Hey guys!
Again thank you very much for the positive return to my humble little story.
I'm glad to hear that so many people have the same opinion as I do about Steve and Cath's relationship.
I'm working so that both can forgive each other. They have a lot to talk about yet, a lot to prove to each other.
No, I do not believe Steve is a 100% victim in the story, as you will see throughout the chapter.
There will be some action and some drama along the way, because what a great love story if not have too much drama and tears.
But I promise you, the end will be happy, as we want!
I hope you like and forgive my grammar mistakes, as I said, English is not my main language.
Steve spent the rest of the day completely stunned.
Zero concentration, which led him to take a shot in the arm during the fall of the case that they were investigating. Danny was furious, although the wound was minor, with no need for surgery, only a few stitches and a few days' rest for the injured appendix, his partner was still upset.
Because everyone knew the reason for Steve's lack of concentration.
He himself knew that seeing Catherine again resurrected in him several conflicting feelings. It was undeniable that he still loved her. He never denied this to anyone or to himself, but Steve knew that some relationships were bound to fail, even if love was true.
And after years of misunderstandings, lies and betrayals he'd accepted that was his harsh reality and Catherine. They loved each other, but not enough to make the relationship work.
But that does not mean he had not been moved by her presence and by the revelation that she was going to stay on the island for good.
Her brain was working overtime trying to dispel thoughts that if it had really come back to stay definitely maybe things could be different this time around.
Reason and heart were warring and this almost caused a tragedy in the take-down of earlier.
Steve was relieved that only him had been injured, that no one besides him was harmed because his mistake and that the criminals were where they should be, in jail.
Now he just needed to go home, rest and put his thoughts in place.
As if it were as easy to do as it was to plan.
From his office Danny kept looking at his dumb partner who had managed to get shot again.
Both had a bullet-magnet arm, and today McGarrett's had taken yet another shot. Danny does not know how Steve's damn paint could keep intact after so many holes over time.
The detective's heart ached for his best friend and brother. He knew that Catherine's return would destroy any pretense of stability in Steve's ever so troubled life.
The guy just could not get a break from life.
Although Danny knew that Catherine would always be the great love in Steve's life, everyone knew their relationship was as fragile as glass. A glass with lots of cracks.
Not that the native Jersey only blamed Catherine for failure. Steve had a great deal of blame for everything that happened, after all the idiot never took the next step that every relationship needs at some point, hell, the guy never called Catherine from his girlfriend officially. He has always treated her as a friend, someone who is not fundamental, important.
And how could the woman choose the ex-SEAL among all the other choices in her life if Steve had never placed Cath as a priority?
He could understand why she always sought stability elsewhere.
Steve did not even dare ask Catherine to marry him before she left. She would surely have changed her mind if he'd made the proposal, after all, it was as clear as day in the brown eyes she loved him.
And now she was back and all Steve's pretension for peace, and consequently Danny's, had been thrown out the window.
He really wants your friend to be happy. He deserves it.
If it were true that Catherine came back to stay, Danny was willing to swallow his pride and fight for the relationship of the two idiots.
But he knew it would be a long and painful journey.
But he would do anything for Steve.
Catherine was determined. She would fight for Steve.
Even after the strange, sarcastic encounter of today, she was sure there was still a spark of feelings for her in Steve's eyes, even if he tried so hard to hide it.
But she was a girl with a purpose and she knew Steve like nobody else and knew that his inside, what really matters, would never change. That hard exterior and those walls he put just to get a tough image were just the shell, the real Steve she had the pleasure to meet was sweet, gentle, concerned about who he loves and able to sacrifice his life for the greater good.
And that kind of a person simply does not forget a great love.
Catherine wanted to talk to Steve alone. No Danny watchdog around. Then she dressed carefully, with a clothes she knew he liked, with a perfume he gave her as a gift and went to Steve's house, there she knew she would have a chance to speak what she really felt and the which is why she decided to return.
Steve was sitting on one of the lanai chairs, staring at the ocean, right arm injured in a sling, beer in his left hand, Eddie lying at his feet. Anyone who looked at him would believe that despite his injured arm he was in peace.
But all that the former Navy SEAL felt at the time was not peace.
Reviewing Catherine had turned his head. He had long ago made peace with the fact that he would most likely never see her again and that she would never return to Hawaii. Now he was dealing with the unexpected news that she was back to stay.
And Steve wanted to continue his life normally but it was absolutely impossible. The mere notion that the great love of his life was on the island was like a magnet to which he was drawn with no chance to depart.
He was slowly approaching Alicia, felt that they both had chemistry, that there might be some real chance of a successful relationship between them. The two had souls tortured by life, by the people they loved, immense traumas without size and understood each other.
But there was no passion. Much less love.
Steve sighed and took another sip of his beer, looked down at his feet, and smiled at Eddie as he slept peacefully. At least one was peaceful in this house today.
He was abruptly removed from his reverie by the doorbell of his house. Frowning at the unexpected visitor, Steve stood up with a sore grunt. Being shot was not a walk in the park.
Eddie raised his ears and ran beside his new human toward the door, every stance ready to defend Steve from whoever was at the entrance of the house. Steve smiled again, at least someone cared enough to protect him.
The doorbell rang again, and the ex-SEAL approached the door, opened it to stop on his tracks when he saw Catherine there.
The surprised look that he was sure adorned his face was reflected in Catherine's brown eyes, which immediately looked at his injured arm and a look of concern replaced the initial shock.
"Steve! Did you get hurt? Are you okay?" And there was the sweet, worried woman he loved so much. But he had promised himself he would not give in so easily.
"Hey Cath. What a surprise. It's just a flesh wound, doctors are always exaggerated."
"Oh yeah, of course, because you've never minimized an injury before." Catherine responded in the same tone she always wore when he tried to say that everything was fine even with a broken leg. The conversation was so familiar and natural that it took Steve out of breath for a moment.
"I'm not lying, it was just a lucky shot of the perp, picked up scratch, just five points. Do you want to come in?" Steve continued, finding his good manners and using his upbringing, though his skeptical side was screaming at him not to go on with it.
"Yes, I wanted to talk to you. Again. Alone." It was then that she looked down and saw Eddie, who was sitting next to Steve with a dubious face, ready to attack if his human asked.
"Do you have a dog now? You've always been a cat person ... "
Eddie gave a soft bark and Steve laughed.
"Yeah, that's just one of the things that changed in my life after you left."
And again he lets out a jab. But she's willing to take them all.
"He's very cute. It seems to be very sweet too." Catherine said, bending down and rubbing Eddie's ears that he could not resist and lay on his belly up to be pampered. Steve rolled his eyes.
"He is incredible. It's a long story…"
"I have all the time in the world."
Steve looked at her, his mutating eyes so green now and Catherine wanted nothing more than to kiss him. But she would have to wait, be strong and go with her plan, to have any chance of regaining him.
Steve then opened the door wider for her to enter, Eddie followed them and the ex-SEAL went to the refrigerator, took out a longboard and handed it to his ex-girlfriend-almost-fiancée who followed him onto the lanai.
When they both reached the chairs on the edge of the beach, Catherine breathed in the scent of the sea she so longed for.
"It's so good to be back."
Steve just stared at her, not knowing what to say. He still could not understand what Catherine wanted from him. Again.
"Catch, I'm sorry for the honesty, I do not want to be rude, but why did you come back?"
Catherine looked at the man in front of her, took a deep breath, and bet everything on the words that would come out of her mouth at this moment:
"I came back for you, Steve."