One for Sorrow
Pairing: McRoll
Spoilers for season 10 - Episode 7
Chapter - 51
It was getting later in the evening and most of their guests had left for the evening and soon it was only Steve, Catherine, Danny and Mary left. Grace had taken a sleeping Charlie back home to their mothers and Steve had carried very tired little Joan upstairs to bed as well. She tried to fight it a bit but soon enough Steve had her changed in her pyjamas and then off to bed, sleeping soundly as well.
As he tended to Joan, Mary, Catherine and Danny began cleaning up the backyard and the kitchen, and once he had Joan all settled in bed, he took a moment to himself to think of his parents and his grandparents and think about how proud of him they would be.
Sitting on his bed, and closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths in and out, and focused on his breathing and remaining in the moment before he re-opened them to see Catherine standing there at the door way, just watching him, not willing to interrupt his meditation.
His lips turned upward in a smile and he held out his arm to her, and she came the rest of the way into the room and took a seat on his lap, "You okay Sailor?', was her first question to him as she rested her forehead on his and smiled softly. Nodding his head, his arms wrapping around her waist, he took a breath in and then slowly exhaled, "I'm good.. It's been an emotional day that is for sure, but it's been a good day because it's been spent with family".
As much as he missed his parents and even longed for the grandfather he never got to meet, he knew he was lucky to have such an amazing Ohana to rally around him and Mary like this. "Mary and Danny are still downstairs", You want to go back down and have another beer or you ready to call it a night?", she asked him curiously seeing the tired gaze in his eyes.
Nodding his head, he smiled, "I can go for another beer or two", she chuckled and leaned in to kiss him softly, "Mmm that is the Sailor I know and love". His hand moving to her cheek as he captured her lips in another kiss, and he sighed happily, "You really are my anchor Catherine, always have been and always will be and I'm not taking another moment for granted".
Her heart skipped a beat at those words and she smiled, thinking for a moment before she began speaking, "And I will always be your anchor, whenever you feel you are sinking, I'll be there to keep you tethered in place", she smirked and laughed at her next thought, "Now let's get back down there before Danny thinks we are up to no good".
Standing up, she tugged him up with her and her followed her back downstairs and out to the lanai where Mary and Danny were sitting and quietly chatting. "She give you any trouble getting off to bed?", his sister asked as a way of acknowledging that they had both come back outside. "She tried to fight it a bit, but I played the guitar a bit for her and she fell right off to sleep".
Danny was impressed, he knew that Steve played, even brought him the guitar he would have used but he still never let anyone hear him play that much. "Wow, only took your niece moving here for you to finally pick the guitar back up again". Mary on the other hand had been there that night when he was meant to take to the stage and so she knew what it meant that he was playing again.
"That's awesome bro, she would have loved that a lot, she loves listening to calming music to put her to bed of a night". Mary was proud of her brother and it made her heart melt when she saw how close Steve and Joan were. She knew in that moment that she had made the right decision to move back to Hawaii. It was a more relaxed vibe and Joan whom while she was a bright and bubbly girl, she did suffer from anxiety and panic attacks on the odd occasion, and had been bullied in school due to her being adopted.
That was what sealed their decision to move, was to get her away from the kids who were bullying her and allow her to have a more healthy space to live and grow in. He smiled as he took a sip of his beer and swallowed it before saying anything else. "I know I was sceptical of you adopting a baby, but honestly Mary.. I'm so proud of you, and that little girl is growing up to be a very sweet and kind young lady".
Blushing a little, Mary smiled softly and drank from her own beer bottle before turning the tables on her brother, "You are an amazing Uncle Steve and I love seeing Joan interact with you, it's a sweet feeling. You will be an amazing Daddy one day", she turned and looked at Catherine, "and you Catherine, you have truly been an amazing Aunt to Joan and I know you will be such a wonderful Mommy as well".
It was Catherine's turn to blush and she smiled softly, "I love spending time with Joan, she is a beautiful little girl and I know that when Steve and I have a child, we'd love to see a similar kind of Aunt and Niece/Nephew relationship and also the same with Danny, with an Uncle and Niece/Nephew relationship. We love you both so much and I know our child will be blessed to have this amazing Ohana".
Though Danny at times had cause for being upset or even angry at Catherine for causing so much hurt to Steve, he knew that Steve was the best version of himself when she was around, and it wasn't just that he was upset at how she hurt Steve, he was upset that she left them all as well, but he was trying to find his way past that and just move on because he knew that Catherine was staying for good this time, and seemed to be in this forever now. "Which by the way, when is that going to be because I'd love to be an Uncle to your children before I'm too old to enjoy it".
Shaking his head, Steve laughed and leaned over, patting Danny on the shoulder, "Relax bud, let's us get through the rest of the year and then let's think about how soon we want our relationship to move forward", though he had to admit that he loved the idea of watching Catherine's belly grow with their child, but he did worry that maybe at their age, it might be a bit more risky and dangerous to Catherine's health, that was one thing they needed to discuss and talk about later when they were alone.
They drank a little while longer and then Mary and Danny decided to head to bed, Danny had decided to stay on the couch, not wanting to drive home or even walk home that late, and Mary retired to her own room with Joan and Steve and Catherine were left out on the lanai, Steve standing up, and reaching to take Catherine's hand, walking her down to the beach and sitting on one of the chairs he had set out near the water.
It was always a serious discussion when they came to talk out here and Catherine watched as Steve gathered his thoughts and thought on what he wanted to say. "I know I told Danny to let us get through the rest of this year before making any decisions on where we go next, but there has been something that's been gnawing at me for a while and I need to know".
Smiling, Catherine took his hand and squeezed gently, "If you are talking about marriage and children, then yes Steve, that is something I have been wanting with you for a long time now. I told you I would have said yes if you asked me to marry you after Kono and Adam's wedding".
Right in that moment, she could sense a weight lifted off his shoulders and she waited for him to process that, not wanting to interrupt his thoughts once more before she began again knowing what his next concern would have been, "In our line of work, I decided years ago when we first began dating seriously that I wanted to have some of my eggs frozen, just in case something ever happened.. I also know that being pregnant in your forty's can be more dangerous then in your twenty's and even thirty's but I'm willing to do whatever is necessary to start a family with you when we are both ready to".
Squeezing her hand, he took a breath in and out, and looked at her, one hand moving to her cheek, rubbing his thumb along the side of her face and he smiled, "I'll admit, one of the few times that my Dad and I spoke on the phone before he died, he convinced me to do the same, to have some of my sperm frozen as well on the off chance something happened as well, but before we try those alternatives, I'd love nothing more then seeing if we can fall pregnant naturally, and if we have issues, then we can look at alternate methods".
Sighing happily, Catherine leaned in and kissed his lips, gazing into his eyes as she pulled back slightly, "How about after Christmas I go off the pill and we don't necessarily have to start 'trying', but just see if nature takes it's course.. I know we haven't been back together for long, but this has been years in the making and like we both know, we aren't getting any younger".
Nodding his head as Catherine stood to move over onto his lap once more and he kissed her sensually and lovingly, his hand moving to her stomach unconsciously as he spoke, "I'd love nothing more than to see your stomach growing with our baby, how about we make an appointment before Christmas with the doctor so that we can get as prepared and make sure you are all healthy to carry a baby to term".
That would be his one regret, if something happened to Catherine and or the baby while she was carrying the baby.. If it meant they had to use a surrogate or do it a different way, he would because he wouldn't want to risk Catherine or their unborn babies health.
Her heart skipped a beat, and her eyes lit up with her happiness and she smiled that smile that was only reserved for Steve, the fact that Steve was worried about her health and If she could healthily carry a baby to term with no issues, it made her love him more, "I'd really love that Sailor".
She thought she lost him when she left after Kono's wedding and then it was a massive blow to her to find out he was going to propose to her so for them to have a second chance to get it right, it meant the world to her. As they sat there watching the waves and listening to the calm of the ocean, they both felt relaxed and calm for the first time in a long time.
Author's Notes:
First of all, I would like to say thank you all for your continued ongoing support. I love continuing to these stories and adding to them, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I have enjoyed writing it as well. I'm on holidays from the 8th November for two weeks so I will try my best to get as much done and updated as I can during that time. I'm really looking forward to getting more of these stories updated and trying to maybe come up with some other stories as well.
SteveMcGarrettLover:
Thank you so much for your review, I love knowing you enjoy all of my stories and updates. I hope you enjoy this one as well. I am getting back into things and have two weeks off soon so I am going to try to get plenty of writing done as well during those two weeks.
(Guest) Jan
Thank you so much for reading and enjoying my stories. Your encouragement means a lot so thank you so much. I hope to give them the ending they deserve for sure.