Thank you all for reading. We think we thanked every one individually, except for the ones who didn't sign in.

One tiny thing though. Please don't yell in all caps at us; and if you don't like Catherine, I'm pretty sure we are the wrong authors for you. No need to be rude. You don't like this story, feel free to leave.

To everyone else, thank you for your support and we hope you will enjoy the future chapters. …Sam

A Wrinkle in Time – Chapter 2
by Sym64 and Cokie316

When Steve came down the stairs he heard laughter coming from the lanai. He was glad that his dad had found someone who he cared about. He wasn't so sure about Mrs. Wilson though; but on the other hand, he only knew her from many years back. And the young Stevie hadn't been too fond of the never smiling Mrs. Wilson.

"Steve, there you are. Come on, Son, dinner's almost ready," his dad called out when Steve stepped onto the lanai.

"Mrs. Wilson, nice to see you again."

"Ah, Steven, look at you. All grown up, and so handsome. But please stop calling me Mrs. Wilson. I'm Kalani," the elder smiling woman said and stretched out her hand.

"Thank you, ma'am, I mean Kalani," Steve replied and shook the offered hand.

"Have a seat, Steve. I'll get the rice."

"No, Dad, you stay, I'll get it," interjected. "Anything else we need?" Steve asked and looked at the set table with the food already on it.

"No, just the rice. Unless you want beer instead of wine."

"OK," Steve said and was back just a minute later with the rice and a bottle of water for himself. The headache from earlier was still not gone, and he figured alcohol wouldn't be his best choice.

The dinner went very well, with both Mrs. Wilson and his dad telling more or less embarrassing stories about his early time in school.

"I always knew you would go far, Steven. You were always so determined in whatever you were doing. Well, except when I had to cover for the coach; you hated every minute of that, didn't you?" Kalani asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Ehm… hate is a strong word, Mrs. Wilson… but yeah, that covers it pretty well," Steve replied and couldn't keep the laughter out of his voice.

After that admission the ice finally broke and they spent another half hour talking and laughing until Steve excused himself.

"It was really nice seeing you, and I hope to see you again soon," Steve told his father's friend.

"Likewise, Steven. Please take care," the elder woman replied.

Steve winked at his dad and made his way up the stairs to his room. Years ago, he and his dad had remodeled the room for when he visited. It had a big bed in it on which he gratefully sat now.

He hadn't lied to Cath when he had said he was tired. Bone tired was more like it. He couldn't even remember when he last had a full night's sleep. He kicked off his shoes and on his way to the bathroom he shed his shirt and opened the pants which also landed on the floor before he stepped into the adjoining bathroom.

Not even five minutes later he lay spread eagled on the bed, softly snoring.

H50 – H50 – H50

McGarrett Residence

Lieutenant Catherine Rollins looked at the house she had only been to twice. The last time she had been here, Steve had introduced her to his dad. And she remembered that weekend fondly. John was fun to be around and he had welcomed her warmly.

She was just about to ring the bell when the door opened, and she was face to face with the man she had just thought about.

"Mr. McGarrett," she called out in surprise.

"Catherine! Oh, it is so good to see you," John said while closing the gap to give her a hug. "And don't call me Mr. McGarrett, its John, remember?"

"John." Catherine smiled at the older man and saw that Steve hadn't exaggerated when he said his dad had been banged up. "I'm sorry to arrive here out of the blue. I don't know if Steve told you…"

"He only said you were waiting for a flight. I could have picked you up, why didn't you call?"

Catherine followed the older McGarrett into the house. "No, no, that's fine. I took a cab."

"I hope you will stay for a few days?"

"I have five days leave," Catherine told him.

"That's good. Listen, I'm sorry but I have to go, I have a meeting I need to attend. But make yourself at home, and I'm sure my son will wake at some point," John told her grinning.

"He's still asleep?" Catherine asked in surprise. "It's past nine."

"A few minutes ago he was still in dreamland. He was exhausted, Catherine," He told her with a touch of worry in his voice. He was well aware that his son had had a headache from whatever he had been doing to catch Wo Fat. "And not just physically. I think it's the first real sleep he's had in a week, or something like that. But I'm sure you will find a way to wake him," John added with a twinkle in his eye.

"I'm sure I will," Cath replied smiling. "I hope we can have dinner tonight?"

"Looking forward to it. Now you have to excuse me, I really need to go," John told her and leaned in for a peck on the cheek. "I'm really glad you're here."

"Thank you."

Catherine watched him leave and then made her way upstairs.

H50 – H50 – H50

She looked down at the man on the bed, not for the first time admiring the view. Catherine smiled, seeing the gentle rise and fall of his chest. He was clearly still in deep slumber which gave her time to let her eyes travel over Steve's body. She had always loved his shoulder-hip-ratio. To her it was just perfect. Not that she was shallow, but she was a woman after all, and no one could deny that Steve McGarrett was an attractive man.

And the best part was that he was attractive inside and out. As long as she had known him, Steve had never used his looks to his advantage. She was sure that he knew that his appearance had an impact on most women, and some men, but she also knew that he didn't really see his own attractiveness. Especially not in the morning, with hair standing in all directions, still half asleep and too much stubble to still be called scruffy.

Catherine had to grin when she kneeled on the bed, slowly letting her fingers glide over the perfect abs down to the waistband of his sleep shorts sneaking out from the light blanket. She was amazed that Steve still appeared to be completely relaxed and not aware of her presence. He normally was a light sleeper, and sneaking up on him like this was a testament to how tired he must have been.

She almost jumped out of her skin when a sleep-laden voice spoke to her. "You know that torturing your boyfriend comes with a heavy punishment, don't you?"

"Steve!" She almost shrieked. "You wanna give me a heart-attack? I thought you were asleep," Catherine declared with laughter in her voice, leaning down for a kiss.

"I was… until you touched me," Steve said between kisses. He finally opened his eyes and looked at his girlfriend. "You are way overdressed."

"Is that so, Commander?"

"Oh, yeah, Lieutenant."

Catherine didn't have to be told twice to strip down to her panties and bra. "Better?"

"Way better," Steve replied with a smirk.

Catherine crawled into bed and snuggled up to her friend. "I saw your dad on his way out."

"That's good to know. That he's out, I mean," Steve clarified between more kisses. "How was your flight?"

"Do you realize that this is one of the strangest conversations we have ever had?" Catherine said with a chuckle.

"So, you're saying we should stop talking?"

"That is exactly what I'm saying, Commander."

And they did.

H50 – H50 – H50

Two hours later they both sat on the lanai having a very late breakfast.

"Catherine?"

"Yeah?"

"Last night I told you about the offer from the Governor…"

"Yeah, you said he asked you to run a task force for him?" Cath asked while she put milk in her coffee. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Have you ever thought about settling down? I mean… leaving the Navy?" Steve asked and looked at the woman he hoped to 'get there' with at some point. Hopefully sooner rather than later. He recalled the comment he had made to Danny Williams a couple days ago.

"Honestly? Yeah, I have," Cath said. "At least, I have for the last few months."

Steve was surprised by her answer but waited for her to finish her response.

Cath took a sip of her coffee, thinking. "I mean, I still like what I do… I really do, but my required time is up and sometimes I'm just not sure I want to stay or not." She smiled and shrugged. "Then I usually get cold feet and quit even thinking about it. Why do you ask?"

Steve smiled, it seemed that this was going better than he had dared hope. "Could you imagine staying in Hawaii?" Steve almost shyly asked.

"Are you considering taking the job?"

Steve thought for a moment. "When the governor laid out the proposition, I wasn't even planning to think about it. I have a job that I'm good at and feel it is making a difference. But … then I talked to my dad." He paused again before adding, "He had a lot of insight and it did get me to thinking about it. I'm just… Catherine, I'm tired of constantly having to say good bye to you. Of spending a few days together and then not seeing you for weeks or months at a time. I don't know how much longer I can do that," Steve honestly told her. "And I… I miss you when we're apart."

"Are you asking me to move to Hawaii to be closer to you?"

Steve looked at his girlfriend and could see the surprise, but also the happiness on her face. "Yeah, I am," he replied. "Well, sort of… what I'm really asking is if you would like to move in."

Catherine looked at him and could see the trepidation on his face. But she knew he was sincere. "Wow. You know, not knowing how you saw our relationship was what made me hesitate leaving the Navy," Cath replied. "I mean, I didn't consider the fact that you might leave, too and I was worried about what I would do. And where I would live. But," she paused, smiling at him. "I would like nothing more than to live with you. Of trying to make this… make 'us' work for more than a week here and there. Of really settling down."

Steve started laughing and she glared at his response to her statement.

"I'm sorry," he said, running his fingers along the back of his neck. "But do you have any idea how often I've had this conversation in my head? And none of it ever came out like this, and was so easy. Thank you."

"So, are you saying that you're taking the governor up on his offer?"

Steve shook his head and grinned. "No, I'm not… but we are."

"What?" Cath asked in confusion.

"Denning said I can bring in anyone I want. And you need a job. I mean, sure, I'm asking you to move in, but you're gonna have to pull your own weight around here," he said with a chuckle at the look on her face. Steve reached across the table and entwined their fingers. "I kind of hoped that you might also want to work with me?"

"Wow, you really go for broke, don't you?" Catherine answered, now also laughing. But then she quickly sobered. "Where are we gonna live?"

"How about here? My dad wants to move in with his girlfriend," Steve told her, shaking his head and grinning at the shocked look on her face. "And that's another long story."

H50 – H50 – H50

Honolulu Police Department

Steve walked up the front steps of the police station, pausing to glance back at what was leaning against the recycle can on the sidewalk. He shook his head and turned to head through the door, stopping at the large desk in the center of the room.

"May I help you?" the officer behind the desk asked.

"Yes, please. I'm Commander Steve McGarrett and I –"

"Oh, yes, Sir," the young man interrupted. "How is your dad, Sir?"

"He's going to be fine. Thanks for asking."

"He's a legend around here," the man confided with a grin. "Sorry, what can I do for you?"

"I know I don't have an appointment but I wondered if Captain Kelly might be in his office. If so, I would like just a couple minutes of his time."

"Let me check for you. I saw him come in earlier, but I don't know what's on his docket today."

"Thanks," Steve replied. "Hey, I was here yesterday and there was a big guy from Chicago who had lost his golf clubs. He was talking with Duke Lukela."

"Yeah, I heard about the complaint," the young officer replied. "Why?"

"Believe it or not, there is a set of clubs outside leaning against the recycle bin. Just thought it was odd, that's all."

"Huh, yeah, it is. Let me contact the captain and then I will check it out."

"Thanks."

"Captain, thank you for seeing me on such short notice," Steve said while closing the door of Captain Kelly's office and moving toward the desk.

Kelly stood and held out his hand in greeting, which Steve shook.

"Have a seat," the captain requested. "And no more of that Captain stuff. My name's Chin, Commander."

Steve chuckled. "And mine is Steve."

Chin also laughed. "I remember when you were 'Little Stevie'," he said. "And how you hated the name."

"And I still do," he assured the police officer with a nod of his head. "I remember you, too, being in the car with dad on days when he would drop by the house. I also remember him telling mom that you would go far."

Chin shrugged. "Like I said, I learned from the best."

"I have to agree with you there."

"Odd thing," the captain began. "Speaking of going far… I had a very interesting conversation with the governor this morning. I'm going to guess that is why you are here."

Steve dropped his head to his chest. "He works fast to cover all his bases, doesn't he?" he asked. "I'm sorry, but I really just wanted to talk with you and get your feedback. None of this is a done deal, but I wanted your perspective. I'm sorry if you feel like I'm stepping on toes; that's not my intention. I just learned of this proposition yesterday afternoon and I am in no way committed to it…" Steve stopped, knowing he was rambling.

"You should be," Chin interrupted.

Steve looked at him. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said, 'you should be committed to it'. It's a great opportunity." Chin leaned forward, his arms on his desk. "This isn't a new idea; Denning has talked about this for several months. But he called this morning to tell me that he had 'found his man'. And personally, I think you would be a good fit for the job."

Steve shook his head and grinned. "I think there's a conspiracy on this island."

"That might be the case, but that doesn't change the fact that I think the governor's idea of a task force is a good one," Captain Kelly replied. "And I think he has good instincts about who he wants to run it."

"Huh. So, if I take him up on his offer, you would be OK with it?" Steve asked bluntly. He had never been one to beat around the bush.

Chin leaned back in his chair. "That is perfectly fine by me. I'm actually looking forward to it," Kelly said, but then hesitated.

"What?"

He shook his head. "Unfortunately, you might encounter some resistance from a few officers," the captain explained. "Not everyone is always open minded and some might get territorial about it. But I'm sure you can handle that."

"Thanks for the warning. But yeah, that won't be a real problem," Steve replied confidently. "I have a favor to ask though."

"Oh, what's that?"

"A task force doesn't run on its own. If I take this on, I need good, solid people I can trust. I worked with Detective Williams on the Wo Fat case. If possible, I would like to take a look at his file. And maybe you have someone else in the department you could recommend?"

"How many people are we talking about?" Kelly wanted to know.

"So far this tentative task force only has two members. I was thinking maybe five to six people 'active', and one or two in an office to handle research, advisement, brainstorming, stuff like that. I am interested in experienced officers." Steve grinned. "I'm hoping I can talk my dad into coming out of retirement, and I have my eyes set on Sgt. Lukela. I think these two would be good at sharing their experience and expertise."

"I'm very surprised, Steve. Maybe I shouldn't be, but I am."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked in confusion.

"You are a Lieutenant Commander with the Navy, highly decorated, you have probably seen a lot of action, led many people in battle, organized raids and all kind of operations and investigations. But still, you ask to have experienced people on your team. I'm impressed."

Steve slowly shook his head. "Learning never ends. You will learn something new every day. I would be stupid not to have such experienced cops as a source of information."

"That is very true. We're gonna get along just great," Chin told his new colleague with a smile. "As for Detective Williams' file; that won't be a problem. I also think I have another good candidate for your task force."

"Is he one of your men?"

"No, actually he came here this week from Chicago for an interview applying for a job as the new SWAT Captain. The Chief has narrowed his search down to two and Lou Grover is still in the running. I was very impressed with Captain Grover and if you could snare him, the chief can take the other guy. And that wouldn't be a bad choice at all."

"OK. I'd like to check him out."

"I can really see him working with a task force. I'm sure he would be a great fit. I'll give you his file and application if you want."

"Yeah, I appreciate it."

"If it's OK with you I can bring the files over tonight. Are you still at your dad's?"

"Yes, I am and that's great. I hope you will stay for dinner?" Steve stood and reached out his hand toward the captain.

"Thank you. My wife is working late at the hospital tonight, so I'm on my own for dinner. See you then, Steve," Chin replied, shaking his hand.

Steve left the office and thought about his feeling yesterday that he would be back. Funny how that happened. He was interrupted from his musing by someone calling his name.

"Commander? Hey, I've got someone for you to meet."

"Yes?" Steve stopped at the desk and recognized the same man from yesterday. He now had golf clubs slung over his left shoulder.

Captain Grover reached out his hand. "I just wanna shake the hand of the man who found my clubs," he said. "Lou Grover, and I thank you."

Steve grinned at hearing the name. "Steve McGarrett, nice to meet you. Glad I could be of service."

"You made my day. Missed my tee time this morning but now I can enjoy the rest of my vacation."

Steve nodded to the man behind the desk and turned to leave, in step with Grover. "Are you here with family?"

"Yeah, wife and two rug rats. We actually came for a job interview but since this would be a big move, we brought the kids to see what they think. So far, they are thrilled."

"It's a perfect place to live," Steve agreed. They had reached the sidewalk and he smiled at the captain. "Who knows, we may meet up again."

"Hopefully it isn't over missing golf clubs," Grover replied. "Nice meeting you, Commander."

"You, too, Captain. Enjoy your day."

Steve watched the man head toward the parking lot and smiled to himself. "What are the odds…" he thought, shaking his head. He didn't believe in coincidences.

H50 – H50 – H50