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Danny knew something was off immediately after Melissa walked into his house. He had expected Lynn would be with her, he thought they'd be doing the double date thing. To his knowledge, the date was still on, and besides, he was the one mad at Steve. He and Steve had not made up, but they put their personal shit aside for the sake of work. Steve drove himself, and Junior and Danny drove alone or with Lou and Tani. He'd missed rides with Steve, but he never realized how funny Lou and Tani's banter was; they gave Steve and Danny a run for their money.

"Did Lynn get lost in the mall? Or is date night canceled?" Melissa just stares at her boyfriend like he's an imbecile. For a second she thinks he's being a dick, but then she realizes he didn't know. She recalled he'd had an enormous fight with Steve, but figured they'd work through it as they always did. Melissa wants to tell him that 'yes the date is canceled because he broke up with Lynn and is fucking that whore,' but again she wants no issues with Catherine. Melissa was Brooklyn tough, Catherine was assassin/spy tough. Even Catherine's grip had bruised her arm.

"The date's canceled; talk to Steve."

"Ok. Do you wanna do anything tonight then? Maybe go somewhere special, like the Hilton?" He's hugging her waist, he doesn't need a fight with his girlfriend right now, and she seems to be in a mood.

"Ooh, the Hilton. As long as you're fine with seeing Rachel there; her boyfriend's dinner is tonight at the restaurant." Danny instantly becomes still as a stone; he doesn't want to react because that will piss Melissa off, but inside he's trying not to blow a gasket. He remembers hearing Grace talk about a dinner her mother was excited for, but he didn't connect the dots.

"I'm fine with that, but let's not. She'll think I did that on purpose and it'll become this whole thing." Good save, Danno, good save. There are tons of restaurants in Hawaii, and he'd choose anywhere where he didn't have to watch Rachel fawn over another man. Danny thought of himself as the mildly jealous type, but he knew how Rachel loved making birthdays a big deal and he wasn't in a place to see her do that with someone else.

Rachel, meanwhile, was excited to attend her boyfriend's dinner. Really to do anything that got her mind of Daniel. Seeing Melissa had made her think about the few weeks he'd been on a break and how he'd sneak into the house after the children had gone to bed, make love to her, and leave before they got up. Those weeks had been perfect, Danny was so thoughtful and loving; she thought that maybe their family would be whole. When he had gotten back with Melissa, it had crushed her. She hadn't even heard it from him; Grace had told her. It took everything for her not to burst into tears when Grace had interrupted her daydream (one about the sex she and her ex-husband had had that very morning) by telling her that "Danno needs you to have Charlie tonight, he's surprising Melissa with a romantic evening – gross, and I am going on a date with Will. I think Danno will call you about it, but I wanted to give you a head's up, Mom."

That night once she had put Charlie to bed, she downed a bottle of wine, and drunkenly called him. He hadn't answered, and it enraged her, so she hung up and didn't speak to him for months. That first week, she didn't even wait by the door to say hello, the kids went outside, and she watched from the peephole as they got into the car. Silly Rachel, she'd thought. Falling for her ex-husband again, just to be dumped. She had encouraged his restaurant dream because owning a restaurant was safer than being a cop and even if the restaurant failed; she had money to sustain the family.

Catherine noticed Rachel's mood had dampened and only one thing could possibly be ruining an otherwise pleasant day. "Stop thinking about him, Rach. Live in the moment." She gave Rachel a big hug. Catherine had decided there was going to be no tears over Danny and Steve for the night.

"Thank you." Rachel snapped out of her mood and into a different one. "Catherine, I have to ask you something. What on Earth got into you today? I know you're a super-agent and can kick my ass, but why did you snap on Lynn and Melissa?"

Wow. Rachel's questions floored Catherine; she knew her behavior was extreme, she'd been upset, but out of line is out of line. She didn't want to tell Rachel what she would have done had Rachel not been in the store, but she did know civilians often did not conduct themselves in public n that demeanor. "Something in me snapped. I'm so tired of Lynn and Melissa was collateral damage. I've been trying so hard not sleep with Steve, not to rock the boat with anyone from 5-O, and being calm, but I couldn't take it anymore. I know I shouldn't let words get to me, but I've literally killed people for less." Rachel shuddered at that. "It was a joke, Rachel, relax." It wasn't, but it would make her friend feel better, and sure enough, Rachel brightened.

"I think you should apologize. I don't want any trouble with Melissa or Danny."

"You won't have any trouble. Melissa and I have an understanding. Melissa and I are similar, she doesn't take any shit, and neither do I. Her talking to Danny would create something she doesn't want or need. Don't worry; I read people's attitudes for a living in life and death decisions, she's good."

"Is that your polite way of telling me you're not apologizing?"

"Yes." Catherine smiles back at Rachel.

"You have such a soft voice and sweet face it's hard to imagine you're quite deadly when you want to be, my dear."

"It's all a part of my charm."

"Ah, that's it."

Catherine picks up her bag and gives Rachel a kiss on the head before she readies to leave. She needs to get dressed for tonight's dinner. She has no idea if Steve is at her place or gone; he's been texting her since she's left, wanting to know when she'll be free, what she was doing, that he loved her and missed her already. Steve was so loving when he wasn't in a mood, and she responded to his caring text in kind.

When she gets home, she's a little surprised Steve's still there. He seems to have done some minor repairs that she'd been putting off and he'd cleaned. Her place was far from dirty, but Steve liked his things a certain way and apparently her things too. Control freak.

She finds him in her bedroom reading one of her books only in his boxers. Her cat on his lap.

"Well hello, sailor. I see you've made some changes." She goes to him and kisses him, pats her cat. It's so domestic she wants to cry. She's considering calling Rachel and telling her she can't make the dinner, but it's her partner's birthday and he's her close friend. She can't do that to her partner or her best friend though. Once she reaches her side of the bed and plops down, Steve's expert hands are on her shoulders massaging them.

"Hard day at the mall?" He says sarcastically looking at her plethora of bags. "Yes, hard day at the mall. Spent too much money." She pouts. Her phone buzzes and she sees that she needs to start getting ready, she sighs.

"Want me to relieve your stress, Lieutenant? I've heard I have that effect."

"Commander you have the literal opposite effect." He laughs, he's missed hearing that she's been gone for five hours, way too long for him.

"Steve, as much as I am enjoying this and God, I am, I need to get up." Her head falls a little, and he rests his head in the crook of her neck, breathing her scent.

She goes into the bathroom and starts the shower, she comes back out and unpacks her shopping bags. Steve's grinning devilishly looking at the lingerie, the bedroom props, and the makeup. He's excited for the night he thinks is in store. A night of lovemaking is long overdue.

"Sailor, I have dinner plans tonight, you're more than welcome to stay here until I get back, but if you have things to do at your place, I understand." He's confused; she'd already been gone for a portion of the day, he thought he'd have her to himself tonight.

"Oh. I mean how late are you going to be out? I guess I can order in or grab a pizza." He's bummed, and she can tell.

"I don't know, this crowd is pretty rowdy, so I might be out late. I'd rather be here cuddling with you, but this is important to Rachel, and I cannot let her down."

"So, what's this thing that you're 'choosing' over me?"

"Steve."

"Catherine."

"Fine, it's my partner's birthday. Rachel and him have sort of been seeing each other. Some co-workers, friends and I are doing dinner and drinks."

"So, I guess there's no plus ones at this exclusive event, huh?" He doesn't understand why she wouldn't tell him about this beforehand. He would have gotten dressed and schmoozed with her co-workers if she'd have asked.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to come, Sailor."

"What? Are you ashamed of me?" He asks sarcastically, but she knows that under that sarcasm there's genuine fear that she is, he's been anxious to talk to her and figure out what they were to each other now. This afternoon he'd been sure they were back together, but with each hour she was gone and didn't tell him everything, he got more anxious they weren't on the same page.

"No, Steve, I am not ashamed of you. My partner happens to be close to Scott; Scott will be there, and I just think it'd be easier if the two of you weren't in the same room." What the fuck was she talking about? Scott would be at this party, and she didn't want him to be there?

"Do you want out of this thing, Catherine? Because I will leave. Why would I let my girlfriend be at a party with her ex without me?"

"Let?"

"Don't start with the semantics, Cath!" He's up now, getting dressed, pissed.

"This is why I didn't want to tell you! I knew you'd overreact!"

"I'd overreact?! This isn't even close to me overreacting."

"Steve, I don't want to be with Scott. I know he will be there, but that doesn't mean anything's going to happen. You're just going to have to trust me on that one." She crosses the room to put her hands-on Steve's chest, he waves her off and runs his hands through his hair. His mind is going a mile a minute.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's what you told, Scott."

"Steve. That wasn't fair, that was mean." He's not sorry he said it.

"Well, I guess I have no choice, no say in this. I guess you won't mind me going on the dinner date with Lynn, Danny, and Melissa that was planned for tonight."

"Do whatever you want, Steve." She's frustrated with him, and he's pushing her to the limit. She didn't think he'd be happy, but this is childish.

"I will. It's not like we're together anyways."

"We aren't. At least not, officially." Oops. That was definitely the wrong choice of words, even if it was true. Steve looks like she punched him in the stomach. Her words knocked the air out of him. He turns abruptly and walks out.

Catherine can't deal with Steve right now. She returns to her now scalding shower and gets dressed. She'll text him in a few hours once he's cooled off a little. This fight was unnecessary. He should trust her, if she wanted to be with Scott, she's sure that could happen, but she has no interest in him. Steve's trust issues, jealousy, and insecurity were going to stop this relationship before it even began.