The next couple of days I followed orders to the letter and on the final afternoon of me being able to handle these four walls the doctor came in with good news; I was getting home but with some strong painkillers and orders to watch my temperature again. The results were due back tomorrow due to being sent to the USAMRIID for analysis and identification - we were hoping it was just a mutated version of a common bacteria and nothing created in a lab. I was wheeled out of the hospital and helped out into the Chevy that was parked opposite the main doors, Steve got me belted in and was handed the script for my painkillers and told to get me into bed and to give the last injection tonight so I would sleep; he nodded and we headed to the pharmacy first then the long awaited sight of home and the beach.
I had refused to go to bed since it was only 6pm and had slipped on a light dress and headed to the back garden to sit on the rocks and watch the sea, I needed a few moments to myself to say goodbye to those in my dream; to those I hoped would be real one day soon. My arm was strapped to my stomach at the shoulder and wrist, I wasn't happy about it but I could deal with it as needed; least it wasn't my main shooting arm! I heard footsteps behind me and the clink of bottles, Steve sat down beside me in his shorts and handed me a beer; I hadn't had painkillers yet and this was a one off as I relaxed and got back into focus.
"I was thinking of a holiday for us both, once Kono and Chin are back on their feet – somewhere we could relax for a few days without interruption, explore and recoup our energy?" he whispered as he pulled me into him.
"Sounds like a plan Commander, one I am definitely game for – where did you have planned?" I inquired as I got myself comfortable leaning on his chest.
He had a quick drink of his beer and nuzzled my neck before answering.
"Thought you may like to go home for a while, I wouldn't mind going back to Scotland," he replied kissing my neck.
I stilled and looked round at him, he was all serious face and nodded – I grinned and nodded back as I tried to turn around and couldn't as he stopped me; he nodded to my shoulder and shook his head, I rolled my eyes and leaned back for a kiss on the forehead instead.
"I was thinking Pitlochry; you always told me about your hometown and how amazing the scenery was and how you could get lost in the local area just by gazing at it – I'd like to see it first hand with you!"
I grinned and turned to face him properly.
"Then we really need to go, I have a place in mind we can stay that's just outside the town and easy to walk too – we can explore the mountains and forests, see the sights and meet my friends – they would love you!" I replied.
"Then it's settled – we go when Kono and Chin are well enough – and if we make it by September, the highland games are on aren't they?"
"Yeah – the proper ones, not these fake English ones!" I reply laughing.
I get a really good image of Steve wearing a kilt – I actually drool!
He suddenly picks me up and I hold the two beers in my hand as he pulls me into the house and onto the couch with him, I snuggle in and after a couple of drinks I start to doze off as I am cuddled into him over his lap and his breathing is lulling me to sleep.
Two months later
We had just landed at Glasgow airport and we walked through customs and declared ourselves with no issues and so Steve could get his stamp, I rolled my eyes as he took everything in and we headed to get our bags from the carousel. Half an hour later we made it to where the rental company had a SUV ready for us and filled up with a petrol card loaded with goodies; we shoved the gear inside and I rolled my eyes again as the woman stared at Steve and nearly tripped over her tongue. Steve was desperate to drive but I shook my head and climbed onto the driver's side and started the engine up; he frowned at me and I told him he may get to drive closer to Perth.
It was only the back of 7am and both of us were starving from the near 24 hour journey we had taken to get here; Steve's stomach rumbled and we made a quick stop off at a café I knew to be good in Stirling to get some food before we made the trip up the motorway towards Perth. I was pointing out to him all the local areas, the battlefields of Stirling and Bannockburn and stopped at a layby so he could watch the deer run across the road – he was awestruck. An hour or so later we made our final pit-stop and I pulled over to take a short break and stretch out my shoulder that was newly healed, I wiggled my fingers at Steve and allowed him to swap places with me – thankfully he had driven a manual before and only after one false start, we headed off through the roads and came to Dunkeld.
"I used to play down this road when I was younger, just behind the treeline there are empty fields we could play safely in and not be disturbed for hours if we wanted to camp; at that time this was only a single track road that was normally closed in deep winter due to the snow. It's nice being back here, how are you enjoying the drive?" I whispered.
His eyes were just on the scenery as we drove downs the single road and he took in the nature around him; everything was in Technicolor for him and every shade that autumn could throw at us – it was pretty spectacular even for me. I told him to take the next right and follow the road down for about five miles, the small bridge into Pitlochry was busy as ever and he followed my instructions to get to the cottage a friend had said we could use that was on private land close to the forest. We made a quick stop at the shops first and picked up some groceries and some local meats so I could tempt him with steak for dinner, he just grinned at me and I rolled my eyes as he winked.
The cottage was actually a four room manse that was over 200 years old and thankfully had all the necessities we needed for the two week holiday; Steve set up his laptop and sent a quick email to 5-O to let them know we had arrived and hadn't been eaten by Scottish savages yet! I put everything away into the fridge and freezer and brought out a couple of bakery goodies for him to nibble on as I got the fire going in the living room. The fire was massive and centralised in the room, an old open fire that took logs and peat – within minutes the smell freshened the house and Steve came in sniffing.
"Something smells nice!" he whispered.
"Peat on the fire along with pine cones and purple heather – scents the rooms out and takes the coldness out the air; fancy a cuddle?" I said grinning.
He pulled me onto the floor and we leaned against the couch that was built into the floor and relaxed after our long journey.
We woke up later that morning and after I made some lunch for us both we decided to go for a walk into town so he could see where I was raised and what I remembered about the local place; it was only a couple of miles hike along the back road and he could see the place was getting busy with all the pipers turning up for tomorrows games in the playing field. I knew he was excited about going to see it and I had packed the two bags full of gear and charged the cameras up so he could take photos that everyone would be dying to see once we arrived back home. I took him into the town centre and showed him the layout of the place and where my family was raised and where I was born; my local hangout when I was younger and where he could go fishing if he wanted some time away by himself. His belly rumbled again and I decided to go to the butchers along the road and grab a few steaks that should keep him happy, he found the bakery section by his nose alone and came back with armfuls of goodies he wanted to try.
"Sarah is that really you?" a voice called across the floor.
I turned around and my mouth fell open as I saw my old TO from Dundee walking across to me and then enveloping me in his arms; I hugged him back and laughed as he had barely changed in the ten years since I had seen him. He stepped back to look at me and nodded in approval that I was looking fit and healthy and with a wonderful tan; he nodded his head towards Steve who was just watching us from the side lines. I beckon him over and get the two men introduced before the meeting could get awkward.
"Colour Sergeant Frank Jones, I would like you to meet Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett, Steve this is my TO from my wilder days!" I said going slightly red.
"Oh, so you're the one to blame!" Steve said taking the offered hand.
Both men were laughing and talking as I went to get things paid for and headed out the store to meet them on the pathway; Steve was getting filled in on a slightly embarrassing incident that happened during a training exercise before I was first deployed – Frank would never let that one time rest! Both men were in near fits of hysteria as I rolled my eyes at them and coughed as I threatened to tell Frank about the time Steve slipped down the hillside and smashed into a tree – he quickly pulled himself together.
"Why don't you come to the pub tonight, most of the group are here for the games and piping competition, they would be delighted to see you again – and moving to Hawaii sounds an interesting story – seems you have had a busy few years?"
"You could say that Sir, sounds like a plan for tonight – 1900?" I replied.
We said our goodbyes and headed in opposite directions as I rolled my eyes as Steve took in the site of hundreds of men in kilts and all out drinking, he knew we were a merry bunch but not quite aware of the heavy duty drinking that was involved during the games weekend. We got home about twenty minutes later and I made sure we both ate a lot so we could survive the night; I warned Steve that my old unit was a rough diamond – worse than his SEAL buddies sometimes – hell worse than the HPD Christmas party!
I wasn't wrong.
The night was amazing and it was great to see everyone again and then the drinking games began, and continued – and then I had to cart Steve home before he was arrested for breach of the peace with his singing! I dumped him on the double bed and laid out a bucket and some bottles of water for him as I made my bed on the couch.
It was the back of 7am and I had just finished heating up the porridge and bannocks from yesterday's shopping trip when I heard the sudden fall of feet off the bed running to the bathroom; I chuckled and went to eat my breakfast and watch the news. Twenty minutes or so later a very bleary eyed Steve staggered into the room and landed on the couch beside me, he was a closet cuddler when he was ill and he cuddled into me; I looked down at him and the poor soul was rough looking.
"Two options sailor, cold swim in the loch and breakfast or cold swim in the loch and a banana bag – which do you prefer?" I whispered stroking his head.
"Please make the bag pipes stop!" he groaned.
I was openly laughing as I could hear the bands doing the morning workout routines and we were a mile away from the games field, I shoved Steve out of the house and down to the loch and got a bag made up for him. He ran back into the house moments later and was shivering blue, I laughed my head off at him and he growled and went for a hot shower and to get changed. By the time 8am had arrived he was looking at lot better and had got back into his comfortable cargo pants, a t-shirt and his boots; he hadn't shaved yet as I liked the stubble across his face and he smelled of the heather soap upstairs. I put a big bowl of porridge in front of him and some bannocks, he wolfed them down and then I shoved the needle into his arm – he tensed up and looked at me.
"Give a man some warning before shoving a hat pin in him?" he growled.
"This normally goes in your ass Steve, thought I would be nice since we have a walk ahead of us and then a full day of sitting – think you could handle that and not get grumpy without this?" I replied showing him the banana bag mix.
I leaned down to kiss him and passed him a mug of coffee and went to pack the lunches into the cool bag, even putting some beer in as well so we could relax and get the full experience of the games day. Twenty minutes later we were ready to go and after locking up and making sure we had everything needed, we headed along the pathway and watched in amusement as the traffic became chaotic as the buses and cars arrived for the games. I had let him know that the mass parade normally begins at 10.30 and it's more impressive watching the bands come into the ground and the finale at the end is mind blowing. We headed down the long windy road and stopped off at the ticket booth to get our stubs and a couple of brochures for the events; I wanted Steve to fully appreciate the whole games environment and I planned on a walk later on in the afternoon before the session with the guys tonight to celebrate. We got into the grounds and I pointed out the main areas he would need to know and we headed up to make our seats in the stands cut into the earth, I always loved to choose the seats and loved chasing my sister and cousin up and down the wonky stairs. I got us half way up and got settled for the long haul and looked up over my favourite hill in the background; the tree was still there – a silent piper on the hill keeping watch on the games every year.
"Pretty spectacular views, how many people normally turn up?" he inquired.
"Spectators are normally around 3-4000, bands about 1000 and the local TA cadets and medics about another 200 people – sometimes more sometimes less. There are about thirty bands this year so the mass parade is going to be pretty spectacular!" I replied grinning.
"I'm going to have a headache with the pipes later aren't i?" he whispered kissing me.
"Maybe I have a cure for that Commander!" I replied leaning in.
The games were great as usual.
He was amazed at everything he saw, joked at what looked like torture tools being thrown by guys in kilts and nearly freaked out on a wasp as it tried to eat his cake – that had me in hysterics as he swatted it and got stung several times for his trouble. I eventually killed the wasp and poured some whiskey on his hand to stop it itching, his stomach turned slightly at the smell since he was probably still a little hung over from last night. He was taking loads of photos of everything that was happening around him and some of me as I met people I knew and hadn't seen in years, happy memories coming back as some of my old squad made a surprise visit and whisked us into the beer tent for a few drinks. It was a great time and we agreed to meet up after dinner at the pub, I could see Steve looking pale and I promised him that we would be gentler this time around since he had acted valiantly last night!
I had managed to book us a table at the local restaurant and made him eat up whatever he was wanting, the occasional grin across his face and I flushed red; we managed to pay the bill and headed to the pub hand in hand, back against wall and nearly arrested by the squad when they found us up against the wall. We were pulled apart and taken around to the beer garden where the bands from our unit where gathered and they all cheered us, Steve had his hands over his ears as they welcomed us with blasts of their bagpipes. We got dragged into the crowd and ended up talking to everyone most of the night and eventually got kicked out of the pub at 2am – the place had been drunk dry and we still had to walk back to the cottage; we giggled most of the way along the road and had to stop ourselves several times from just stripping off in the layby and getting down to business.
We eventually arrived at the cottage and got ourselves in as Steve headed up stairs and I stoked the fire to get some heat into the room, I shrugged out of my coat and shoes and sat on the thick rug opposite the fire and leaned against the heavy pillows with a contented sigh. A few seconds later, Steve joined me and handed me a beer and took his own jacket off and snuggled up beside me.
"That was awesome, but I am truthfully exhausted!" he whispered.
"Aww so you don't want me to continue with the evening's entertainment?" I whispered kissing his neck.
He dragged me across his legs and got me snuggled into his body that was rapidly waking up as I squirmed in his lap, he grinned and flipped us onto the floor, I laughed as we landed sprawled on the thick rug and he started pulling off our clothes.
"I said I was exhausted, not dead!"
I grinned and stripped his clothes off before jumping on him again for good measure.