Hey guys!
Thanks for all the reviews, accesses and new followers, this is the best incentive I could receive. You are amazing. I'll answer everyone individually, okay?
Well, the real drama begins in this chapter. There is a part of the conversation that Steve and Cath need to have, but that's not all; it's a lot to settle for, a single conversation is very little, but this is undoubtedly the beginning of healing for their relationship, though it does not look like it.
I hope you enjoy it and once again take it easy on me if my grammar mistakes irritate you, I'm doing my best.
"I came back for you, Steve."
Catherine told the truth. That was exactly why she had come back. The time she spent away from Steve working for the CIA was amazing professionally but terrible for her personally. She never felt so sad and lonely.
And as she thought about her future, she was sure. The only chance to be truly happy was to go back to Hawaii and the life she had so casually left behind.
Obviously Catherine is an intelligent woman and knew that she would find many changes and resistance, but it was not in her blood to give up something without a good fight.
She had a job forwarded in Pearl. She still had contacts in the Navy and they had a proposal for her. It also helped her make the decision to go back. She loves Steve and wants to be with him for the rest of her life, but she also needs a job. And working on Pearl and regaining Steve would be like a dream.
One of them was on his way.
The other was staring at her with huge frightened gray-blue eyes.
It would be hard work to convince him.
"What? You came back for me?" Steve did not want to believe in this change of heart yet, he needed to protect himself from another disappointment with Catherine.
"I came back because I finally understood that I can't be happy if I'm away from you." Catherine said with tears in her eyes.
"Cath ..." Steve sighed and said the only thing his mouth was able to articulate.
"Please let me get you back, your trust, your love ..." She knew she was almost begging, but she did not care.
"Cath, there was a time when I would give anything to hear this from you ... but now ... a lot has changed in my life. I don't know if we can pick up where we left off, it's very complicated." He pressed the tip of his nose with his good hand, along with his injured shoulder, now he also had a killer headache.
"I know it's not simple, Steve. But I'm willing to fight and show you that we can work if we both fight for it..."
"You abandoned me Cath. With an engagement ring in my pocket..." Steve interrupted, before she could finish.
"I didn't know! You never proposed me! I would have said yes! I would have stayed if you had asked..." Tears ran freely over his face now.
"How could I ask you to marry me when you simply told me that I was not enough for you, that you needed a greater reason to live and that that reason couldn't be me?"
"I never said you were not enough! I said I needed to feel needed somewhere and that Five-0 was yours, that I didn't want to be a shadow of you in your task force, but you were always more than enough." She said between sobs and Steve started to feel like an idiot for making her cry.
"Cath ... I love you. I will always love you. But we are completely incompatible. You are a free soul, who likes to leave when you want and I no longer have that availability. I have a stable life here in Hawaii, I can't accompany you on your adventures and I don't even want to be here waiting for you without knowing if I'll see you again one day, I can't do this anymore..."
"I need a chance Steve ... that's all I'm asking you ..."
"It's not so simple Cath ... I am ... I'm different now. Much has happened."
"What really matters to me has not changed."
"You don't know that."
"So tell me, what could have changed so dramatically?"
Steve just laughed, a bitter laugh. He could not believe she was coming back and simply wanting to continue where she left off, as if leaving and lying was nothing.
"I'm no longer willing to give up my heart to be trampled when you decide to leave on a mission again."
"I already told you, I'm no longer CIA. I left the agency. I have a proposal from Pearl to train new recruits from NI. I came back to stay Steve, I'm telling the truth this time. Please believe me."
"The truth like when you told me you were teaching in Afghanistan but you were CIA? The truth as when you came back and told Danny that you wanted to stay and then disappeared by lying that you was going to do humanitarian work? I'm tired of that kind of truth Cath."
Catherine smiled, a sad smile with tears in her eyes. She was prepared to be rejected by Steve at first, but the reality was much harder than she imagined. She never thought he could address such harsh words to her. But then she remembered when he found out she was lying about Doris. He'd been hard on her, had been pissed for a while, but then he came back and the two got it right. She was clinging to it now again, that it would take her a while to process all of this, but that he would return to her.
"I'll prove to you that I'm telling the truth, Steve. That you can trust me again, that I love you enough to stay. "Catherine said as she got up and headed for the exit of Steve's house. The ex-SEAL made no move to follow her. Catherine then wiped her eyes and left, heartbroken, but the same determination as she had arrived. It would not be easy, but she was sure she would.
"I need more than words Cath." Steve murmured when Catherine had left.
On Saturday Danny stood up bright and early to visit his idiot partner who had gotten shot again.
He was worried about Steve and not just because of his injury, his recent transplant or radiation poisoning that was still a problem, but also worried about the whole thing with Catherine.
If Danny was extremely nervous about the return of Steve's ex-girlfriend, can you imagine the guy?
The detective had contacted Alicia to tell her what had happened, hoping she could spend the night with Steve, but she was off the island, visiting relatives with Sienna. She was very worried, but could not go back for at least a few days.
Hell that Steve never had his girlfriends around when he really needed them.
Danny was pleased to see Steve's truck in the driveway, he was afraid the schmuck had resolved to drive with one arm out of commission.
But then the joy was of short duration when he found an extremely quiet house.
By the time Super-SEAL should have been awake for a long time and getting crazy for having to rest the injured arm.
"Hey Steve! Are you in home?" Danny screamed and got no answer, the only thing he heard was Eddie's paws that ran to the door at the sound of detective."
"Hey buddy, where's Steve huh?" Danny spoke to Eddie as he scratched the dog's ears.
Eddie allowed himself a moment to be stroked by Danny and then ran up the stairs to his owner's room. Danny ran after the dog, feeling a surge of anxiety as he climbed the stairs.
Upon arriving in Steve's room, Danny's heart fired. He was apparently asleep, sprawled out on the bed, but the detective knew it was too late for Steve be sleeping yet, even on a weekend, which could only mean he was not feeling well. He ran to his friend's side and put two fingers to his throat and sighed in relief, Steve was alive.
But he also felt that he had a furious fever.
Damn it! He must have gotten an infection from the shoulder wound. With his compromised immunity, it was not a surprise at all. Danny thought.
Danny then began to shake Steve's good shoulder so that he would wake up, so they could measure the fever and know if they would have to go to ER.
After some insistence, two gray, feverish eyes stared at Danny's blues.
"Hey Super-SEAL, your brain is boiling inside your head, come on, let's measure this furious fever and know if I have to drag your ass to the hospital in the middle of Saturday."
Steve sat up in bed clearly out of the air, in pain and feeling miserable. Danny made a sympathetic grimace.
"I don't feel so good..." It was the only thing Steve was able to manage in response.
"I know. Now come on, open your mouth. That is it. Good boy." Danny teased and got a dirty look in return.
The thermometer beeped and Steve looked at the value. He then closed his eyes in frustration and leaned back at the pillows. He knew what that number meant.
"103.5. You just got a wonderful Saturday at the hospital." Danny shook his head, feeling very sorry for his friend.
The rule was, fever above 100 wins a trip to the ER. Steve's doctor was categorical. With radiation poisoning and liver transplant, they could not risk it. A simple infection could cause a rejection that was potentially fatal.
Steve was admitted as soon as he arrived at Tripler's ER. The fever was high enough to require urgent treatment. Steve was now connected to an IV and several monitors.
And in a bad mood.
"That sucks." Steve mumbled for the hundredth time since they'd arrived at the hospital.
"I know partner. I'm sorry." And Danny really did. Steve was an incredible guy who did not deserve all this drama.
Soon after, the doctor who answered him in the ER entered with an expression of few friends. Danny tried not to freak out.
"Commander, we have the results of your preliminary exams and they are worrisome."
Oh Gosh. Danny was officially terrified.
"What is wrong with him, Dr.?" Danny voiced his panic as usual.
"In the beginning, when you came in here in the ER, we imagined that the commander had contracted an infection from his gunshot wound, which is perfectly common. But preliminary results showed no infection. The cause of the high fever you've been experiencing is a sudden drop in your blood levels." The doctor fired and waited for the information to sink into both men. At the end of their speech, both had wide eyes.
"What does that all mean?" Steve went straight to the point, as usual.
"I can't say for sure, but they are strong indications that there is something serious going on in your body. We contacted the doctor accompanying your transplant and also a radiation haematologist specialist to better evaluate your condition. Then we will know for sure what is going on, but beforehand I can assure you it is not an infection of your bullet wound, which is healing well by the way."
"Shit." Danny let go and started pacing the room.
"Danny! Stay calm, we don't know what it is yet. It may be nothing." Steve tried to calm his friend, but the look in the doctor's eyes said yes, it was very likely to be quite serious.
"What the doctor just said Steven, if you didn't understand, which I find very difficult, is that you are probably rejecting my liver or have cancer!" Danny exploded, it was too frustrating to save.
The doctor simply didn't deny Danny's statement.
After losing his mind for a while inside Steve's hospital room, Danny decided to quit a bit. His friend's fever reached a peak of 104 and he was medicated with a dose of antipyretic horse and was sleeping.
Danny then went out into the hospital garden, he needed to breathe.
He could not believe this was happening. After all the fight to save Steve's life after the shooting on the plane, he was again losing his friend. It was unbelievable how fate liked to play with his life.
He did not want to imagine the worst case where he would bury his best friend. The guy who changed his life eight years earlier. It was like losing Matty all over again. If not worse.
But now he needed to be strong. For Steve and all the people who would be devastated if one of the doctor's two somber diagnoses was confirmed.
Steve needed them all now. To beat this more.
It was then that he made a decision. Steve needed everyone to care about him right now and there was a person who was trying to show that she really cared, so this was the time to show it.
To show that it was more than words.
Danny dialed a familiar number and waited for the person on the other side to answer.
What will happen now? Steve is seriously ill, how will people react? What does he have?
Guesses?