Did I ever mention how wonderful you are? Thank you so much, your reviews and messages encourage me so much. I really appreciate that. Here is another chapter. Finally they admit things are different now. Let me know if you want Part 2 of the trip and some more admitting :-)

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, not a single thing. Too bad.

I was furious. We were both starring at each other, not willing to back down, not willing to give in. This was another one of the stupid fights we had lately, and I doubted that he knew what it was even about. I didn´t know for sure. All this tension between us lately only ended in either hot, steamy, hungry sex or in a stupid fight like this.

Now granted, we were still in his bedroom, both naked, the sweat on our bodies not dried yet, and we were fighting. Maybe I should laugh about this, taking the upper hand. But I felt unable to shake off the feelings that kept me going. I wasn´t able to step back, I just wanted to push his boundaries and see how far I could push him before he snapped.

"You really wanna ruin leave?" he hissed, his eyes burning inside me and his whole body taut and rigid. We were sitting in his bed, I hugged his sheet to my naked body, trying to hide myself.

"Me? I don´t wanna ruin anything! You´re the one who just turned great sex into a fight!"

"Cat!" he sighed. "You went all berserk on me, I don´t even know what I said."

"Nice, now it´s my fault!" I turned, standing up and moving to the bathroom, not caring that I was naked.

"Don´t turn your back on me!" his voice rose and for a second I was thinking about returning and just kissing him to keep him from talking. I knew that I had to leave the room, if I didn´t want to say something I might regret later. This has gotten out of hand and I didn´t feel comfortable. It was like walking on thin ice, when the next step could break the ice and make you drown in cold water. There were way too many emotions boiling below the surface on both sides.

"Steve, this is ridiculous! I´m gonna take a shower right now and try to calm down. I suggest you do the same thing." I closed the door behind me and sighed heavily. My blood was boiling inside me and I felt like hitting something. Hard.

Steve McGarrett was the only person on this planet who was able to push my bottons to make me explode within a second. And I was mad at myself for allowing him this power over me. I stepped into the shower, letting the water calm me down. With my eyes closed I allowed the water to wash away my anger until I was myself again. Well, nearly myself. The anger might be gone, but the feelings were still gleaming below the surface.

When I left the shower and dried myself of, I hoped he had calmed down as well. I didn´t want to fight with him. This whole thing had started because... I don´t know why it started but I realized during the fight, that it was easier to focus on my anger and on the urge to distance myself from him, than explore the feelings inside me.

I put on a pair of white shorts and a black tank top, putting my hair up in a messy bun. Looking at myself in the mirror, I was surprised how young and innocent I looked. My skin was flushed from the shower and my eyes seemed huge. I opened the door of the bathroom and relief flooded through me when I found the room empty.

Going downstairs I saw Steve standing on the porch, dressed in only a pair of jeans, his back to me, his muscles taut under his tanned skin. I stopped, looked at him and drew in a deep breath. He was beautiful, powerful and just... just Steve. I didn´t want to be fighting with him.

"Hey sailor." I whispered when I stepped outside. He didn´t turn, but tensed more if that was even possible. I stepped behind him, wrapping my arms around him and pressing my lips against his shoulder.

"Cat," His hand covered mine. "I´m sorry." he whispered and I felt the tension leave his body.

"I´m sorry too. I don´t want to fight." I said, leaning my cheek against his back, enjoying the feeling of his skin against mine.

"We´re fighting a lot lately..." he said and I felt a strange feeling of fear.

"I know."

"Why?"

"I don´t know." I whispered, feeling my eyes tear up. I didn´t want to loose him. Somehow I felt like all this fighting was driving a wedge between us.

Steve turned around, framing my face with his fingers and brushing off the tears, that I didn´t even realized I was crying. My arms circled his waist and I leaned against him.

"I´m not gonna end this just because we are fighting, Cat. If this is your way to push me away, I´m not gonna let you. If you wanna leave, leave. But you´ll have to say it." he whispered. A sob escaped me and I leaned my face into his chest, kissing his warm skin.

"I won´t leave." I promised.

"Then talk to me." he urged and I felt him shiver when my fingers started to move over his back.

"I don´t know how." I admitted.

"What do you want me to do, Cat?" he asked and I heard the question in his voice. He didn´t know how to handle this, how to handle us. He was just as helpless as I was in this situation.

"Just hold me." I said and sighed when his arms pulled me closer. I don´t know for how long we stood there, holding each other, not speaking a word. I didn´t want to talk, all that mattered right now was feeling him.

"I don´t know what happened earlier... I don´t even know what this was about." I started to talk, knowing that he´d listen to me, waiting for me to start. "I´m happy to be here, I was so looking forward to being here with you. When I was gone, I missed you. I found myself thinking about you so many times. And that was unnerving. I need to focus on my job, Steve. Other people´s life´s are depending on me doing my job!" I sighed, when he lifted one hand to my neck, sliding it under my hair and gently began to massage my neck.

"I am not handling this very well. I mean, you and I... we weren´t meant to be here. It should have been sex and a great time. But... I don´t know what happened." I knew I was ranting, mumbling and not really making sense but somehow Steve got me.

"You regret it?" he asked gently and I lifted my head, meeting his eyes.

"No." I said, realizing that this one word held more confidence than anything else I´ve said today.

"You wanna end it?" I heard the slight tremble in his voice and I tiptoed to place a small kiss on his lips.

"No." Again, my voice made clear that I didn´t want to run away. Probably I should, but I couldn´t make myself.

"I don´t regret a single moment with you, Cat." His lips touched mine and I forgot everything else. There was so much warmth and tenderness around me, I felt safe in his arms and I knew that I wanted to stay like this forever.

"Maybe we should both start to accept that things have changed." I heard him whisper and tightened my arms around him.

"Yeah, maybe. But then what?"

"I don´t know, Cat. Why don´t we find that out?"

I was staring at the wall of my small cabin on board the USS Enterprise, remembering that moment. Steve was right, things had changed, even more so after we acknowledged it. I couldn´t put it into words and neither could he, but there was a new understanding, a new closeness between us. And I wasn´t scared. For the first time I wasn´t scared to allow it and to see where it would take us to.

It´s been 4 weeks since my ship left Pearl Harbour and it felt like forever already. It´s been very busy, leaving me nearly no time to miss him. When I returned to my cabin I would slide under the covers and fall asleep immediately. I welcomed that routine, because missing him was the worst feeling. Being busy didn´t mean I didn´t think of him, because I did. Ever morning when I woke up. During the day. And usually his face was my last thought before giving in to sleep.

I laughed at myself silently. I sounded like a pathetic novel writer in one of those stories about the big, undying and never ending love that would make a couple overcome everything, even death. I didn´t really believe in that. At least I didn´t until I met Steve. Being with him reassured me that those deep, genuine feelings that said novels were portraying might really exist and all it took was a brave woman to allow it.

I wasn´t sure if I was there yet, but I knew for sure that I wouldn´t want to find out how life would be without him. Going slow and giving it time was a good suggestion, I felt like we both needed time to adjust to the new situation. Of course the situation wasn´t really new because we felt like this for a long time already. But acknowledging it and voicing it made it real. We couldn´t take the words back. It was like we opened a door now that we couldn´t close. All we had to do was being brave enough to walk through that door to actually find out what was lying behind it.

The soft vibration of my cell pulled me out of my thoughts and with a smile I saw that it was Steve.

"Hello sailor." I said.

"Hello Sunshine. How are you?" I heard the smile in his voice.

"Tired. It´s been hell so far, but I think this time it won´t take me 3 months to come back."

"Not getting my hopes up here for now, but I damn sure hope you´re right."

"So, how are you? Everything okay over there? Or do you call because you need me to do you another favor?" I teased. Actually it´s been months since he last asked for a favor. Whenever he called now it was strictly private and I was looking forward to his next call already as soon as we hung up.

"No favor this time, Cat. I wanted to hear your voice." I missed him so much at that moment.

"I miss you." I whispered.

"I miss you too. This place feels empty without you. Now, that is if Danny isn´t over of course." I heard him chuckle.

"I´m glad things are okay over there. You didn´t get hurt lately, did you?"

"Nah, I´m fine." I groaned.

"How badly?" I asked and I heard him sigh.

"Not bad. Just a scratch when I hit a brick wall. It´s okay, really."

"You wouldn´t tell me if it was the other way."

"No need to worry, Cat. I´m okay, really."

"I can´t remember how many times you´ve told me that since I know you. Usually that means that you´re shot and in a hospital."

"Not this time, I´m working actually, still doing paperwork."

"I guess if you were hurt badly, Danny wouldn´t allow you to come to work."

"Hey, I don´t need Danny´s allowance!" he pouted.

"Right."

"Anyway, I was calling to ask you if you still want to go on this boat trip with me." he changed the subject.

"I´d love to do that. A boat, the water, sun and a hot, sexy Navy SEAL at my service. You don´t think I would miss that, do you?" My words made him laugh out loud and I loved the sound.

"I hope I can live up to your expectations, Lieutenant."

"Better work on your stamina than, Commander."

"Is that a challenge?"

"No, just a well-meant advice. I have no doubt though that you´ll be able to keep up with me."

"I plan to do so."

We talked for another few minutes and then ended the call. He whispered "Can´t wait to have you back." before the line went silent and I smiled, until sleep claimed me.

It took me 3 more weeks until I was back in Pearl. Leaving the ship in casual shorts and a tank top felt like heaven. I had been wearing my uniform for a long time, so wearing civil clothes again felt great. I had told Steve when I´d arrive and he promised me to pick me up, since my car had died shortly before I left.

I grabbed my back and headed towards the gate, saluting to another officer on my way. And when I lifted my eyes again, I saw him. Leaning casually against his black truck, wearing shorts and a white T-Shirt and a huge smile on his face. I felt my heart skip a beat and then beat again, just a bit faster. His tanned skin an intriguing contrast to the white shirt. His muscles moved under the shirt. That sexy smile, the look in his eyes. He was mine for the next few days. No cells, no computer, no 5-0 and no Navy. Just him and I. On a boat.

I quickly signed the papers at the gate.

"Hello Beautiful." He whispered when I went through the gate and approached him. I dropped my bag and found myself in his arms. I tiptoed and kissed him, feeling calmness wash over me. His kiss was gentle, more a tease than a kiss and I couldn´t help but want more. When we broke apart, his hands framed my face and his gaze held mine.

"Welcome home, Commander." Another soft kiss.

"Hello sailor. What a great welcome."

"You´re ready to go?" he asked.

"Hell, yeah!" We laughed. He grabbed my back, threw it onto the backseat and opened the door for me, helping me in. He was such a gentleman, caring and thoughtful. I loved that about him.

When he got behind the wheel, he turned to me and smiled. Oh boy. It should have been illegal to look so sexy. I planned on having my way with him as soon as we got onto that boat. 2 months of absence were just too much to let me be patient.

"Ready?" he asked again.

"Hurry sailor. We have some catch up to do." I teased him. Steve laughed, but the look in his eyes told me that I wouldn´t be getting much sleep tonight. Not that I wanted to, all I could think of was having my way with him.

We talked about the past weeks during the drive to the marina. And when Steve parked the car and grabbed my bag, he reached for my hand. I shivered inside. This little gesture was cute and usually I would make a joke or something about behaving like a teenager. But not this time. This time I just smiled at him and enjoyed.

The boat was a beautiful, a 30 feet yacht in shining white that was softly dancing on the waves of the marina. Steve had stopped here earlier, stuffing the galley with food and wine, ice cream and some exotic fruits. He dropped my bag in the master bedroom.

"Wanna shower quickly while I get us offshore?" I nodded, kissed him quickly and disappeared into the bathroom. After a quick shower I pinned up my hair and chose a white, short dress that fell to the middle of my thighs. I didn´t bother on wearing panties, I knew I wouldn´t be wearing them for long. And this way I could tease him a bit more.

When I got on deck, I saw him standing there, steering the yacht through the dark blue water. The sight was breath taking. He had gotten rid of his shirt and was standing behind the large wheel, dressed only in his shorts, legs spread and strong hands gripping the wheel. The sun was slowly going down and the warm light bathed him in the last shafts of sunlight. He was beautiful.

"Hi sexy." I said, approaching him and stepping into his arms. He pulled me close and kissed me gently, one hand still on the steering wheel.

"Hi beautiful... Mmmmm... I love this dress." I pressed myself against him closer, letting him feel my body under the soft silk.

"That´s why I brought it with me." With a moan he deepened his kiss, his tongue sliding into my mouth, teasingly and playing with mine.

"How about you take over for a minute?" he suggested a moment later, his voice husky and then he placed my hand on the wheel. "I´ll be right back." Not waiting for my reply, he disappeared into the galley. I lifted my head to the sun, feeling its warmth on my skin. The soft wind was cooling my skin down and the air was salty and clean. I loved being on a boat and this was way better than the USS Enterprise.

A few minutes later Steve came back, a bottle of champagne in one hand and two champagne flutes in the other, smiling at me. I killed the engine, anchoring the yacht and then I walked towards him slowly. He had poured us a glass, handed me one and then toasted me. His gaze was intense and never left my face.

"To us." he said, his voice a tad lower and darker, making me shiver with anticipation.

"To us." I agree and when the cool drink sparkled down my throat, my mind already focussed on having my way with him.