"Just one more time... I just wanted to see her just one more time," Steve thought as he sighted the city through the plane window. He was finally getting back to what was "his house" lately.

After he disembarked, he took a taxi and went to the naval base. He took some personal things that were in his closet and then stayed in a simple hotel where he would spend his vacation period. After so many months on a mission, the vacation was deserved. He really wanted to go to Hawaii, but at the same time that he missed home, he remembered that his family core had been dismantled, and this discouraged him.

"I'll stay right here," he thought.

Catherine was wearing makeup when her mother came into her room. "Are you going out, Catherine?"

"Yes, Mom. I'll find some colleagues from the base. Will you come with me?" Catherine answered her mother.

"You're kidding me, right, daughter? What am I going to do among the young?"

"Hmm! You're the youngest, most beautiful mother I know," Catherine replied.

Carol hugged her. "Thank you, Cath, but I'm going to stay here and wait for your father to call me. It's been three months since he's been out of the house in that mission.

You want some advice, daughter? Don't date a sailor."

Catherine just smiled and didn't say anything.

"You look beautiful, Cath. But come home, huh? Don't sleep outside the house," Carol said before she left the room.

"Okay, Mom."

Catherine arrived to the nightclub and the sound was deafening. "Wow! I think I'm already sorry I accepted the girls' invitation," Catherine thought. She was trying to get closer to the girls on base. She didn't want to be seen as the daughter of someone with high rank. People used to think she was snooty and haughty, and that wasn't true.

Catherine looked around and didn't see any of her colleagues there. "I think I'm a little early," she thought.

She walked to the bar and ordered a drink. She just put the glass in her mouth without taking much of the drink. "Did they give up?" She looked at the phone to see if there was any messages from the girls, but there was nothing.

A man had been watching her from the moment she arrived, and approached when he saw her sitting at the bar.

"Hi," he said as he sat next to her.

Catherine looked at him uninterestedly, but she was polite. "Hi."

"What's such a pretty girl doing here alone?" He asked.

"I'm having fun. Can't a girl have fun alone? Know that I have a lot of fun in my own company and I'm doing very well with it," Catherine answered.

"Wow! A brave girl. I love it," he replied.

"Will you excuse me? You're bothering me," she said and stood up. The man also stood up, showing that he would not give up so easily.

Catherine looked desperately around looking for the other girls. She was really afraid of that guy.

He grabbed her by the arm and Catherine pulled her arm. "No."

He tried to grab her arm again, but a strong hand stopped him. "She said no. And it's not no!"

Catherine looked quickly to make sure it was Steve who was there. His voice was etched in her mind and heart. "Steve!"

"Get out of here," Steve told the guy he was bothering Catherine.

"What if I don't want to leave?" The guy defied him.

"I'm going to arrest you," Steve answered with a serious expression.

"Idiot," the guy grumbled and walked away.

Catherine smiled and hugged him. "Steve!"

Steve hugged her, too. "Hi!"

They let go of the hug and looked at each other.

"Can we get out of here? That sound is deafening," he said.

"Sure. I'd scheduled to meet some girls from the base, but they didn't show up," Catherine answered.

"Good for me," he replied.

"What?" Catherine asked.

"Good for me they didn't show up. So we can talk."

Steve and Catherine left the nightclub and were relieved.

"Much better out here. Now tell me why you let that guy get so far? You could have punched him in the face easily," Steve told her.

"I don't fight at nightclubs, Steve. But I was glad you showed up. And if he found out that you were lying when you said you were going to arrest him?"

"Then I'd have to fight at the nightclub. I'm glad to see you, too," he answered.

"I didn't get a chance to thank you for saving my life on that ship. Thank you so much." Catherine hugged him again and he came to the conclusion that she liked hugs. He hadn't been used to so many hugs since he'd lost his mother.

"You're welcome, Catherine."

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here today. I owe you so much."

"Forget it, you don't owe me anything," he replied.

"If you ever need my help, I'll be here," she said.

"Oh, I want something from you," Steve said.

"If I can help, I'll do it."

"I want your phone number. I really wanted to know how you were doing, and I couldn't."

"Sure. I'll give you my phone number if you give me yours, too."

"Great," he replied.

After they exchanged phone numbers with each other, Steve offered her his arm and they walked down the street until they stopped in front of a pizza place.

"Pizza?" He asked.

"Great idea," she answered, and they went in to eat.

They ate and talked until the pizza place closed.

"Wow, Steve! I didn't even notice, the hours went by so fast," Catherine said.

"It's true. Come on, I'll take you home," Steve told her.

"That's not necessary. I can take a cab."

"What if that guy's out there watching you? I won't let you go alone," Steve said.

"Then it's okay. Let's go."

Steve took her to the gate of her house. "Thanks, Steve."

She hugged him one more time and when she went to kiss him on the cheek, Steve moved his face and she kissed him on the corner of his mouth. "I'm sorry."

Steve smiled. "It's okay. You don't have to get red as a tomato."

Catherine was even more flushed and she hurried to say goodbye to him. "Good night, Steve."

"Good night, Cath. It was great seeing you again."

Catherine walked into the house and her mother smiled when she saw her. Carol was by the window, and that meant she'd seen Steve with Catherine.

"Who is he?" Carol asked.

"He's the friend who saved me from the fire, Mom."

Carol smiled and thought: "Friend? I know..."