"Danny?" Jerry whispered. "There's a pretty lady asleep in my room."
Danny smiled. "That would be nurse Rebecca," he responded, keeping his voice very quiet. "How are you feeling, big fella?"
"I still feel like I got hit by an RPG," Jerry said. "But, you know, considering that, not bad. I mean, how many people get hit by an RPG and walk away? I mean, I didn't literally walk away, but I survived. I'll take it. Hey, when can I see Riley?"
#*#*#*#*#
Catherine watched as Steve's hands twitched, then clenched and unclenched, fisting the blanket.
"Shelburne," he muttered. She could see his eyes moving beneath closed lids, read the growing agitation in his body, and she moved closer, cautiously. "Joe, watch - Riley!" The hoarse shout was torn from his throat, and he sat up, fast, lashing out.
Catherine dodged the wild fist and grabbed his hand in hers. "McGarrett," she said, quietly, but firmly.
He blinked, reaching up to cup her face with his free hand. "Cath; did I hurt you?" he asked, checking her over. "I'm sorry; I was . . . "
"Shhh, you had a bad dream," she said, turning her face to kiss his palm. "Perfectly understandable. And I've got good reflexes, remember?"
He studied her, willing his heart rate back out of triple digits. "Yeah, I do remember. I remember that one time you didn't, too." He traced his thumb over her cheekbone, picturing the time he'd lashed out in his sleep, early, before she'd learned to pick up on the signals of an impending nightmare or flashback, and caught her with a solid left cross. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to deal with . . . everything."
"Hey," Catherine said, easing her hip onto the bed, and taking his face in her hands. "I volunteer for this mission, sailor. Speaking of missions, though . . ."
"You need to get back to Pearl," he said.
"We're actively tracking WoFat and Doris," she replied. "If there's a lead, I want to be there. I've already debriefed Joe, and I'm as read in on the files as I can possibly be, thanks to Chin."
He noticed she was back in uniform, her backpack and briefcase by the door of his room.
"I understand," he nodded. "Give me a minute to satisfy the demands for data of Dr. Reeves, and I'll walk you as far as the elevator."
Catherine kissed him gently and nodded. "I'll just pop in to see if Riley is awake, and say goodbye to her."
"Seeing as how she has such . . . definitive and positive memories of you," Steve teased, wincing a bit as he hauled himself out of bed.
Catherine blushed. "You might have to spring for a nice hotel, then, next time I'm in port."
"I was thinking more along the lines of a nice tent," Steve said, limping toward the bathroom. "With a good air mattress. In a remote location."
"Hey," she protested, picking up her backpack and making a face at his retreating form.
Riley was awake, dozing a bit, when Catherine stopped in. Kono was gently rubbing the abrasions on her wrist.
"Hey, Kono," Catherine said, "more coconut oil?"
"Yeah, it will help it heal faster," Kono replied, "plus she seems to like the smell."
"Catherine?" Riley mumbled. She frowned a bit at the sight of Catherine in full uniform. "Is there - what -" she tried to sit up, wincing.
"No, nothing's happening," Catherine assured her. "I'm going back to work; just wanted to stop in and say goodbye. I'm stationed at Pearl for the foreseeable future; so I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon."
Riley smiled and looked at Kono. "You have a sofa I can crash on, when Catherine wants to sleep over? I'd hate to . . . put a damper on things."
Kono laughed, her eyes twinkling. She loved having something over on her boss. "Absolutely, Riley. You're welcome anytime."
Riley grinned, and then turned back to Catherine. "Thank you, really, for everything. Now that WoFat is dead, are you just going to be looking for Olivia? Or is that not something the Navy does?"
Catherine glanced at Kono, unsure of what to say. She'd forgotten that Olivia had lied to Riley, in an effort to make her feel secure within the Shelburne project, and told her that WoFat was dead. Kono was looking past her though, and Catherine turned to see Steve standing, leaning in the doorway. He came toward them, and wrapped an arm around Catherine's waist.
"Hey, Steve," Riley said, smiling up at him. "You look better."
"You do too, kid," Steve said. "Riley, there's something you need to know."
"I'll step outside," Catherine said, but Steve tightened his arm around her.
"No, there's no need," he said, gesturing for Kono to sit back down as well. "We're ohana, right? Riley and I have had enough secrets to last us a lifetime. Riley, sweetheart, WoFat isn't dead; not that we know of. Doris . . . well, she wanted you to believe that her people had rescued you from him. It was part of trying to get you to accept a different reality. I'm sorry. Catherine and her teams are doing everything they can to find him; and we'll do everything in our power to protect you until we do."
Riley was silent a moment, processing the information. "She lied. About everything," she said quietly.
Steve nodded. He wasn't surprised that Riley was far more upset about the deception than she was about WoFat being at large. WoFat was an enemy they could understand.
"I'll need a laptop," Riley said, nodding firmly. "I can help."
Steve smiled. "Okay. When Dr. Link says you can have one, we'll set you up. Think we can get a Navy issue for her, Lieutenant?" he asked, turning to Catherine.
"I think Riley could have a future in Naval Intelligence," Catherine replied, winking at Riley.
"Hey, no poaching my people," Steve groused.
Riley grinned and managed a wave as they walked out, Steve's hand still warm and steady on Catherine's waist. The security guard nodded at them and buzzed them through the locked and guarded doors of the secure wing.
"I thought you were just walking me to the elevator," Catherine observed, as he stepped through the doors with her and quickly pushed the button for the top floor. "And I definitely don't have a chopper picking me up, so why are we going to the roof?"
Steve shrugged and grinned down at Catherine, not saying a word, but his eyes flicked up to the security camera. She smiled back at him, warm, and teasing, and he felt something relax and settle in him that had been pacing in the background.
"You said, not before I went after Riley," he answered, as they stepped off the elevator onto the helipad, "and not in a hospital room. Well, I'm back from getting Riley, thanks to Jerry's transmitter and your satellite support, and we are not in a hospital room."
Catherine arched an eyebrow at their surroundings. "Way to follow the letter of the law, sailor."
"Yeah, well, the Navy taught me to follow orders and think outside the box. And I'll be damned if I let you out of my sight again without doing this," he said, cupping his hands around her face. She dropped her pack and briefcase, and her hands slid up, over his strong chest, and wound around his neck. He angled her face and kissed her, soundly and with intent, until she was breathless and he . . . wasn't, damn his lung capacity. He kissed her again, because, honestly, he couldn't imagine a time when he would ever feel like he had kissed her enough.
"I've waited for the right time, the right circumstances, and I realized, in the middle of all of this with Riley . . . our lives will probably be like this - chaos and hell breaking loose and deployments - indefinitely. Until one of us retires, and God, Cath, we're too damn good at what we do to stop. And I think, maybe, that's part of what makes me love you so much - you get it. You get me; no one else would understand, but you do. And I love you for it, because of it, in spite of it, whatever. And if you're willing, then I want there to be an us. I want us to be together, in our own crazy way of being together. Now, just like this; missions and deployments and Five-O and my crazy spy family - all of it. Would you be willing to do that, Cath? Just . . . be with me. Just like we are."
Catherine pulled herself up on tiptoe and kissed him again, and smirked when she pulled away, because he was a little breathless and a lot less smug by the time she finished. "Can you say that one part again?"
"Unh hunh," he replied, blinking those ridiculous lashes slowly, a bit dazed. "Which part?"
"The part where you said, twice, if I'm not mistaken, that you love me?" she whispered.
"Oh, yeah," he grinned. "I definitely love you, Catherine. No mistake about it. So, what do you say? Are you in?"
"I'm in, Steve; I've always been in," Catherine said, her thumb stroking across his jaw. He leaned his head into her hand. "I love you."
"Are you sure? I know it's a lot to ask. This is all I can give you for now; is it enough?"
"This is enough," Catherine said. "This is all I need, right now."
Steve bent and kissed her again, pulling her close to him. He looked in her eyes . . . "God, Catherine," he whispered. "You . . . you wouldn't have waited much longer, would you? I almost waited too long."
"It all worked out the way it was meant to," Catherine assured him.
"Right down to the perfect setting, right?" Steve grinned.
"Well, this is very 'us', you know?" Catherine said, laughing up at him. "I mean, there's a certain romance to this, really."
"Really?" Steve grinned, as the sound of a rotor approached. "Hey, how about a ride to Pearl?"
"No, I have -" Catherine started to protest. "Seriously?"
"Hey, there needed to be some sort of grand romantic gesture," Steve said. "I'm not completely clueless."
"Oh, you are, Commander; you are completely clueless and I adore you anyway," Catherine said, picking up her pack, mindful of the approaching rotor wash.
Steve grinned and shot off a jaunty salute to the pilot, and then watched as Catherine disappeared. It felt different, somehow, from all of the other times. This time, he felt like it was a given that she'd be coming back. To him.
#*#*#*#*#
"Wait; what's with the face?" Danny said, curious, as Steve poked his head into Jerry's room.
"What face?" Steve said, trying to look nonchalant.
Rebecca sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her hair was adorably mussed, and she sat up and curled her legs under her. "Oh, I see a face," she said brightly.
"You see?" Danny said, beaming at Rebecca.
"Steve looks really happy," Jerry said. "Like he does when Catherine is in port, except even more so."
"You people are impossible," Steve said, but he protest did nothing to take the goofy grin off his face. "Hey, Jerry, would you like to see Riley?"
"Oooh hooo," Danny gloated. "Diversion. Son of a bitch - sorry," he said, glancing at Rebecca, who shrugged. "Something happened. Spill."
"Danny, what are you, a sixteen year old girl?" Steve groused. But still, with the smiling.
"I have a twelve year old daughter," Danny reminded him, "so sue me."
"That explains the hair braiding," Rebecca said absently.
"But that doesn't explain why Steve is so happy," Jerry pointed out. "Stay on topic. And yes, I would love to see Riley."
"I'll see if I can arrange it," Steve said, beating a hasty retreat.
"You have a daughter?" Rebecca asked, trying to tame her unruly hair. Danny grinned and fished out an extra hair elastic and offered it to her.
"She's the reason I'm here," he said, pulling out his phone to show a picture. "My ex-wife remarried; Step Stan got a huge contract here . . . ergo, I moved from Jersey to Honolulu, to be with my baby girl what little time the Dark Lord allows."
"She's adorable," Rebecca said, gathering her hair into a somewhat manageable knot at the base of her neck.
"She is," Danny said. "Really and truly. The marriage may have ended in disaster, but Rachel - that's her mother - she is a good parent. A great mother. And Gracie is . . . she's just the best. The absolute best. She has Steve wrapped around her little finger, don't let the muscles and the tats fool you."
"I can imagine," Rebecca laughed.
"You look great," Danny blurted out. "I mean, more rested. Not that you didn't - you were exhausted. Feel better?"
"Yeah, I do, thanks," Rebecca said. "I'm going to go check on Riley though. Maybe find a laptop . . . start looking for a new job."
Danny winced. "You're, what . . . CIA? Can they, like, relocate you or something?"
Rebecca shook her head. "I was subcontracted out. Hired for a specific nursing position which is . . . over. I guess. I have no idea where to go from here."
"Look, Five-O can help you. I mean it," Danny said. "If you're not from here . . ."
Rebecca shook her head. "Northern Virginia. Near . . . you know. Langley. My dad was Baltimore PD, I went to Hopkins for my masters in nursing. I'd never even been away from the East Coast. I saw this listing . . . it paid well, and I've been paying off student loans for forever so . . ."
"Anything we can do to help," Danny said. "I mean it; sincerely. Chin and Kono, they know half the island; and Chin's significant other is a doctor at Queens - she's amazing, an ER doc, she even has privileges here; she consulted when we brought Steve and Jerry and Joe in . . . anyway. Sorry; I'm assuming you don't want to get back to Baltimore as quickly as possible." Danny smiled at her. "That's a lot to assume."
Rebecca tilted her head down, grinning. "It's . . . maybe okay to assume that I might not be in a hurry to leave Hawaii."
"Yeah?" Danny asked. "Please don't tell me it's the pineapple."
Rebecca laughed. "It's not just the pineapple," she said. "Come on, let's go check on Riley. And you can badger Steve more about the face."
"See? Right?" Danny grinned and held the door open for her.
"Don't forget, I want to see Riley," Jerry called after them. "And fill me in on the face . . "
#*#*#*#*#
Dr. Link was nodding approvingly at Riley's chart when Steve knocked quietly on the door. He looked up, smiling, and motioned him in.
"She's doing remarkably well, all things considered. I see no reason that she can't go home tomorrow, provided there are people who can help her as she continues to recover," the doctor said.
"That won't be a problem," Kono said quickly. "She has family. She has us."
"Damn straight," Danny agreed, coming in with Rebecca.
"I could stay with her," Rebecca offered. "I . . . okay, this sounds terribly self-serving, I realize, but . . . I'm sort of out of a job. And homeless. I could stay as long as needed because . . . well, I honestly don't have anywhere else to go, but even if I did - I think we do well together."
Steve looked at Riley. "Yeah?" he asked.
"Yeah," she nodded. "That would . . . I trust Rebecca. And Jerry; isn't he going to need a lot of help?"
"He will," Dr. Link agreed, "though he won't be getting out nearly as quickly as you will. He will need to stay with us about a week. Commander White will be ready to leave in a day or so. And you, Commander McGarrett . . . from the way you're pacing around, I can see we won't keep you longer." Dr. Link sighed. "I'll go talk to Dr. Reeves."
"Are you sure it's not an imposition?" Rebecca asked quietly. "I'm sure I can arrange for my own lodgings . . . if the CIA hasn't frozen all my accounts," she added, only half kidding.
"Absolutely not," Steve said. "It's a relief . . . you have no idea how helpful it will be to have you. There's no way we'd leave Riley alone, but we need to get back on top of our case load."
"I, ah, thought we could help Rebecca get settled," Danny said. "Seeing as how Five-O kinda messed up her job with the CIA."
"Is there anything I can do?" Chin asked, nudging his way inside the door. "Or Malia? I'm sure there are openings at Queens."
"Hey, Queens has to wait its turn," Steve said. He realized that his entire team was here, together, circled around his sister. She was here, relatively in one piece, thanks to all of them. They'd run themselves into the ground, followed his every lead, put their lives and careers on the line for him and his family. The realization, on top of the lingering concussion, the fatigue, and the emotion of the day with Catherine . . . it was a lot to take in.
"Hey," Danny said, wrapping a strong hand around his bicep. "You okay there, Super SEAL? Not gonna pass out or puke, are you?"
"No, Danny," Steve said, shaking his head and laughing. "No, I'm . . . good. I mean," he waved his hands vaguely, "everything is a clusterfuck, honestly, but . . . thanks to you guys, I'm good. We're good."
"You and Catherine are really good," Riley said, blinking up at him innocently. "Like, really really good. What? I'm heavily medicated. Don't mind me."
Danny grinned and nudged Rebecca. "I knew it. That's the face."
"Okay," Steve said, pretending to retain some semblance of control and authority, "if Riley is going home tomorrow, we need to have a plan. Chin and Kono, you've gone above and beyond, as always. Go. Go home, get some decent rest. Chin, you and Jerry did amazing work with those files, and I'm sure we'll be going over those for a long time to come, but we're good for now. Kono, you have to be dead on your feet. Unless we get an active lead from Catherine, I do not need to see any of you tomorrow. That includes you, Danny."
"I know it does, and I appreciate it, Steve, but you're going home tonight - no, I can see it in your eyes, don't argue - and you're not going home alone. Besides, someone needs to help you get rooms ready for the influx of beautiful women into your house. At least, that's where I assume Riley will be doing next, along with Rebecca, until Riley's better and Rebecca is settled. And Mary will be here in a few days. You gonna tell me you're going to turn down help?" Danny paused, pointing at Steve. "I didn't think so."
"Is he always like this?" Rebecca whispered to Kono.
Kono nodded. "He's the only one of us who really understands domestic stuff," she whispered back. "Seriously, we'd be completely lost without him. Don't tell him I said that. Also. Don't miss the part where he said you were beautiful."
Danny frowned as his phone rang and the theme from X-files interrupted his rant to Steve. "Ah. Jerry wants to remind me that you are supposed to be asking when he can see Riley, and I am supposed to . . okay, never mind on that part."
#*#*#*#*#
"Dr. Reeves, I can't thank you and Dr. Link enough for what you've done for my people," Steve said, as he tried to sit patiently and allow her to finish her exam. "I know it's been a lot, having us all up here, in your way."
"This is an Army hospital, Commander," she said, pressing carefully around the bruising on his lower back. "We understand the nature of a unit. I did a tour in Afghanistan; so did Dr. Link. We get it. Breathe," she commanded, settling the earpieces of her stethoscope in her ears.
"What's the verdict? Can you spring me?" Steve asked, pulling the scrub top back down and trying to look as healthy as possible as she studied him, peering, as was her habit, over the top of her clipboard.
"I'm surprised that you're anxious to leave, while your sister is still here," she observed. "And I've noticed that you've been conspicuously absent from Commander White's room."
"Is this also my mandatory shrink visit?" Steve asked mildly. She shrugged, but didn't deny it. "Okay, I'm going a little crazy in here," Steve explained. "I've worked through much, much worse than this; Riley is the only reason I wasn't pushing to get out right away. And she's in good hands; the security in this hospital it top-notch, and this wing . . . the only place she'd be safer is at Five-O. Plus, Rebecca is willing to stay."
"They've developed a close rapport," Dr. Reeves nodded. "And Commander White? He's asked for you a few times, you know."
"I know," Steve said. "It's . . . very complicated. I haven't known what to say to him. Chin let him know that Riley was okay."
"Hmm. I think he wants to know that you're okay," Dr. Reeves said quietly. "Will avoiding him make the situation less complicated?"
"No," Steve said slowly. "No, it won't."
Dr. Reeves signed a few papers with an efficient script. "Then go see him on your way out," she said, handing most of the papers to him. "I assume Detective Williams gets your instructions and your prescriptions?"
Steve grinned. "Yeah, that's pretty much the way it works out. Thanks, doc."
#*#*#*#*#
Dr. Link had approved of the idea of Riley going to see Jerry. "She is badly bruised, but walking around, while painful, is going to help increase circulation and healing. Just don't overdo it - the short walk you take from your room to Jerry's room? That's about as much as you want to do at one time, even after you go home. We'll wrap the sprained knee. Remember, this is going to take weeks to heal, Riley. You'll need to be patient."
Riley nodded as Rebecca gently wrapped her swollen knee.
"I didn't know it could take that long," she said. "I'm sorry to be such a bother. I'm sure you'll be able to get on with your life long before that."
"Riley, no," Rebecca said, rubbing her knee gently. "You and Steve - you're giving me the opportunity to make a home here. I . . . I don't really have anyone. That's why I took the job."
"You don't have family?" Riley asked, "Parents? Brothers or sisters?"
"No, not any more," Rebecca said. "Hey," she added, as Riley's eyes filled with tears. "It's okay, Riley. I had a wonderful, wonderful family and many happy memories. But I was an only child, and there was an accident a few years ago, and I lost my parents. It was sad, but I'm okay. I just don't have a reason to go back to where I grew up."
"I grew up in Tokyo," Riley said. "I didn't know I had a brother until a couple months ago. It's a long story."
"And I will look forward to hearing it," Rebecca said. "But for now, let's go check on your friend Jerry."
They made their way slowly down the hall. "I know the whole MRI thing had to happen," Riley said, gritting her teeth, "but I kinda miss those nanobytes right about now."
They slipped quietly into Jerry's room, and his face lit up at the sight of Riley.
"Hey, Riley," he said, enthusiastic and a bit awkward at the same time. "Hey, um, pretty nurse lady."
"Rebecca," she reminded him, smiling, as she helped Riley settle into the chair next to Jerry's bed. "I'm going to go ask the official nurse if the two of you can have dinner in here; how's that sound?"
"That would be great," Jerry said. He looked at Riley. "Don't eat the green jello. Was Steve mad? He was mad, wasn't he? About the transmitter? The one we put in?"
"It worked?" Riley said. "That explains . . . he hadn't mentioned. No, he wasn't mad, Jerry. Is that how he found me?"
"Yep," Jerry said, nodding. "It worked. I'm glad he wasn't mad. And I'm really glad he found you. I'm sorry I couldn't dodge the RPG."
"Yeah, I don't think that's really a thing that can happen," Riley said. "I'm sorry you got hurt, Jerry. Trying to protect me . . . it wasn't worth it."
"It was worth it to me, Riley," Jerry said. "You're the best friend I've ever had. Hey, Chin brought my laptop in. Want to watch a movie?" Jerry looked at Riley in alarm. "Riley, why are you crying?"
"I'm not sure," Riley answered, brushing the tears away from her face. "I think it's . . . I'm just really glad you're my friend, Jerry. And I'm really glad you're okay."
Jerry patted her hand. "Me, too. Okay - Marvel or DC? Wait, Marvel, of course Marvel. Where were we in the series?"
#*#*#*#*#
"Steve," Joe said quietly. "I was starting to wonder if I'd been disavowed by Five-O, too."
"Sorry, Joe," Steve sighed. "It's been . . . a lot. With Riley, and . . . "
"And your very nasty bruised kidney, and the amazing send-off for Lieutenant Rollins on the helipad this morning . . ." Joe continued.
Steve looked up at him, surprised.
"Steve. I'm not just a SEAL instructor, remember? I know how to gather intel. By the way, there are security cameras on the helipad. You've just raised the bar for the boyfriends of quite a few nurses. Nicely done, son- sorry. Old habits die hard," Joe said. "How are you feeling, really? And Riley?"
"We're okay, Joe," Steve said. "Riley is . . . well, the accelerated healing and pain suppression . . . most of that was nanotechnology, as it turns out. So, she's in a lot of pain; pain that she's never experienced without the benefit of nanobytes to help her. It's going to take a while."
"And you?" Joe pressed.
"I'm going home now," Steve said.
"You're leaving Riley?" Joe asked, surprised.
"You have a specific reason to think I shouldn't?" Steve asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Know something I don't? Because this is about as secure a situation I can provide for her on the island, Joe."
"Stand down, Steve," Joe said mildly. "I'm not questioning your judgment; just surprised that you're willing. I agree; she's safe here."
There was a look in Joe's eye that Steve recognized. "How's the shoulder, Joe?" he asked.
"It wouldn't slow me down much, if push came to shove," Joe said. "Riley is currently in Jerry's room; they're watching a movie on his laptop. The nurse that's bringing them dinner has been vetted by the hospital, of course, but also by Catherine's team. Riley's doctor served in Afghanistan; I spoke with his former CO this morning."
Steve nodded, impressed. He could read between the lines: Joe was ready to take on any threat that came down the hospital hall toward Riley.
"The only wild card, really, is this nurse that you brought with you. Rebecca," Joe said.
"She risked her life to help us," Steve said. "Going with my instincts on this one."
Joe nodded. "Fair enough. Riley trusts her."
"There's that, too," Steve said. He paused for a moment, then smiled.
"And Detective Williams, who you have determined is an exceptionally intuitive judge of character, trusts her," Joe added. "Much as he instinctively mistrusted me."
Steve didn't disagree. He studied Joe for several long minutes. "So," he said, finally, "the DNA test. Riley is still putting pieces of missing memory back together. I'm going to give her time to come to terms with Doris's role in all of this before I bring up checking our DNA against yours."
"That seems reasonable," Joe said. "But lies of omission, as you know, hurt even worse when they're revealed by the wrong person at the wrong time. I wouldn't wait too long."
"Yeah," Steve sighed. "We'll talk about it when you get out of here, okay? We'll talk about a lot of things."
#*#*#*#*#
"You ready for this, partner?" Danny asked, as he helped Steve lower his still aching back into the Camaro.
"Sure, Danny," Steve said. "Tomorrow, I'll check in with the governor, we'll check in with Catherine, and we'll set up a running command center for tracking WoFat and Doris. And then we'll evaluate where we stand with other cases. This is what I do, Danny. Piece of cake. I mean, I might need to toss back a few Motrin, but I've got this."
Danny laughed and shook his head. "Okay; but I meant the part where, within the next few days, you're going to have both of your sisters living in your house, one of them injured and potentially doing that crazy scary thing, and one of them . . . well, one of them Mary. Who is a crazy, scary thing. And a nurse that you pulled out of a now disavowed, super secret, science fiction CIA operation. Whose last name, by the way, we do not know. That was what I meant when I asked if you were ready."
"Oh," Steve said, his hand wrapping tight around the oh-shit handle of the car. "Oh. Yeah, that part scares me shitless, Danny. I . . . I got nothin'."
Danny chuckled. "Nah, you got me, Steve."
"Thanks, Danny," Steve said, and he'd never meant it more.