Oblivious will always be very near to my heart. It's the series that got me in touch with Sammy, and through Sammy, Ilna. Two of the most incredible people I've ever known. So in a way, Oblivious sparked the REAL World team into existence way back last December!

#REALMcRollers, Readers, Guests: you are an amazing group and we are grateful for the encouragement and support and love. And for the love you show for Steve and Catherine. It's so heartwarming to know you love & respect them as much as we do.

This is a stand alone, but you should read No Such Thing as Butterflies by Sammy. It's amazingly beautiful and this story was inspired by that masterful work and Sammy's suggestion.

Hugs, Mari

Oblivious – Butterflies

McGarrett/Rollins Residence
December 8th - 8:00 p.m.

Skype call in progress

"Did Steve just come home?" Joseph Rollins asked with a grin when he saw his daughter's glance shift to the flying fur that was Cammie as she shot out of the room.

Catherine nodded. "Cammie alerts when the truck's a half mile away. So, your friend said Mary's repairs should be done right on schedule?"

"Yes, he did. It's all set." Joseph had been pleased to help Mary by having his navy buddy check into her projected repair estimate before she bought a house.

Having him contract to do the repairs made Steve and Catherine confident the job would be done well. "Thanks again for that, Dad."

"Don't be silly, even if Mary weren't family, there was no way I wasn't going to step in if someone was scamming a young woman out of her money."

"Well Steve and I really appreciate it. You're the best." Catherine smiled. "So … mom said she found a place for all the souvenirs …" She teased and glanced around as Steve entered their bedroom.

"Hi, Joseph." Steve gave a small wave as he walked into view of the tablet and saw Catherine's dad on the Skype screen.

"Steve. How's it going?"

"Good. Really good. Did Catherine mention her breaking a code was instrumental in our take down of a drug cartel today?" Steve leaned in and dropped a kiss on her head and she smiled at her dad mirroring Steve's proud look.

"I was only doing my job, I …"

"Catherine?"

"Dad?"

"Accept the complement, Sweetheart. Let us be proud."

She chuckled. "Okay, then. Thank you. Both."

Before Steve moved to cross the room and change clothes, he said, "Take care, Joseph, give Elizabeth my best."

"Hey, Steve?" Joseph's expression turned jovial. "Catherine tells me you two planted the butterfly bushes."

"Yes, we did. They've already attracted a few butterflies." Steve was smiling at how happy that made Catherine.

"Did you mention to her how helpful the sales assistant at the nursery was?" Joseph was fighting back a laugh.

Noting Steve's look, Catherine turned away from the screen and mouthed "What?" as he groaned.

"You, too, Joseph? Because Danny …"

"Danny was right, Steve. And I have to say, I didn't believe him at first, but…"

"Did he put you up to this? Because …"

Joseph's hand came into view and he held it up in a 'swearing in' gesture. "He did nothing of the sort. I'm surprised he didn't already tell Catherine."

"Okay, what the hell are you two talking about?" Catherine laughed.

"Steve, I'll let you fill her in. I have to run, we have lunch plans. Goodbye, Honey, I love you."

"'Bye, Dad, love you. Tell mom goodbye again."

"Will do." Joseph's grin became a sincere smile. "And Steve?"

"Yes?"

"As funny as I think it is? I can't think of a higher complement you can pay my daughter. Have a good night, Son."

Steve's eyes widened a bit. "Uh … thanks. Goodbye, Joseph."

The screen faded, and Catherine powered off the tablet and stood. Wrapping her arms around Steve, she kissed him and grinned. "Spill, McGarrett …"

"Aren't you hungry? Maybe …" Steve teased.

"Nope. This sounds good. Or I could just call Danny …"

"Oh Jesus, no." Steve gave her another quick kiss and went to change his clothes. "Okay," He said over his shoulder, "the day your parents left, when I took your dad and Danny with me to buy the butterfly bushes …"

November 30th - Before the Rollins Family departure
Garden Center
Alakawa Street, Honolulu

A smiling man in his sixties greeted Steve, Danny and Joseph Rollins when they entered the garden center. "Ahhh, Steve, Danny, how are you today? More importantly," he joked, "How are my two favorite ladies?"

Danny smiled. "Grace and Catherine are fine. Thanks again for that rose bush, Grace loves it."

Steve grinned at how Grace was so excited when Danny bought their house that she asked Catherine to help her start a little garden. Mr. Kapule had given her a yellow rose bush as a gift and Grace took very special care of it. "This is Captain Rollins, Mr. Kapule, Catherine's father."

"Nice to meet you. Your daughter is a delight. She started stopping by for plants and flowering shrubs as soon as she moved into the Commander's beach house. She comes in with Grace quite often and between the two of them, they leave me smiling all day."

"Thank you, and it's Joseph, please." He grinned. He never tired of hearing good things about Catherine. "She gets the green thumb from my mother. Although it seems to have skipped a generation."

"Well, gentlemen, I'm just off to Star of the Sea Church for a wedding," he indicated a truck full of flowers. "Any of the ladies in the back will be happy to help you out." He nodded to Joseph. "Nice to meet you, Joseph." The men shook hands and Mr. Kapule hopped behind the wheel of his truck.

No sooner did the trio enter the greenhouse area than three women rushed up to greet them. Or more accurately, greet Steve.

Very enthusiastic greetings of "Can I help you?" "What can I do for you?" and "Good morning, Commander!" overlapped each other, causing Danny to snort and Steve to toss him a questioning look.

"Hey, that's cool, the rest of us clearly need no help…" Danny said to Joseph and laughed, "And so it begins … watch and be amused."

"What?" Joseph saw the three women ranging in age from mid twenties to about forty eyeing his daughter's boyfriend with looks running the gamut from hopeful to predatory. He nodded. "They do that every time he comes in?"

"They do that everywhere he goes." Danny placed a hand on Joseph's shoulder. "That's not it. It's his reaction. Or lack thereof. And for the record, it absolutely doesn't bother Catherine. I'd never find it funny if it did. But she laughs at it, too, because …"

"Ah ha." Joseph saw Steve take a step back. And then another.

"I'm um, I need some butterfly bushes." He said.

"I've got it." One of the women, who was about Steve's age, said to the others. She was clearly their supervisor, as they were resigned and wandered off with dejected looks. "Now, what kind of butterfly bushes will you be needing?" The woman, who wore a tag identifying her as Joyce, attempted to slip an arm through Steve's as she guided him toward the appropriate section of the nursery.

Steve's look stopped her. As did his body language. He immediately tensed, crossed his arms and said, "They're to attract butterflies to our lanai area; I don't want them too close because of bees …"

"Any particular color?" Joyce's smile had dimmed for a second at Steve's reaction to her gesture but she continued on with, "I could come help do the install myself. I'm very good with decorating …"

Steve shook his head… "No. I mean no thank you. We'll plant them ourselves. I definitely want purple." The corner of his lip twitched. "I googled the types of bushes and lobelia is purple. And yellow, so I'll take some ilima, too. Catherine loves yellow flowers." at the mention of her name, his smile broadened. "And I want to stagger the types, so she can see butterflies year 'round.

Danny and Joseph stood a few feet away as Steve looked over the plants. Danny nodded toward his best friend, "See what I mean? She'd love to 'help him install' and he absolutely doesn't get … and it's not bullshit; she's just not even on his radar. She totally came on to him and he responded by telling her how much Catherine likes yellow flowers…"

Joseph was smiling. Not only because he found Danny and Steve's brotherly teasing funny, but because Danny Williams was right. He knew Steve McGarrett better than anyone, other than Catherine. He was certainly the couple's biggest cheerleader, except maybe for his daughter, Grace.

What made Joseph smile was the fact that the very capable man who was always completely aware of his surroundings could be so unaware of his effect on the women who'd practically fallen over themselves to help him. And when Joyce propositioned him he just … well … his focus was one hundred percent on Catherine.

Joseph hadn't had many occasions over the years to spend much time out with Steve when Catherine wasn't with them. This was an interesting observation because it proved something he already knew.

Steve McGarrett adored his daughter. And still, after all their years together, had zero interest in anyone else. To the point of not even noticing other women's reactions to him.

And if there was one thing that made Joseph Rollins happier than knowing his only child loved a good man like Steve McGarrett, it was knowing she was loved just as fiercely in return.

Of course he could also see the humor in the situation. Danny coughing out 'McGarrettitis' the minute Joyce left to ring up the plants made him laugh out loud.

Danny was still snickering as the three men carefully put the bushes into the trunk of the Marquis on a tarp, when Joyce came out with a receipt and a card. "Here you go, Commander. And remember, if you need any help with those, if you change your mind about anything …"

Steve shook his head. "Thanks, I won't." He glanced at his partner as soon as she walked away. "Shut up, Danny." He tossed over his shoulder as he closed the trunk.

Danny snorted a bigger laugh, "Still oblivious, Babe, and now I have a brand new witness." He pointed at Catherine's dad. "My good friend Joseph, here. I owed him one after the plethora of ammo he gave me with which to mock you, my friend.

"McGarrettitis?" Joseph raised an eyebrow "There's a story there."

Danny ignored his best friend's murderous look. "And I'm gonna let your brilliant, wonderful daughter fill you in, a little gift from one dad to another."

Present - December 8th
McGarrett/Rollins residence

Catherine was laughing as Steve told her the story.

"You know Danny exaggerates …"

"Oh I doubt there was much exaggerating if my dad noticed."

"Your dad noticed because Danny fed him that McGarrettitis line and was cackling like a hyena." Steve rolled his eyes, but his attempt to look serious was belayed buy the sparkle Catherine's laugh brought to his eyes.

"You," She reached up to plant a kiss on the corner of his mouth that was twitching up in a smile, "are adorable."

"There's that word again. I. am." He turned into the kiss and pulled her closer. "Not. Adorable."

"Word on the street is you're 'BAMF' but they don't know you like I do." She ran her hands through the hair at his temples. "Yep. Adorable." She deepened the kiss. "Well, BAMF and hot, too, but definitely adorable."

"Mmmhmm." He leaned back and lifted her completely off her feet before setting her down. "Don't spread that around, Rollins. I have a rep to maintain."

"Duly noted." She chuckled.

"What do you say to dinner on the lanai?"

"Ya know, that sounds really nice, 'cause some adorable guy arranged for me to have butterflies." She looked delighted.

"Did he now?" Steve swayed them gently back and forth.

"Yeah. But I don't think he knows about how bad-ass you are …"

"Maybe you should tell him …"

"Hmmm, maybe, but I was gonna suggest dinner up here in bed," She whispered, barely touching Steve's lips. "… later … but if you'd rather …"

He pulled away just enough to catch her eyes. "There is nothing on this planet I'd rather, Rollins …"

"Good." She finally kissed him again. "But seriously, you do know how much I love that you got butterflies for me?"

Steve's huge smile broke the kiss. Catherine's expression when the first butterfly landed shortly after they'd planted the bushes wasn't something he'd ever forget.

"After your dad told the story about how butterflies get their strength through struggles and change I knew we had to plant them.

And you mean butterfly bushes; I got you butterfly bushes."

"No, I mean butterflies, Steve." Her look was one of pure love as her hand went to cup his cheek. "You got me … butterflies."

Steve's simple answer took her breath away. "No one deserves them more."

End thanks for reading, Mari

Oblivious will return.