The idea for this Oblivious through another's eyes came from Jaya (LoveRnB). Thanks so much for the suggestion, Jaya! This came to me as soon as I read it. I hope you enjoy it.
To Sammy & Ilna; Ladies, are there 1,000 ways to say thank you and you rock? I may need to resort to other languages soon. As Nonna would say: sei il migliore! Love and hugs for making the REAL World so much fun!
To all the REAL McRollers, our wonderful reviewers and our guest reviewers who I can't thank individually, your words brighten my days and leave me insanely happy, so thanks to everyone! We all love you!
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Oblivious - Codicil
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McGarrett/Rollins Residence
"Say 'thank you, Uncle Steve.'" Mary McGarrett prodded Joan and the little girl clapped with delight and squealed "Tak ooh Unk Teeve!"
Steve's face lit up like Christmas as he swung his niece up into his arms. "She said my name!" He turned to face Catherine, with Joan laughing in his embrace. "Did you hear her, Cath? She said 'Uncle Steve', clear as day!"
Catherine beamed at seeing Steve so thrilled. "She definitely said your name."
Hey, Uncle Steve?" Mary teased. "Since you just fed her ice cream, you may want to put her down before she pukes on you."
"Nobody's going to puke on anybody." Steve smirked at his sister, and then turned to his niece who he kissed on the cheek and gently lowered to the ground. "Besides, we like ice cream, don't we, Joan?"
"Eyes Keem." Joan said excitedly.
"Are you sure you don't mind watching her, Catherine?" Mary put the bag with Joan's supplies on the sofa. "We won't be very long. We just need … what?" She asked Steve, "Two hours?"
He nodded. "Tops. We just need to draw up the papers and we'll be back."
"Don't be silly, take your time." Catherine sat cross legged on the floor next to Joan, who promptly picked up one of Cammie's toys, announced 'Doggy!' and dropped it in an attempt to toss it to the dog, who was sleeping in the sun patch filtering through the front door. "We're going to have lots of fun, aren't we, Joan?"
Joan giggled as Catherine began to play pat-a-cake with her.
"Okay, you be a good girl." Mary kissed her daughter's hair and started to walk towards the door. "Let's go, Steve, before she realizes I'm leaving."
"Alright." Steve bent to run a hand over Joan's head and kissed Catherine. "Have fun, you two. Be back before dinner.
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Binderian & Binderian Attorney's Office
Steve and Mary entered the waiting room of the law office and a young receptionist said "Name?" without looking up.
"McGarrett." Mary announced. "Mary McGarrett. We have a two o'clock."
"McGarrett and …?" The twenty-something girl with a long dark braid and bright coral lipstick still hadn't glanced away from her desktop.
"Just McGarrett. He's my brother; we have the same last name." Mary snarked.
The girl looked up and a retort died on her lips when her gaze landed on Steve. "Oh. Oh! I'm so sorry. Why don't you have a seat? I didn't catch your first name Mr. McGarrett …" Her smile was huge.
"Steve. His name is Steve. And it's commander, not mister." Mary rolled her eyes and went to take a seat on the sofa situated across from the reception desk.
"Steve. That's a great name." She dimpled. "I'm Betty. Can I get you anything? Coffee? Water? I think we have some juice, too."
"You can check to see if Mr. Binderian is running on time." Mary gave Betty a fake smile.
"Mary!" Steve whispered and shook his head. "We're fine. Thanks." When Betty excused herself to check on her boss, he turned to his sister. "And Danny thinks I suck at mammal to mammal skills. She was only doing her job, Mare."
Mary laughed. "Her job? Is that what that was? Wow, Big Brother. Whatever." Before she had a chance to finish, Betty was back.
"Mr. B. said he'll be with you in ten minutes. Are you sure you don't want anything?" She glanced at Mary but was totally focused on Steve. "Commander? Are you in the Army?" She ran a hand down her braid and worried her bottom lip.
"Navy." Steve corrected automatically. "Reserves, actually."
"Wow, that sounds interesting." Betty blinked at him.
"It gets better; he's a Navy SEAL and the head of the governor's task force, too. Isn't that …" Mary's voice pitched up a notch in imitation of Betty's "super interesting?"
Mary's sarcasm totally lost on her, Betty practically squealed, "Really?! Ohhh, but that must be so risky."
Steve looked uncomfortable. "Uh, not always."
"I bet it is. I bet you're just saying that because you're used to all that danger and excitement and everything." She twirled the tip of her braid and grinned across her desk at Steve.
"Oh, for the love of…" Mary started to laugh but the door opening cut her off.
"Ms. McGarrett? Commander McGarrett? Please come in. I'm John Binderian, pleasure to meet you…"
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45 minutes later
"Thank you. I'll speak to Catherine and we'll be in touch." Steve offered his hand.
"Great. I'll expect to hear from you in a day or so." He smiled. "And I look forward to seeing you and Ms. Rollins again when we complete the paperwork on that other property matter in a few weeks." He turned to Mary. "You're fortunate to have a brother who wants to do this; it's nice when there's a close relative to put the mind at ease."
"Yeah, well, we were out of touch for a long time, but not anymore." Mary smiled a genuine smile at the attorney. He was in his fifties and reminded her of her neighbor back in L.A.
"We've set your brother up today, and Betty will give you the papers for Ms. Rollins to look over." John Binderian said. "Enjoy the rest of your visit."
As they left Binderian's office, Betty was waiting next to her desk. "These are for you!" She announced brightly. Her lipstick had been coated with fresh gloss and her hand lingered a few seconds on Steve's when she presented him with the legal-sized envelope. "And this is your copy, Ma'am." She handed a similar envelope to Mary, her eyes never leaving Steve.
"Oh for God's sake, those papers are for his girlfriend," Mary shook her head "of like a hundred years."
Betty's smile never dimmed. "If you have questions or ... anything? I'm here every day until four. Call anytime."
Steve nodded his thanks as Mary linked their arms and led him into the hall. As soon as they were in the elevator she said "Holy shit, how often does that happen?"
"What?" Steve cocked his head at his sister who looked up at him expectantly.
"Are you freaking kidding me?" She took on a higher pitched voice. "'Ohhh Steve is such a great name. Ohhh Commander, you're so cool with your dangerous job.' She'd have jumped your bones right in that waiting room if you'd have given her the tiniest bit of encouragement." Mary looked in his eyes. "Oh Jesus H. Christ. You don't even realize it do you?"
"Cut it out, Mary. Not you, too."
"Not me too, what? Ha! You totally don't realize it, Mr. Oblivious! Who else busts you? Danny. Gotta be Danny. Besides, you two must have to fend them off with a crow bar all day.
And Catherine's damn savvy, and I bet half the girls don't even give a shit if she's with you, do they? Especially at work, because you two are all uber-respectable and don't act like a couple. Catherine rags on you, too!" She burst into laughter.
Steve looked sheepish. "I never said…"
"Didn't have to!" She poked him in the belly. "You are so lucky your girlfriend isn't the jealous type. I'd have plucked that girl's eyes out a few years back if she'd hit on my boyfriend in front of me."
"Mare…"
"I'm better, now. I'm more mature. My therapist says so." She winked.
"Catherine has no need to be jealous." Steve said seriously.
"I'm sure that's true. But, wanna know what else the therapist says? I'm gonna tell ya. Jealousy comes from within. Jealous people are insecure. They project. And while even I know you'd never look at another woman, if I was Catherine, it'd still bother me when I saw some girl throw herself at you. Because somehow I am the queen of insecure." Mary rolled her eyes. "Wonder how that happened?"
She chuckled and Steve thought maybe it was a good sign she was able to joke about their childhood with at least some humor as opposed to self-destructive bitterness and anger. "Maybe we should ask Mom … oh… wait." She snorted and Steve was slammed with regret.
"Hey, Steve, don't look like that. It's okay. I'm a lot better."
Steve smiled softly when she tiptoed up to plant a kiss on his cheek. "I've got a ton of baggage but you cornered the market on guilt, Bro. Stop looking like that. Not your fault." They'd exited the elevator and were leaving the building. Mary grabbed his arm, spinning him to face her. "Not. Your. Fault. Okay?"
Steve sighed and gathered her in a hug. "Okay, Mare."
"Good. Now, I can go back to busting you. I have years to make up for."
/
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McGarrett/Rollins Residence
"…and here's the packet for you to look over." Mary handed the envelope to Catherine. "Steve's all set, he signed everything he needed to, but I wanted to give you a chance to decide, without me standing over you. A chance to decline." Catherine started to speak but Mary held up her hand. "It's a big deal, Catherine, and I appreciate you even considering it. Especially since you've already agreed to do it for Danny and his daughter, and since I sprung it on you like twelve hours ago."
Catherine took the envelope and grabbed Mary's hand. "Mary, I'm incredibly flattered that you'd even consider me …"
"Catherine, come on. I can't think of a better arrangement. You're family," She made air quotes "'official' or not, you're absolutely Joan's aunt." Mary impulsively pulled her into a hug and Catherine's eyes filled with unshed tears.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"Nope." Mary shook her head when she broke the hug. "Thank you. And my giant doofus of a brother." She turned and called to Steve who had taken Joan out to the lanai with Cammie when Mary asked for a minute alone with Catherine. "Steve, we're done, get in here!"
Steve returned with Joan. The baby bounced in his arms, reached for Mary, and called, "Mama!"
"Gimme my kid. I'm going to get out of here and go to the park for an hour." She scooped Joan up and said "Did you miss Mommy?" While kissing her tummy and making her giggle. "By the way, Catherine?" She turned back to face Steve and Catherine.
"Yeah?"
"I witnessed a … phenomenon at the lawyer's office…"
"Mary!" Steve threatened but is grin gave him away.
"I'll prove it. Open that while I'm here." Mary pointed to the folder still in Catherine's' hand.
Paper clipped inside was a note with Betty 555-808-0978 on it in a girly script, complete with little hearts for the 0's. "Ha!" Mary laughed out loud.
Steve cringed. "Stop it, Mary." He groused while Catherine joined his sister in peals of laughter.
"Another case of McGarrett-itis!" Catherine gasped out. "That's what everyone calls your brother's effect on the female population."
"McGarrett-itis? You named it? Damn, you're so lucky she's not the jealous type." Mary shook her head at Steve and her laughter continued as she closed the door behind her.
After chuckling for a few seconds at Mary's 'McGarrett-itis' disclosure, Catherine sobered and turned to Steve. "Mary kept thanking me."
He slid an arm around her waist. "She appreciates it. Because you don't have to sign, Cath, you know that. She wants you to think on it."
Catherine shook her head, gave Steve a dazzling smile and opened the folder. "Don't have to. Give me your pen."
A sticky tab with 'signature here: Catherine Rollins' was affixed to a document titled:
Codicil: Last Will and Testament of Mary Ann McGarrett
re: Custody of Minor Child, Joan McGarrett in case of parental death,
Minor Child will be remanded to the custody of Steven J. McGarrett and Catherine Rollins
residing at 2727 Piikoi Street, Honolulu, HI.'
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End ~ Thanks for reading.
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Oblivious will return.