I do NOT own anything, but the plot.

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As always, thank you and I hope you continue to enjoy what's to come!

Nalo a loaʻa

-loosely translate to "lost and found"-

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

The last time Catherine felt this nervous in front of Steve McGarrett, it was when she first met him.

The man was so full of confidence people would mistake it for arrogance, but Catherine always knew otherwise. From the very moment he smiled at her, the demeanour he wore melted away and the magnetism drew her in. She knew Steve differently than anyone else – well, maybe not Danny or Freddie - and she took pride in that fact.

Throughout their time at the naval academy, their time spent in naval intelligence, and his many years in the SEALs, Catherine had always admired every aspect of this man, and even now, she felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of him, but with that came the realisation that looking at him beaten and bruised was a reminder of the life he led.

"Cath," Steve breathed the moment she followed Danny into the room.

"I'm going to go and call the others and tell them to back off for a moment," Lou stated, tearing his phone from his pocket. "You coming, Danny?"

"He can stay," Cath said, feeling the need to keep Danny in the room. "This won't take long."

After Danny had guessed the sex and paternity of the baby, Cath knew Steve would need his best friend more than ever. The moment he found he was going to be father would change the course of his life forever.

Taking a good look, Steve drank in the sight of Catherine, and he felt his lungs seize.

"Y-you're pregnant?"

Steve's question was barely more than a whisper, and his eyes struggled to pull away from the neat little bump he could so clearly see now.

The devastation that filtered into Steve's fragile resolve made Catherine's breathing slow.

"He's not you," he uttered those words and brought a hand up to forehead, wanting to massage away the pain igniting in his head. "When you said that you…"

"Steve, the baby…"

"It's okay," Steve cut her off, pushing himself up in the bed more. "I don't need to hear the details," he said, forcing Cath to stop. "He must be a really great guy."

Danny watched Steve struggle and he rounded the bed. He worried that that the outcome of this would be bad, but now watching he couldn't withhold his full concern.

"The baby's yours," Cath blurted, and every piece of air dissipated from the air. "He's yours."

Catherine's voice was so soft it was almost lost in the silence of the room. She wiped away a rogue tear from her cheek and hated how this was all coming to light. For months she imagined it so differently. She had prayed for another moment of loving Steve, not just the memory of him. In those moments, she could swear she could feel him again beneath her fingertips, his lips peppering her soft skin, whispering sweet nothings into her ear. In return, she'd tell him about the baby and the rest would be history - a happy, blissful memory to add to the long list.

That reality wasn't one she could fall for now.

"Mine?"

Part of Steve wondered if the concussion was messing with him more than he had let on. He blinked at Cath before looking at Danny as if he could anchor the moment. The nod he got confirmed he wasn't hearing a thing wrong and with it came a thousand ways for him to apologise, to make up for everything, to plead his case and win his girl back.

"I'll do whatever it takes, Cath. Anything." Steve's words were met with his feeble attempts to sit up, to prove he was capable, to put up his best fight.

"Steve…" Danny tried.

Shaking his head, Steve ignored his best friend.

"We can change Mary's old room into the nursery. It's perfect … with the sea view … it's perfect for a nursery. As soon as I'm back home we can start renovating the house. Make it back into a home."

Danny hadn't seen Steve this alive in so long, but it did nothing to dispel the feeling in his stomach.

"Steve," Cath started, stepping forward. "That isn't possible."

"No, of course not, that's moving too quick. We can take this slow; we can work toward what we had, I will prove myself to you, Cath. After everything that's happened, I understand if you want to take it slow, I really do, but you gotta know, I'll make you believe how sorry I am before the baby's here. I'll do whatever."

"Steve, stop, just stop!" Cath exclaimed, forcing him to stop his train of thought "Steve, I'm sorry," she started, and she knew from the look on Steve's face he knew what she was going to say. "But after everything…"

And the penny dropped almost at the same time as Danny cleared his throat.

"No, please," Steve pleaded, forcing himself up regardless of his pained body. "You don't have to do this."

"I do," she whispered, and a tear fell down her face. "I am so happy you're alive, you will never know how much, but I can't do this any longer."

"You can't mean…" he trailed off.

"I don't want anything from you. I don't expect you to support us in anyway."

"Whoa, Catherine," Danny interjected.

"Let her talk, Danny," Steve stopped him, hardening himself to the truths of this reality. "She's clearly thought about this."

Compared to the months Cath had to deal with the new of the baby, Steve had barely five minutes to compute everything mentally. It seemed like the rollercoaster he had ridden was coming to an abrupt stop.

"Steve, you have to understand, I have to think of the baby." She rolled her eyes to stop herself from crying. "Since your call, I have been thinking over how to sort out this mess, but I always come to the same conclusion …"

And Steve knew exactly what that was even without verbalising it.

"Please, Cath-"

"This baby would be better off without you," Cath stated, her voice void of any emotions. "After what just happened and after everything you've ever done over the years, the way you drop in and out, the missions, the injuries, how can you ever promise to be there for me and this baby?"

"Our son," Steve corrected, coughing around the lump forming in his throat. "You mean how can I promise to be there for you and our son?"

The room sobered up, and apart from the sound of Danny's shoes on the floor as he shifted his weight, the silence was deafening.

Finding his body coming undone, Steve knew his adrenaline was waning on him. His fight was yet again ripped away from him as another part of his life died before his eyes.

"Right," Steve began, his muscles corded with stress, but he tried to cool his emotions. "No, you're right."

"Wait, you two…" Danny started walking to the foot of the bed to stand between them.

"Danny," Steve injected, his tone short. "It's fine. She's right … the baby comes first."

"Steve," Danny deadpanned, hating being witness to this.

"The baby comes first," he repeated, rubbing his forehead again.

"Steve, please, know I am sorry," Cath tried in vain, but she knew that she had to protect herself. "I never wanted to go through this, but it happened."

"Cath, I get it," Steve lied, his head swimming. "He's not me, Cath, but I hope he'll be every bit of me and more," Steve said, flaring his nostrils as his eyes watered. "I hope he fulfils your life how I never could, and I hope he loves you almost as much as I love you. If not more."

Falling back onto the pillows, Steve winced in pain, knowing he had pulled his stitches on his side, and closed his eyes. The moment he did, he saw flashes of a life he could've had, but was losing. Letting Cath go so many times before had wrecked their foundations and Steve's track record allowed for no hope. It didn't matter what Cath had done, the deceit she had thrown into the mix, Steve had hurt Cath enough for one lifetime. Leaving her pregnant and alone, whether by choice or not, was the final straw.

"There's no reason to hang around, Cath," Steve murmured, pressing a hand to his side.

Opening his eyes, Steve narrowed his sights on her and felt the cracks of her heart begin to ebb. She really was the most beautiful woman he had ever set his sights on, and he hated himself for taking every moment with her for granted. Unable to look lower, to take in the sight of her belly so full of life when his was losing it, Steve gulped harshly.

"You live the best life you can, okay?"

Nodding her head without much understanding, Cath looked at Steve, before gazing at Danny, knowing the blonde detective must hate her entire being. Sadly, she had wanted more of a fight from Steve, some of his usual obstinate behaviour and his usual disregard, but she was now well aware the Steve she loved had never come home, and she knew, deep down, she had exploited that.

"Please, take care of him, Danny."

"I will," Danny vowed, unable to comprehend what he had just witnessed. "I promise."

Without another word spoken, Cath left.