Three months later...
Steve was driving and quickly checked a message he had received.
"Don't you know you can't check your phone while driving? You irresponsible!" Danny said to Steve.
Steve didn't respond, and Danny noticed that he was giving small, discreet smiles along the way.
"What are you laughing at?" Danny wanted to know.
Steve smiled again. "Catherine is arriving today. The ship she's working on is making a stop here on the island."
"So that's it...happy as a teenager waiting for a first date."
"That's pretty much it. Starting at 5 p.m. I'll be incommunicado. Only call me if the world is ending," Steve replied.
"Okay. Have a good time. I just don't understand how you do it."
"What?" Steve didn't understand.
"How can you keep such a long-distance relationship going? Isn't she afraid you'll cheat on her?"
"I've never cheated on her, Danny. And I am absolutely certain that she has never cheated on me either. And let's stop this conversation right here because this is getting too personal."
"Oh, sure. Sorry, I forgot that you're a person as closed in on yourself as a snail."
"Steve stopped the car in front of the headquarters. "Are you comparing me to a snail?"
"Yes. It's a very good comparison. If you touch a snail, it closes itself. If you talk about your feelings, you close up, too.
"Anything else, philosopher Danny Williams?" Steve asked wryly.
"No, at least not yet."
Steve and Danny arrived at the office and Chin and Kono were already there.
"Chin, Kono, don't call Steve after 5:00 p.m. because Catherine is arriving on the island today," Danny told them.
Steve rolled his eyes and shook his head. He went into the office and started working.
Danny called Kono into his office and she followed him.
"Is our surf lesson confirmed for tomorrow morning?" Danny asked her.
"Yes. Just don't be late," Kono replied.
"I'll be there at the scheduled time. Thanks for teaching me, Kono. Grace will be very happy when she hears that I learned how to surf."
Steve and the team had a quiet day, and at 3:00 p.m Catherine surprised him by arriving at headquarters unannounced. She knocked on his office door softly. "May I come in?"
Steve smiled and stood up. "Cath?"
"The ship arrived a little earlier than expected and I decided not to wait for you there. I wanted to surprise you."
Steve walked over and hugged her. "It was a great surprise. I missed you."
"I missed you too," she replied as she enjoyed the warmth of his embrace.
Danny walked into Steve's office and greeted Catherine.
"Hi, Danny. How are you?" Catherine asked politely.
"I'm fine. What about you?"
"I'm fine, thank you. "
"Danny, do you mind if I leave now?" Steve asked him.
"Of course not. Go take Catherine for a walk and get some ice cream. Me, Chin and Kono will spring into action if any cases come up."
"Thanks, buddy," Steve patted Danny on the shoulder and called Catherine to go.
"What do you want to do? Do you want to go somewhere special?" Steve asked her before they got into the car.
"No. Let's go to your place. I just want to relax and enjoy your company. The ship is leaving tomorrow, so we don't have much time together."
"Tomorrow? I thought we'd have at least two days together," Steve complained.
"I'm sorry, Steve. I wish I could stay longer too."
Steve drove her home and they sat on the couch, alternating talking and kissing.
"Do you want a beer?" Steve asked her.
"I do," Catherine replied and he went to get the beer from the fridge.
Catherine looked around as he went into the kitchen. "We're alone, without Mary this time," Catherine mused.
"What's the reason for that smile?" Steve asked as he returned bringing the beers.
"Well, I was thinking that we are alone today."
Steve sat down next to her and kissed her, "Completely alone."
"That's good," Catherine replied and took a sip of her beer.
"That's great," Steve replied.
They dated for a while on the couch, then Steve bought some snacks and they waited for the delivery guy on the porch while they talked.
"When do you think you can get a transfer to the base here on the island?" Steve asked her
"I don't know, Steve. I made the request, but you know that things are not as we wish them to be."
"I know, Cath. I don't want to make any demands on you, I just miss having you around."
"I miss you too. I miss the time we lived together after my parents moved away. I wish I could be closer too."
The delivery man arrived bringing Steve's order a few minutes later. He walked to the gate and picked up the package containing the snacks. "It smells good," he said as he handed the package to Catherine.
"What are we waiting for to taste this?" She asked.
"Let's go into the living room. I'll get some more beers."
They ate, drank and enjoyed their time together in the living room and then Catherine went upstairs to take a shower.
A few minutes later, Steve also went upstairs and they began an intense night of love.
The next day, they both awoke to the ringing of their respective phones and both recognized that the rings were from someone related to work. They hurried down the stairs and got dressed until they reached the living room. They answered the phone and the reason was the same.
"A Tsunami is going to hit the island," they both said almost at the same time. They had a lot of work ahead of them and they both knew that they would be a few more months away from each other.