I think you guys are really going to like this chapter ;)

I knew that Steve was sad. There was a part of his usual happy self that was missing, and I knew it was because of Joe. Steve didn't sleep well anymore, and I would sometimes lie on the floor beside his bed watching him look at me. He didn't call me over, but he didn't say anything either. I started bringing him Catherine's hoodie in hopes that it would make him feel better, but he would just stare at that too. Sometimes he cried. Sometimes he didn't. Then, he started going away for a few nights at a time. Every time he returned, I smelled something familiar on him, but he cleaned himself too fast so I couldn't properly smell who he had been with, if he had been with anybody. It didn't make sense to me at all. Where was he going? I noticed he started to sleep better lasted for a while until one day, Steve stopped going out, but he seemed okay. I didn't know what happened.

...

I was staring at this thing in front of my face, and I couldn't believe my eyes. Was Steve mad at me? Was he punishing me? Was I not comforting him enough?

"Wow," Danno was saying. "I expected a big fight."

"Yea, this is unexpected," Steve agreed.

I stared at the cat, and it stared back. It was like it was taunting me, trying to get me to react. Well, I could play Keep Still longer. We stared at each other.

"So, if I'm the cat, then you're the dog," Danno was saying. "And cats are smarter than dogs, so..."

"No way," Steve argued. I agreed with Steve. I was much, much smarter than a cat. And what kind of name was Mr. Pickles anyway?

Hey! Where are you going? I jumped to my feet as the cat ran off towards my food dish. He stared at me, hovering.

You wouldn't dare. I stared back.

"Hey! No, not Eddie's food," Steve was saying behind me.

The cat dove into my food. I barked. Then it was on.

"Eddie, Eddie, Eddie!" Steve was shouting. "Eddie, no!"

I managed to catch that cat and picked it up with my mouth.

"Eddie! Put the cat down!"

I looked up when he came into the kitchen. Mr. Pickles was hanging by his collar in my teeth and looking at Steve too.

"Eddie," Steve said, his tone a warning. I backed up slowly as he approached. The cat started to squirm, making it harder to hang onto him.

"Oh yea," Danno said as he came in behind Steve. "This is gonna work great."

"If you'd just take the cat..."

"I am not taking the cat."

"Then help me," Steve ordered. It was becoming a game now. I watched as Danno went around the other side. They thought they were gonna grab me. The cat meowed in protest.

Well, what did you expect after touching my food? I snorted.

"Easy, easy," Steve said.

No, it wasn't going to be easy. Sorry. He lunged. I bolted. Danno almost had my back leg, but he missed. I skittered across the floor, cat still in my mouth. I was gonna take him to the trash where he belonged.

"Eddie!"

He's never going to learn the difference between when I'm listening to him and not listening to him. I found the nearest trash can and dropped the cat inside of it.

"Ha! He's telling you the cat is garbage," Danno laughed. I grinned. Of course I was!

"Eddie, come on," Steve said, picking up the cat from the garbage can. The cat did his best to look as wounded and upset as he could, but I could tell he was gloating inside at the attention he was getting. I was very jealous when Steve cuddled the cat and kissed it. It was a demon cat. Why was I the only one who could see that?

"You two have to get along," Steve ordered. "Mr. Pickles is your brother now."

Pfft. As if. He looked nothing like me, and he was a demon. I was not a demon. Big difference.

"Well, have fun," Danno said, still laughing.

"Yea, yea," Steve muttered back. He went off with the cat in his arms. Danno looked at me and tossed me a treat, which I inhaled.

"You're still my favorite," Danno told me, rubbing my head affectionately before leaving. At least I was still someone's favorite.

...

One day, Steve took me to the park, and Noelani was there. She smelled very sad. She smelled the way Steve had smelled after Joe had died. He didn't smell as strongly sad now, but it was still there a little. Her sad smell was very strong. I was surprised at this. Any other time I was with her, she smelled happy.

"Hey," Steve said, sitting down beside her on the bench. I sat by their feet, tongue lolling.

"You're sweet," Noelani said. "But I'm okay."

"A day with Eddie will help," Steve promised. "He's been there for me since Joe."

She reached to pet me, and I rested my head on her knee. She did need me. I could tell.

"Okay," she agreed. Steve bent to pat me goodbye.

"Be good," he ordered.

I'm always good. For the most part.

When he was gone, Noelani looked at me.

"What do you wanna do?" she asked.

Walk?

"Let's go for a walk," she said on cue.

Noelani was so smart.

...

My day with Noelani had lots of tears and some laughter. She smelled a bit happier when Steve came to pick me up.

"See?" he said, noticing too. "What did I tell you?"

"He's amazing," Noelani said. "Maybe I should get a dog."

"I don't know what I'd do without him," Steve said. I felt proud. Steve did need me still. Take that, cat.

"Thank you," she went on. "I feel better."

"Anytime. Just call."

"I will."

Steve let me into the truck then, and I sat in the front with him, still feeling proud. I loved helping people. It was one of my main purposes. Steve reached over to pet me as he drove.

"Good job," he said to me.

It was a very good job.

When we pulled into the driveway, I saw her first.

Catherine! I barked. Catherine, Catherine, Catherine!

Steve finally saw her too, and he froze for a moment. I pawed at the door. Let me out, let me out, let me out!

Steve got out first, and he went over to her. This was so unfair. I was stuck in the truck! Steve!

I watched them hug. My ears perked. They still were not licking faces, but something about that hug seemed different. I finally found the stick that opened the door, and I pulled on it with my teeth. It worked! I was free! I jumped down and bounded over to them. I was so happy to see Catherine. I thought my tail was gonna fall off from wagging so hard.

"Hey, you," she said, bending to love me all over.

"I got a new addition to the family recently," Steve told her.

"Oh?"

"Yea. Mr. Pickles."

"Who?!"

Steve laughed and let us inside. The cat was sitting on the couch, tail twitching. There was something about that twitch that drove me nuts. I went over to teach him some manners when Steve caught my collar and held me back.

"They're still not quite getting along," he explained.

"A cat and a dog not getting along. Hmm," Catherine smiled. I tugged free and went back to stand beside Catherine. The cat could have Steve, but Catherine was mine. Pickles showed no interest anyway. Not yet. He'd strike when I least expected it. I just knew it.

"So, what are you doing here?" Steve asked. "I mean...I thought...after we..."

"I know," she cut him off. I was very interested in this conversation. What were they talking about? "We" what? What had they done? Then, I stilled. I sensed something. I looked at Catherine standing there, and I went over to her closer.

"Is Junior here?" she asked.

"No. He's out."

"Okay. Good. We, uh, we need to talk."

I recognize that smell. I perked my ears, staring at her midsection. Something was going on here.

"Sure," Steve said. They went to sit side by side on the couch but not touching. I sat in front of Catherine, still staring at her. Something...shifted...inside of her. I sensed it.

"What's up?" he asked. I lurched to my feet! I got it!

"I'm pregnant," Catherine blurted out.

Yes! A puppy! I knew it! Well, not exactly a puppy. Humans don't have puppies. They have babies.

I whined and pushed my head against her legs. Was she having a mini Steve? Had they been seeing each other? Wait, was that where Steve had been going all those times?! That's the familiar smell I smelled on him! It was her!

"You...you...you're pregnant?" Steve repeated. The shock smell was just rolling off of him.

"Yes," she nodded.

"We were so careful..."

"I guess not," she laughed a little. She smelled nervous.

"Wow," Steve said, his hand against his mouth. "I'm just...wow."

"I know. I was just like you when I found out."

"How long...?"

"Doctor says I'm about six weeks along. I suspected but wanted to make sure before I came here."

"And it's...?"

"Definitely yours," she finished for him. I was so happy. I was a little annoyed that Steve hid the fact he was seeing her from me, but aside from that, I was sooooo happy! Me bringing him her hoodie all the time must have given him the idea. I was definitely taking credit for this. I helped them get back together!

"I don't know what to say," Steve admitted.

"Are you upset?" Catherine asked.

"No! No, no, no," he assured her. "I'm just...shocked."

"I'm keeping him, Steve," Catherine said.

"Him? It's only been six weeks, and you know the gender?" Steve asked, surprised.

"I just know," Catherine smiled. "The baby is a McGarrett baby. He'll be a boy." Steve chuckled.

"I am on board with your decision," Steve said after a bit. Catherine fidgeted with her fingers. She still smelled nervous. I wasn't sure why, though. Steve was happy about the baby.

"It...it doesn't have to change anything about us," she finally said.

"What do you mean?"

I looked back and forth between them. They were making a mini Steve/Catherine together. They'd be together, right?

"Well, we agreed to stop seeing each other because...," Catherine started.

"Because I thought you wanted to keep working for the CIA. I didn't want to interfere with that," Steve finished.

"Right. Well, that's gonna change," she said, putting her hand on her abdomen.

"You're leaving the CIA?"

"Yes. I'm not endangering the baby."

"Are you coming back here?"

"I already have an apartment."

"You can stay here..." Steve began.

"No, no," she shook her head. "You have Junior here, and I'm not quite ready for everyone to know just yet."

"Okay. I guess I understand," Steve said, scratching his head.

I didn't understand. Catherine needed to live with us and be in our pack.

"I just don't want a thousand questions before we even know what we're doing," Catherine explained.

"So what are we doing?" Steve prompted.

Yea, what are you guys doing? I whined.

"Does he need to go out?" Catherine asked.

"No. He is very attached to you for some reason. It started the day he found your hoodie in my closet."

"I thought he was extra affectionate towards me," Catherine smiled, petting me.

Stop talking about me and get back to talking about your mating! I huffed. Steve looked at Catherine, and she looked back at him.

"I love you, Catherine," Steve told her. "I never stopped."

Was she crying? I didn't understand. She didn't smell sad.

"I love you too," she said, teary. "And now we're having a baby. I'm just overwhelmed."

"I get it."

"I just...I don't want us to just be together because we're having a baby," she went on.

"No, Catherine," Steve said. "That's not why we'd be together. It's a happy coincidence, but I've always believed that one way or another, we were supposed to be together. We just...fell apart for a little while, that's all. I still love you, and you still love me. It's gonna work."

Yes, yes, yes! I love where this is going. Come on, now, lick faces!

"What if we fall apart again?" Catherine asked.

No, I wouldn't let it fall apart.

"It's not my intention to ever let that happen, but we can't predict the future," Steve reasoned. He took Catherine's hand in his and held it tightly. I rested my head on both of their knees. Mr. Pickles yawned with boredom. I couldn't understand why he was so bored. There was something really exciting happening right now!

"Okay," she said after what felt like forever.

"Okay?" he repeated, smiling wide.

"Okay," she said again, laughing. I jumped back when Steve dove in to lick her face.

YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

I jumped around, barking. Catherine was in our pack! She was finally in our pack! I jumped on both of them, licking both of their faces.

"Eddie!" Steve laughed, pulling back from Catherine to pet my face roughly but affectionately.

I love you, I love you, I love you. I wagged my tail. I love you both.

"You weren't kidding when you said he is attached to me," Catherine joked. Ooohhh the scratches she gave me. They were amazing! Steve licked her face again, and I knew where I wasn't wanted. I went over to the cat, who gave me a look of disdain. The demon had no idea what just happened. Honestly. He hissed at me when I went to sniff him. I backed off and went over to my bed. After a while, Catherine stood to leave.

Wait, what?

"I'll see you later," she told Steve. "Is it okay that we keep this between us just for a little while?"

"Sure," he agreed. They hugged and licked one last time before she left. Steve shut the door and leaned against it, grinning at me. He was very happy, I could tell. I was glad to see him this happy.

"It's our secret, buddy," he said to me.

I liked having good secrets. I wouldn't tell anyone.

Okay, so I know you're all probably surprised at how out of the blue this was, but I didn't want anyone guessing what I was doing or where I was taking this story, so I kept it covert until now when I could reveal it ;) Thanks for reading!