Thank you so much for all your klicks and following and favoriting the story. THanks to Alex Lover for your lovely review, but I have to apologize that it took a bit longer than intended.

CW: none, besides fluff

"Steve." Karen sighed, running her fingers through his wet hair.

The former SEAL smiled down at her, leaning on his elbows and enjoying the feel of her legs around his waist. "Good morning."

"Mhmm, and what a good morning it was." She smiled and pulled his hips even closer, her legs crossed behind his back.

Moaning, Steve sealed his lips with her's, tightening the hand in her hair to angle her face just the way he wanted while his other found her breast, feeling the weight in his palm. Something was different, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He wouldn't dare ask her if she gained weight, he didn't have a death wish.

Last night was amazing, they had felt closer than before, like something had snapped and their connection was deeper and in the last two weeks since their ordeal the two of them had gotten closer and he knew he would ask Karen to move in with him.

Not even Catherine had gotten that far, but ever since he met the brunette he didn't think of her as much as he used to. She decided for herself to stay in Afghanistan and he had his life here on the island. His life had changed so much over the last few months, making him feel like anything was possible, maybe even a family of his own like Mary had told him when they talked about Joannie.

"I fuckin' love you, Kare, but I need to get to work." Reluctantly she loosened her grip on him, watching as he got up and moved to the bathroom.

Karen had to be at work in about an hour and a half, but the cuddle time they enjoyed every morning after Steve got back from his run or his laps in the ocean was ten times better than before. She did the same and got up from the bed, grabbed the shirt he left on the floor and made her way down to the kitchen, starting the coffee. The brew would be done by the time Steve got out of the shower and dressed for work.

Filling her cup with tea, the brunette made her way to the deck and sat down on the step, enjoying the calmness of the ocean. She had talked to Ally as well as her mother, both ecstatic but worried for her. What if Steve didn't want the baby and left her hanging? What if he left later on, not wanting all the work that came with raising a child?

You need to tell him, her mother said, knowing the longer she kept it to herself, the more he would pull away once he found out.

"Hey, you okay?" Steve sat down next to her, laying a kiss on her cheek and putting his arm around her shoulder. Karen leaned into him hoping to keep the smell of coffee away, she still enjoyed the warmth his body radiated, making her feel protected and safe.

Nodding her head, the brunette turned to face him. Her head and her heart working together for once told her to tell him but as soon as she opened her mouth, the words wouldn't form. They were like lead, weighing down her tongue. So she stayed silent, giving him another smile and laid a swift kiss on his lips. Karen needed to talk to him, but the time wasn't right, it was never right.

"It's going to bite you in your lovely ass if you don't tell him today."

Ally sat across from her friend, watching the brunette fight against the morning sickness with her bottle of Ginger Ale. For two weeks the blonde urged Karen to tell Steve about the baby, knowing that the further along she got the more he'd resent her for not telling him.

"We every time I try I'm afraid he'll get angry with me. This morning he asked me if I was okay and I was going to tell him about the baby, but nothing would come out." The brunette leaned her head on her hand, feeling her eyes water. Her OB/Gyn had already told her that with morning sickness, moodswings would make an appearance, too, and to not be too concerned as it was absolutely normal. "I feel like such a failure because he told me to tell him everything and I didn't. Steve's going to leave me."

Shaking her head, Ally grabbed Karen's free hand, giving it a tight squeeze. "He won't, Steve's crazy about you and he'll love the baby as well, you only need to tell him. Today at best."

Kamekona suddenly appeared behind them, putting the blonde's order on the table while he gave his favorite female haole an eyebrow raise that just made her shake her head. He had only heard some of their conversation about a baby but from the looks of it the Ohana would get bigger soon enough. The next time he saw McGarrett he'd have to congratulate him on finding such a wonderful woman to raise a family with. "You sure you okay, sistah? Not eating isn't good for the keiki, ya know."

Both sets of eyes turned to the big Hawaiian man, shock written all over their faces. Karen swallowed the bile that was threatening to rise again. "Oh God, Kamekona, you can't tell anyone, please. This needs to stay between us for now."

"I, for sure, sistah." He nodded his head, not sure if it was the right thing to do. Kamekona had never been the best with secrets, usually they just came out in the end.

She put her hand on his arm, making him stop before he left. "Thank you, Kamekona. I will talk to Steve, I promise, but keep it to yourself for a while."

"Aight, just keep ya promise. McGarrett deserves to know dis." With that he left the two women again, Shrimps ain't selling themselves.

Ally gave Karen a look that told her the same thing. "Talk to him, that's an order."

"I'm not a soldier or a sailor, so the order doesn't really apply."

Rolling her eyes the blonde lightly hit her friend hoping to get the message across. She had seen how happy Karen was with Steve and she wasn't going to sit idle and let her ruin her own happiness. "Just talk to him today or you have bigger problems than that bean inside of you."

Letting out a long sigh, the brunette turned to watch the waves crashing on the beach near the Hilton hotel. Only a few months earlier life had been easier and she dreaded the moment she'd change the simplicity of the relationship with Steve.

Kamekona smiled as he brought the plate over to Steve's Aunt Deb. "My favorite auntie." It had been a while since he saw her and thought she could do with some shrimp casserole, but she declined, telling him that she already had lunch. "You have to have a little room for my delicious shrimp casserole."

The former SEAL stopped next to the table watching the conversation with a smile, hoping to get some of that, but the big Hawaiian turned, taking the food with him. Deb laughed at the interaction between those two, she knew they were friends even if Kamekona made Steve pay even more than the regular price. "Come on Kamekona, I'm hungry. I didn't get my lunch break today."

"Sorry, brah. Not for you, but you need to make sure Karen eats, now with the keiki on the way." As soon as the words were out in the open, Kamekona knew he did something wrong.

Steve's face had turned white as a sheet and he gaped like a fish out of the water. "What did you say?"

"Oh no, I promised." The big Hawaiian man sighed, looking down at his feet. "Karen's going to be angry."

Aunt Deb looked between the local and her nephew. "What's going on Stevie?"

"Hell if I know." Moving over he stopped next to his friend. "Why would Karen be angry?"

Biting his lip, Kamekona turned to the commander. "She was here today with her friend and they, they talked about a baby. Karen, she is…she's pregnant."

Steve tried to grip the corner of the table but before he collapsed the big Hawaiian and his aunt pulled him to sit down at the table. "Stevie! Oh my, are you all right?"

"I need to talk to Karen." Ragged breath shook his body, not sure when he felt panic like this. He was in the middle of a case, no way could he drive all over Honolulu if she had a case to work, too. Pulling out his phone, Steve dialed her number, hoping she'd take the call. His mind was going a hundred miles a minute, while his whole body felt like he just jumped out of a plane.

Whenever he saw Danny with Grace he thought about how it would be if he was a father, too. If he would be shopping for dresses or suits once they came to the age of school dances. Would they join the Navy, too? No, definitely not, his kid would stay on O'ahu, do anything but join the military.

"Steve? Is everything okay?" To say he was relieved when she answered was an understatement. "Are you hurt? O-Or Aunt Deb?"

Sighing, he leaned his head on his hand. Remember why you called. She was keeping secrets - again. "When were you going to tell me that you're pregnant." He heard the gasp and something that sounded like breaking glass on the other side. He knew he should have used his training and stayed calm in the face of danger, but right now his training was out the window and the only possible danger he faced was another break-up.

"Steve, I-I wanted to tell you, but the timing. I only just found out and the thing with Wo Fat"

Shaking his head, the former SEAL stood up, too angry to sit next to his aunt. Of all the things to not tell him, this was the worst next to the contact with his mother. "That was two and a half weeks ago. You didn't find the time to tell me between our talk in the hospital and now? I mean I felt like something changed but I really thought if it had you would have told me. Is the baby even mine? Or is there someone else to take you away from me?"

"Please Steve, don't say things like that. I'd never do that to you. There's only us, no one else."

He listened to the sobs, feeling them twist his gut but he needed to think, to get away for a bit and get his mind back in order. "Listen, I got a murder to catch and Aunt Deb wants to marry. I need some time, we'll talk, later." Before Karen could respond, Steve ended the call, earning a disapproving look from his aunt.

She gathered he was hurt, but women with hormones going crazy did stupid things sometimes. "You know Stevie, that's not a good way to talk to a pregnant woman."

"She kept it a secret for nearly three weeks." He all but roared at the older woman, his nostrils flaring with anger, but most of all it was the anger that she could have lost the baby while Wo Fat had them. "I made her promise to tell me if something was going on. Did you know she still talked to mom? Doris kept tabs on me and Marie through Karen. I forgave her for that, told her as long as she didn't keep other secrets from me and now everybody around me already seems to know I'm going to be a father, the only one missing in the equation is myself."

Putting her hand on his arm, Deb made him sit down across from her. "Will you be okay?"

"I don't know." He sighed, running his fingers through his short hair, already feeling his heart ache. No, he would finish his case and then make his aunt happy. He could talk to Karen another day. "You seriously want to marry Leonard today?"

Grinning at her nephew, Debora McGarrett nodded her head. "There's many things I never got to experience in life, but this tumor in my head taught me one thing: To never let time be wasted and no matter how long it takes, happiness will get you in the end."

Returning her smile, Steve nodded, lips pressed tightly together. He wasn't so sure if she was right about that. There were too many skeletons in his closet, too many demons tied to his back. He thought he'd be happy with Karen, but she already kept two major secrets from him, what else wasn't she telling him?

"Once you stop moping, you should talk to her. No woman keeps something like this from her partner without a good reason." Deb pulled his hand to her face, kissing the back of it. Steve and Mary were just like her own kids and now with her brother John gone the only family she had left. They talked for a while about the time between her last visit and now. When he mentioned Catherine Deb thought he'd already found a partner, someone to grow old with but then Steve told her that Lieutenant Rollins left her nephew to stay in Afghanistan and then she had asked about Karen Bishop, a social worker and Stevie's girlfriend. From the pictures on Mary's phone they were perfect for eachother and she could see it in his eyes. He loved her and wanted to be with her. And she wouldn't be Debora McGarrett if she let something like this rip them apart, even if she would have to help it along a bit.

"Deb, we aren't here to talk about me. What about you?" Steve watched her carefully, seeing her eyes glossed over and he instantly felt bad at bringing all this drama to her doorstep.

But Deb smiled, waving away his concerns before he got emotional, something he'd never admit to but she'd seen it on enough occasions concerning her. "Oh me, what about me? I'm fine. But I do need you to do something. I need to find someone to walk me down the aisle."

"Okay, yeah, I know someone who can do that." He smiled, his aunt's chuckle affecting him, too. Once the case and the wedding were over he'd be able to clear his head and maybe talk to Karen in a better space of mind.

"Ally, I can't do that, Steve is going to kill me." Karen stage whispered watching the ceremony take place. Aunt Deb looked wonderful in her dress and even though she wasn't the youngest bride, she still had that beautiful glow.

The blonde grabbed one hand and brushed down the floral printed dress she made her friend wear after Steve's aunt had called their office. "Don't be ridiculous, he just got done with a murder case, he's not going to ruin the afternoon with another one."

"This is not funny."

Ally chuckled, pulling the brunette down to sit in the last row. "Oh I think it was. By the way, that hot cop next to Detective Williams, do you know if he's single?"

"My god Ally, stop it." If Steve didn't kill her, Karen would end up in jail for strangling her friend. Together they watched the couple exchange vows in the sweetest gesture ever. Deb sang to Leonard her own rendition of S'wonderful by Ella Fitzgerald and Karen felt tears gather in her eyes.

Once she finished the couple had their first kiss as husband and wife and made their way inside to celebrate the happy occasion. The brunette saw Steve follow them but Danny waited, having noticed the two women in the background. Karen felt her breath hitch and nausea return full force as she slowly made her way to the front of the rows of chairs.

"I thought it was you." He looked her up and down before his eyes settled on her middle. His partner had told him about the pregnancy wanting to know what to do. The Jersey detective knew Steve loved children, he could see it in the way he was with Gracie, if he didn't know better he might be concerned at how much the former SEAL was acting like a dad whenever she was in trouble or even just mentioned in conversation.

"I need to talk to Steve, Danny. This is really important." She knew the blonde had turned into a big brother kind of figure where Steve's love life was concerned. He had been hurt by Catherine and she promised to never do that, but the brunette needed to make him understand her reasoning, that there was more to keeping it a secret and being afraid of his reaction. "Please Danny."

Sighing, the Jersey detective regarded her closely. Even though Karen was about to have a nervous breakdown she had that new mother glow Rachel had in both her pregnancies and as much as he wanted to keep her away from his partner for the day, he knew she was just as stubborn as the former SEAL. "Just try to not make a scene, after all it's Deb's wedding. But knowing Steve he won't tone it down if he's angry."

Thanking him, the brunette swiftly kissed his cheek and went inside, searching for her baby daddy. With his height it wasn't too hard to spot him, deep in a conversation with Chin and his aunt.

Each step she took, felt like more and more weight was put on her feet, like she was walking with cement blocks at her heels. Her stomach twisted in knots as she listened to his laugh, knowing his cold hard gaze would be fixed on her soon, a gaze she only had seen when he pointed a gun at Corbyn Emery.

"Steve?"

The tremble in her voice made him look up, regarding her coolly as their conversation ceased. Chin led Aunt Deb away, the older woman winking at Karen and leaving the kids to talk. They definitely needed that.

"Steve, I'm sorry, please can we talk about this." He gripped the glass of champagne tightly in his hand, knuckles white from the strain to not break the delicate flute.

The former SEAL tried his hardest to look anywhere but her and yet he couldn't help the sigh that left his lips. Putting down the glass, he took her hand and pulled her out of the room towards the garden, but he didn't turn when they stopped instead he looked out at the ocean, feeling it calm him down. "You promised. You promised to tell me everything that was going on but you didn't keep it."

"I'm sorry, Steve, I never meant for it to be like this, but please let me explain"

"You kept from me that you still talked to Doris, now you told everyone besides me I'm going to be a father. Do you think a Sorry is going to make it okay?" He crossed his arms over his broad chest, the suit jacket straining against the muscles and Karen had to swallow the urge to jump his bones. "You know, just this morning I thought about asking you to move in, starting a family with you now that Wo Fat is gone. All I wanted from you was honesty and trust, but surely I must have done something wrong or you'd have told me as soon as you found out. Is there something wrong with me to stay silent, keep these things for yourself?"

Shaking her head, Karen listened as his voice got louder the angrier he got. As if a mind of its own her hand reached out but never touched. It hovered in mid-air and she wasn't sure if he'd even let her get closer with his defensive stance. Steve must have been a sight to be seen in his camos, fighting the bad guys in the war zone. Just one look and he often enough rendered even the toughest criminal speechless.

"Why don't you say something? You wanted to fucking talk, now talk! Tell me, why you wouldn't trust me with the news of your pregnancy! This is my child as well and I deserve to fucking know"

"Martin made me get an abortion!" Tears had gathered in her eyes as she looked down at her feet. The only sound reaching her ears were the waves crashing on the beach behind them.

Steve blinked, his tongue failing to comply and his brain trying hard to comprehend what she had said. This was definitely not a reason he had heard before, if ever.

"I'm sorry, I-I should probably go. I don't want your aunt to be upset on her happiest day." Karen moved to walk past him, but the former SEAL reached out his hand, lightly holding onto her upper arm.

He wanted answers, needed them now or the whirlwind that was his mind would eat him up and he didn't know when he'd crash down and think straight again. "Why would he ask that of you?"

"He never wanted kids, wanted his career and a trophy wife so he could fuck his lovers at work." She sniveled, still not meeting his eyes. Before the pregnancy it was easy to talk about her ex without batting an eyelash, but now the hormones made her go from happy go lucky to crawling under a rock and crying her eyes out. Red blotches formed on her skin and she raised her hand to discreetly wipe away the tears that streamed down her face.

Steve saw the movement, knowing that her past relationship had hurt her deeply. Still he trusted her enough to tell him these things, even if the pregnancy wasn't the best timing. "I thought I made it clear that you could always talk to me, no matter what it is."

"I wanted to, so many times, but then I always heard his voice in the back of my head, telling me I wasn't good enough, that I was crazy to even consider wanting that child, that you would leave me, that I'd be"

Her lips trembled as he pulled her into his arms, sealing his own over hers. He could taste the salt of her tears in the kiss, hoping that he'd put enough of his feelings into it to tell her he'd never leave before they broke apart. "You want to know what I thought about before I joined you on the lanai? I thought that I'd ask you to move in with me, something not even Catherine accomplished before she left. And I also thought that one day I'd marry you and have little yous and mes."

A choked laugh left her lips as Steve's hand raised her head again to look into her eyes. They had been standing outside in the garden of the Royal Hawaiian for a while, making Danny and Aunt Deb wonder what was going on, but as they walked to the grand doors they both felt the relieved smile cross their lips. The former SEAL had pulled Karen into a tight hug, his face buried in her brunette locks and his arms gathering the smaller woman against his body. "I love you so much, Steve, I'm really sorry about everything."

"I love you, too, Kare." He murmured against her temple, his lips brushing over her skin. "Let's have a nice day tomorrow, just you and me and no cases. We'll talk about everything and what we'll do about this little mess we created."

Nodding her head, Karen stood on her tiptoes, sealing her lips with his one last time before Steve grabbed her hand and led her back to the grand room that served as reception hall for the wedding guests.

"I'd say mission accomplished, huh, Deb?"

The older woman lightly hit the blonde's arm with a smile. "I just hope they'll work it out once and for all or I'll have to get a new wig from all the hair tugging I'll be doing."

Chuckling they glanced at the reunited couple one last time before they joined the wedding guests again.