooping around, asking questions. I want you to give me a call."
He put his business card on Romy's desk, not even waiting for a response before he strode back out of her office.
What the fuck was this? Romy fingered the card and dialled Steve with the other.
"Hey, gorgeous. What's up?" He greeted her after two rings.
"What did you do to piss off the FBI?"
"What?"
"Steve, I just had an Agent Ward in my office, asking me to inform him if anyone from the task force approaches anyone in my hotel. What's going on?"
"He did what?" Steve fumed through the phone. "Did he say anything to you? Did he do anything?"
"No."
"You sure?"
"Yes," she tried to calm him down. His anger had extinguished her anger straight away. "You wanna tell me what's going on?"
"Susie Fielding. Jerry's friend she got shot."
"She what?" Romy leaned back in her chair, she shook that woman's hand not even 3 hours ago.
"Sniper shot, she was dead instantly."
"Fuck. How's Jerry?"
"Pretty shaken." He took a breath. "He thinks she got shot because she was about to uncover a conspiracy around the Kennedy assassination."
Romy sighed. "I met her this morning. They were both at the hotel. She seemed lovely. But what has this to do with the FBI?"
"They tried to shut down our investigation." Steve's emphasis on tried brought a smile to Romy's face. Of course, he wouldn't let some federal agent stop him.
"Yeah, going after the scene in my office you really pissed him off."
"He didn't threaten you, did he?"
"No, he was just rude. I honestly think he has no clue about us."
"What an idiot." Steve chuckled. "I'll see you tonight, gorgeous."
"See you tonight." Romy hung up the phone - man she did not want to be Agent Ward when Steve caught up with him.
—xx—xx—
They were laying in bed, Romy in between his legs, her chin propped up on his chest. It was nice being just the two of them for once. No brothers, nephews, sisters or sons intruding for once, the house filled to the brim with family made these moments even rarer than normal. Not that he didn't enjoy having them here, he got along with Romy's family surprisingly well. He took Paul to the gun range the other day and spend some time on the board with Lars, and Kristin was absolutely hilarious when she was roasting each brother.
But god did he miss this.
Just her and him.
He could admit it, he was man enough. He was jealous of the way her time was sucked up this week. So, when dinner was done. Nahele's homework had been checked and everyone was yawning, he pulled her away from the dirty dishes and dragged her upstairs. Where he spent the last hour kissing, loving and touching every inch of her skin before he buried himself inside of her.
And now, the sheet tucked over both their heads creating a little world just for the two of them, he felt he could share his day. His anger at the FBI, how they sacrificed Susie, a civilian, for the greater good.
"It's no wonder people don't trust the government if that's the endgame." Steve's fingers made their path forth and back along Romy's shoulders.
Romy smoothed her thumb over his worry lines, she didn't know what to say. There was nothing she could say to make this better for him. He'd been confused and dejected ever since the election. And now this, another blow to the trust in the institutions he fought for. She pressed a kiss right over his heart "I love you."
There was nothing else she could say, nothing else for her to do, so Romy cuddled closer hoping to make it even slightly better.
—xx—xx—
Romy leaned against the garden fence, watching along with Kristin as the boys were bent over the open hood of the Marquis. Steve decided to take advantage to have a mechanic in the family that specialises in vintage cars. Lars was more than excited to get a look at the car. The two women watched as Henri had enough of playing with his stacking bowls and toddled over to the guys. He wedged himself between Steve and Nahele and pulled at Steve's trousers. Steve laughed and swooped the one-year-old into his arms and pointed out some of the features, listening to the babble, readjusting Henri's sun hat before pressing a kiss to the forehead.
A sharp jab into her side startled Romy out of her stare.
"Look at you." Kristin raised her eyebrows and smirked at her. "You back with me now. Or shall I leave you to continue to stare at your man?"
"I can stare if I want. He doesn't mind." Romy teased right back.
"Oh that I believe, but I do mind when my son is in the middle of it."
"What?" Romy exclaimed.
"Oh please, you're standing here. Realising that he's not allergic to babies, so now you can go ahead and throw away the birth control."
Romy gasped "Kristin! You can't say this shit out loud. They could hear us."
Kristin snorted "They're guys, they don't hear a word we're saying. You want me to prove it to you? LAR-" Romy slapped her hand over her sister in laws mouth.
"Would you shut up?" She hissed good naturally.
"So babies?" Kristin prompted again.
Romy squirmed under Kristin's stare, she grabbed the railing tightly and leaned back, trying to avoid her gaze.
"Stop fidgeting. That didn't work when you were 13 and it won't work now that you're 30." Kristin grinned. "Come on tell me. I promise I won't tell the brothers."
Romy bit her lip, trying to hide the smile blooming on her face. "We've been talking about it, and I mean seriously talking about it. Like how we'd organise our lives and -" she was interrupted by Kristin squealing loudly and hugging her. "Oh, I'm so happy for the two of you. This will be so exciting!"
Kristin's scream had finally got the attention of the guys and Romy just shook her head at Steve's asking gaze fondly. "All good." She mouthed to him while being smothered by her sister in law.
"Oi McGarrett!" Lou's voice carried over from the driveway. "Why am I not smelling any barbecue yet? I brought the steaks."
Renee came up behind Lou, greeting everyone, but her smile turned downright sneaky when she saw that Henri was still perched quite happily on Steve's hip.
"This suits you, Steve." She tickled Henri underneath his chin after she kissed Steve's cheek. "You and Romy should definitely get on that."
She left Steve gaping after her and went over to say to Romy.
"Hi!" A blonde woman bounced up to her. "You don't know me yet. I'm Kristin, the sister in law and your new best friend." The two linked their arms. "And I totally agree with you, those two need to have another kid asap."
"Well Kristin, I'm Renee and let's come up with a plan." Renee giggled. "Come on Romy, don't just stand there. Let's open a bottle."
—xx—xx—
Steve had been shoved away from his grill by Lou the moment the first set of steaks hit the coals. He wandered through his yard a bit lost. Danny was talking with Romy's brothers and fuck if that did not scare him, he did not want to be within 10 feet of that conversation. He spotted some of the kids contemplating over the paddleboards and other sports equipment Romy had him drag out of the shed earlier on that morning. Kristin seemed to be right at home giggling with Renee and Kono. He turned on his axis trying to find his wife and son.
His breath hitched for a moment when he saw her and then his whole body relaxed, like always when he laid eyes on Romy.
She had a tight grip on Henri's hand, while they were wading out a little into the surf. He watched her crouching down next to Henri, pointing something out in the distance. It must have been the wave rolling lazily towards the beach because the little one hopped up and down excitingly. Romy stepped behind him not a second too late and jumped the wave together with him, eliciting exciting shrieks from Henri. He didn't know for how long he watched them, but it must have been longer than he thought, cause the cheeky laughter next to his ear made him jump slightly.
"I don't know if Mom told you, but I'd be ok with trying this whole big brother thing."
Steve raised his eyebrows at Nahele's subtle hint. "She did and she also told me you tried to take it back."
"Yeah" Nahele shrugged slightly embarrassed "but Uncle Paul talked me down. So you know, if you guys want to I'd be..."
"Thanks" Steve chuckled "I think you don't need to worry for a while though."
"You might want to tell that to your face, Dad."
"Huh?" Steve tried to rearrange his expression in something more neutral.
"I mean you always look at her like she hung the moon, which I told you is not something a kid wants to see from his parents. But ever since Henri's been here, it's different."
"And you'd be really ok with that?" Steve wanted to know, one of the reasons they hadn't taken their hypothetical talks further was Nahele. They didn't want him to feel left out or an ounce less loved should they have another kid.
"You're great parents, be a shame to waste all of that just on me." Nahele tried to joke.
Steve looked at him sharply, tugging his son to him, making sure he met his eyes "It'd be never a waste, 'Hele. You hear me."
"Yeah. Yeah." Nahele dropped his head on Steve's shoulder. "Just saying I'd be alright with it."
"Thanks, kiddo." He ruffled Nahele's hair. "Love you."
"Love you too, Dad."
Before Steve could say anything else, Nahele had dashed away from his side and joined the other kids in a pickup game of football. Leaving his Dad to mull over his words while he continued to watch Romy play with Henri.
—xx—xx—
Groaning Romy rolled over snuggling into Steve's back, her nose buried between his shoulder, her lips the following suit. Steve moaned when he felt her lips connecting with his skin and turned around to face Romy. Their lips met in a chase kiss, their legs tangled.
"How hungover are you?" He asked, weighing up the pros and cons of morning sex.
"Very," Romy murmured, her fingers moving through his morning scruff, loving how he kept it longer at the moment. The burn of his scruff was one of the best feelings, may it be on her neck or on the inside of her tights. She rolled her hips against his, fuck she was horny. She grimaced a little at the queasiness that rolled through her at the same time.
"I think that puts a stop to morning sex, wife," Steve whispered against her lips. Romy pouted "Not fair. I want you." She clawed at his shoulders.
Steve chuckled, brushing some stray locks out of her face and crutches along Romy's scalp making her moan. "I don't feel like you losing the rest of last nights alcohol all over me."
"Spoilsport."
"How about this, I'm going downstairs making breakfast. Then we drop off the family at the airport and then we come back here and have a nice long bath?" His fingers moved to her temple massaging the headache, while the other slid out of Romy's her to the back of her neck, trying to ease some of the tension. She snuggled closer, her face fitting perfectly in the space between his head and shoulder.
"You gonna wash my hair too?"
"I could be persuaded." Steve kissed her forehead and move to replace his fingers with his mouth, all the way from her temple to her neck.
A bang from downstairs interrupted them, making them groan in frustration. Steve pushed himself into an upright position. "Ugh, let me feed the hoards."
Romy shuffled around to watch Steve shrug into some sweats to head downstairs. "I'll join you in just a few minutes."
Steve turned to her from the doorway "I think I can handle your brothers for the morning, gorgeous. I'll bring you a coffee up in a moment."
"God! I love you." Romy groaned out and buried herself back underneath the pillows and sheets.
—xx—xx—
If Romy felt rough, then Kristin looked even worse and she was glad that she didn't need to actually embark on a day-long journey with a toddler and two men who could behave like a toddler at the drop of ahead.
At the airport, there were tears and hugs and promises of seeing each other soon again, and then they were gone.
Romy leaned against Steve smearing her tear-stained face against his pineapple print shirt.
"Come on gorgeous" he squeezed her shoulder "let's go home. I still owe you a bath." Steve let his hand slid down to the small of her back guiding Romy out of the busy airport.