Steve broke away reluctantly and looked down at her, "This isn't goodbye, Shauni. I'm not going to say goodbye."
She heard the hidden meaning in his words and willed herself to be strong and fight the fear she was feeling inside. She had gone from being ecstatically happy in the last few days to being paralyzed with fear knowing she had unintentionally fallen in love with this Navy SEAL. Steve had been her protector and had inadvertently stolen her heart in the process, making her feel safe, and making her want to bear her soul to him like she had never done before. He had also loved her on a level no other man ever had, so there was no denying the emotional connection she felt to him. It was frightening…..Damn frightening.
Feeling so emotionally naked was more terrifying than anything she had experienced before. There was no denying she loved him, but for reasons unknown to her, she found herself fighting the love and attraction as if it were her very life she was fighting to preserve.
"I know." She answered but there was no conviction in her voice.
"Then why do I feel like you're pulling away from me?" he asked as he reached up to gently stroke her cheek. He had even surprised himself with the strength of feelings he felt for her. This had never happened to him before, but something told him he needed to fight….for her.
Shauni didn't answer at first. She only looked at him with her big, bright eyes and tried to defend herself, "I'm not pulling away. I told you I'm going back to L.A. because I have to work."
Steve wasn't convinced and she knew it. God help anyone he ever interrogated because she found it nearly impossible to look him in the eyes and lie. She had no doubt her heart was giving her away, but this was what she needed at the moment. She needed some space and time to think things through. Her feelings for Steve had taken her by surprise with their intensity.
He held her chin forcing her to look at him, "Nice try, Babe, but I'm not buying it. I can see it in your eyes." he said resolutely.
Shauni's heart fluttered at the endearment even though she kept her stubborn resolve to 'stay strong'. Steve saw the battle raging inside of her and decided to cut her a break. Never breaking eye contact, he reached his hand up again to push back her hair and stroke her cheek, "Just be sure you come back to me, okay?" His voice was insistent and left no room for argument.
She found she couldn't speak around the lump in her throat, so she just shook her head and leaned up for another kiss.
After driving her to the airport a short time later, Steve escorted her into the private terminal reserved for privately chartered planes and watched her leave taking a piece of his heart along with her.
**********h50*************h50*****************h50
Steve poured himself into work over the next several days. Fortunately, there were a couple of cases to keep them busy so he was able to stay substantially distracted. When he went home each night, however, it was a different story.
He missed having her with him.
He missed her voice, her smile, her laughter.
He missed her cooking.
He missed how she would wait up for him, no matter how late.
And most of all, he missed having her in his bed.
It didn't help that he caught sight of her on television a couple of times during entertainment reports on the news. Steve wasn't an "entertainment news" kind of guy, but he found himself watching now just for a glimpse of her. Then every time he saw her smile, his heart ached.
They shared sporadic phone calls over the first few days after Shauni left, but even those dwindled down to almost nothing as the days went by. Steve got moodie and Danny, Chin, Kono, and Grover were doing everything they could to keep his mind occupied and OFF of a certain songstress who had undoubtedly captured "Super SEAL's" heart.
Friday finally rolled around and everyone was hoping for a "case free weekend". Steve had tried to call Shauni several times over the last couple of days and was only connecting to her voicemail. He was getting increasingly frustrated since he knew she was deliberately ignoring him. After one such attempt to call her, Danny walked into the office just as Steve muttered a curse and tossed his cell phone onto his desk.
"Voicemail again?" Danny asked already knowing the answer.
Steve turned to his partner with a mixture of fury and sadness in his eyes, "She's shutting me out, Danny. She's shutting me out and there's not a damn thing I can do about it."
"Are you serious? I mean are you seriously telling me that things are hopeless?"
"What CAN I do about it? She won't talk to me, so what am I supposed to do?" Steve's irritation was evident in his voice.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you tell me her Dad predicted this was going to happen? She's pushing you away for some reason. Who knows what that reason is….but he told you this would happen. So, what do you do?" Danny paused for a moment waiting for Steve to look at him. When Steve looked up, he continued, "I say you go after her. Go to her and talk this out. You are miserable….You're making all of us miserable…and I can almost guarantee you that she is miserable too."
Steve knew Danny was right. Not that he would ever admit it, but after thanking his friend & partner for the advice and asking them to cover the next few days, he started thinking about how to get her back.
Steve's phone rang.
He looked at the caller ID hoping it was Shauni calling back but saw "private number" on the screen. He answered to find Sasha on the line.
"So how long are you going to let her get away with this?" Sasha skipped the formalities and jumped right in to the conversation without saying 'hello.
"Hey, Sasha. I feel like hell…..Thank you for asking. How are you?" Steve was brisk and defensive, "Now, what is this about?" Steve asked.
"Like I said…How long are you going to let my sister run away before you go after her and talk some sense into her stubborn behind?" She asked.
"It's kinda hard to talk to her when she won't answer the phone."
Sasha would not be deterred. "Then you need to go to her. She told me that crap story she fed you about coming back to L.A. to work on the tour…..and she will kill me if she knows I'm telling you this…..but I'm going to tell you anyway: She has been hiding out at our parent's cabin for the past week and she is miserable. I can't talk her stubborn ass into going back to Hawaii, so YOU need to go to HER before she drives all of us absolutely insane with her brooding."
Steve mulled it over. Once again, Derek's words came to mind, "Don't let her push you away. Don't let her get away with it."
Just as predicted, it had happened. Shauni had pushed him away and he was letting her continue to do so. But how did he fight it?
"Your Dad told me this would happen."
"He did?" Sasha's voice squeaked in surprise.
"Yes. He told me she would eventually try to shut me out once she realized she loved me. And for the record, I love her too." Steve paused, "SO….what do I do now?"
He heard Sasha's happy sigh on the other line, "I knew it! I knew you loved her too….and KUDDOS to our sweet Daddy. I'll have to thank him for that later. So, I'm glad you asked what to do because I have a plan. Stick with me, Super SEAL, and I guarantee you'll have my sister begging for you."
Steve didn't want to think of what her "begging for him" did to his libido. He actually willed himself not to think about it. He's been away from her so long he could actually get aroused just thinking about her. Steve missed her, so the thought of her open, hot, and begging for him to love her was almost too much for him to think about.
After filling Steve in on her plan and convincing him it would work, she left him with one final thought.
"She really loves you, Steve. I will tell you honestly that I have never interfered with her love life. BUT, I know my sister better than anyone and I know she's in love with you. I also know it's scaring the hell out of her. She's afraid of loving you and losing you when you go away."
"I have no intentions of going anywhere." He said emphatically. "Against all reason, I am in love with her. And if you tell anyone I said that already, I'll have to kill you." He joked. "I mean…after all, I do have a certain reputation to uphold."
"Oh yeah? And what reputation would that be?"
"The reputation of being a bad ass." Steve was trying his best to sound serious even though he knew it wasn't working.
Sasha couldn't help but laugh, "Yeah, whatever. I guess your secret is safe with me. I have no doubt that you love Shauni…..So despite the sisterly bond we have with each other, right now I have to do what I think is right for her….which is why I'm telling you to DO this. And if she tries to tell you all the reasons it can't work between the two of you, you need to stand your ground."
Steve thanked Sasha, ended the call, and then worked on getting plans in motion.
************h50**********h50****************h50
The following day, Steve flew into the Reno-Tahoe International Airport and made his way to the car rental counter to pick up the vehicle waiting for him. He still had a drive ahead before he would reach the Steele's mountain cabin.
In the meantime, Sasha told Derek and Olivia about the plans to get Steve to Shauni back together, and in return, they called to give him their support. Any doubts he may have had about going after her were diminished once he talked to her parents and heard the relief in their voices. It was an odd feeling, actually, to have their "blessing" when he knew he was about to interfere with Shauni's desire for privacy and "distance".
Even Olivia had bristled at the remark about Shauni's wanting "distance" when Steve brought it up. "Distance 'shmistnance'. That is the last thing she needs, sweetie. My girl is running away. I have a feeling you can be just as stubborn as Shauni, so don't back down. Once she sees you aren't going anywhere, you will win her heart. Do you understand me?"
Steve couldn't help but chuckle, "Yes ma'am. I'll do what I can…..I promise."
Then, Derek took the phone from Olivia and told Steve he would call the housekeeper, Isabella, to let her know Steve was coming. Derek and Olivia had insisted that Isa go with Shauni on her little "getaway" so she wouldn't be completely alone at the cabin. She had also taken her faithful Irish Setter, Rusty, with her for company.
Upon receiving the call from Derek, Isa breathed a sigh of relief and then sworn silence. She wouldn't tell Shauni about Steve's arrival, but was happy he was coming since Shauni had been increasingly agitated and irritable the entire time they had been out of town.
Knowing that he had her family and friends behind him was a huge relief to Steve. It was also a sign that he needed to do what his heart was telling him to do. His heart belonged to Shauni, and vice versa, so he'd be damned if he let her get away.
He typed the address into the SUV's GPS system and started the drive while formulating in his head what he was going to say when he saw her. Shauni had no idea he was coming which gave him an advantage; He could say what he wanted to say before she had a chance to come up with excuses. The rest, they would deal with later.
He punched in the security code for the gated community before making his way up the winding drive and parking in front of the house. He got out, walked up to the front door, and rang the doorbell nervously.
Isabella answered, "Commander McGarrett?" she asked as she took in the sight of the handsome man in front of her. He wore faded blue jeans, a blue t-shirt that fit him perfectly and brought out the striking blue of his eyes, and black hiking boots.
No wonder our girl has fallen for him, Isa mused. This man is gorgeous!
The smile that broke across his face threatened to melt Isabella into a puddle. Good heavens, she mused. Shauni doesn't stand a chance!
"Yes, ma'am. Can you tell her I'm here? Although, I don't think she knows I'm coming."
Isabella offered him a warm smile as she gave him an impromptu hug, "Don't you worry, Commander. Whether she realizes it or not, she needs you. So you stick to your guns and talk some sense into that stubborn head of hers."
Steve couldn't help but laugh. Yes, it seemed that everyone was on his side. "You might want to remind me of that in few minutes when she gets pissed that I'm here."
Isabella led him through the spacious home until they reached glass doors leading to an impressive back yard 'retreat', of sorts. There was a large pool which included a small waterfall. The pool was surrounded by vegetation and flowers to compliment that part of the country and looked like an inviting oasis. Steve quickly zoned in on Shauni who was sitting on one of the chairs with a guitar strapped to her lap. She also had paper by her side seemingly writing a song. Steve drank in the sight of her sitting here in her barely there bikini. She may have been holding a guitar, but he knew the lines and curves of her body and he instantly ached even more for her.
Isabella stepped out back, "Shauni, you have a guest, dear."
Shauni looked up from where she was writing and the shock was immediately evident on her face.
Steve walked purposefully up to her as Isa left them to be alone. The look on his face was firm and soft at the same time which was quite a mix. Shauni saw the softness in his eyes telling her that he had missed her. But, there was also a resolution in his gaze. A resolute gaze that told her he wasn't going anywhere which made him very different from any other relationship she'd had before.
"We need to talk." Steve said.