I apologize again for the delay in this chapter. Although it's been written for years, there was one section that I was never fully happy with and on my final read-through before posting, I realized I couldn't let it stand. Unfortunately, once I started reworking, it got a little out of control and affected some of the chapters that follow it. But it ended up quite a bit longer and I am happier with the final result so I guess it was worth it.
I hope you'll enjoy!
Finding Peace - Part 1
Chapter 3
Having finally found each other again, Steve and Catherine were inseparable. They spent almost every moment of every day together, laughing, talking, and renewing both their romantic relationship and the deep friendship that had preceded it. They focused on being with Mary and Joan for most of the remaining few days in Los Angeles, although Steve insisted on finally taking Catherine out to that dinner in Coronado.
When it was time to depart, they drove up the coast to San Francisco to see Chin Ho and so Catherine could meet his wife Abby and daughter Sara. Their friend was overjoyed that they were back together and admitted he'd hoped they would someday get the second chance they both deserved because he'd never seen two people more meant for each other. Neither Chin nor Steve was surprised that the two women hit if off immediately and became fast friends.
It was a joyous reunion and they enjoyed reminiscing about the past and catching up on what had happened in each other's lives in the interim. Steve and Catherine were also able to visit the San Francisco task force's headquarters, meet the other members of their friend's team and watch them work. Chin welcomed his former teammates' input on a case they were working and for a few hours they were able to get a taste of old times. Although his leadership style was different from Steve's, he had incorporated many aspects of Five-0 into his new team and the combination had proven to be very effective. The pair from Hawaii were happy to observe that their former teammate had done well for himself with a successful career and happy family.
They ended up spending a few days in the Bay Area, exploring the city and visiting before they drove the eleven hours to Salt Lake City, where Kono's team was closing in on a trafficking ring. Steve drove while Catherine navigated, and they passed the time talking about everything and nothing and playing road games. They stopped once for lunch, and twice for gas, and arrived at their destination late in the afternoon.
It was great to see Kono, although strange for Catherine to see her without Adam. Steve had told her that they'd divorced, and she knew Adam had returned to Oahu but knowing it and seeing it are two different things. The women had missed each other and could have spent days catching up, if only Kono had the time.
Her unit had been making great strides in shutting down trafficking rings all over the country but that meant she was not often in one place for long. But she assured them she was doing well and living the life she wanted, so they were happy for her. They spent just over 24 hours in Utah and then flew out on the red eye to the east coast for the next leg of their journey.
They flew into Baltimore, having decided to visit their alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. Due to their age difference they'd only actually been on campus together for one year and were never in the same circles during that time. Regardless, they both had fond memories of their years there and enjoyed sharing them with each other.
It had been nine days since they'd departed Oahu, but it felt like so much longer to them, like somehow the almost five years they'd been apart no longer mattered. Steve had casually suggested they take a walk before dinner and had steered them toward the seawall as they strolled leisurely, hand in hand. The sun was dipping lower in the sky and there were few people milling about. He tugged her to a stop, and she looked back at him, a question on her face.
"This was one of my favorite places," he told her as they stood facing the water. "I have a lot of fond memories of being here."
"Me, too. It's so beautiful."
He gazed at her for a moment, studying her face. "You're beautiful," he told her reverently and dipped his head for a kiss. "I love you, you know."
She nodded slowly. "I know. I love you, too." She could tell he had something on his mind and waited patiently for him to continue.
"Five years ago, I thought we'd never be us again but here we are. And I think… I think I'm glad now, that we had that time, because this – what we have now - is even better than I ever thought it could be. And I'm not sure… how that's even possible, but it is, and I don't want to question it." He took a breath and dropped her hand as he reached into the pocket of the lightweight jacket he wore. He gazed deeply into her eyes as he withdrew a small box and opened it to reveal a diamond solitaire ring. "Catherine, will you marry me? Finally be my wife?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he was both utterly relieved to have finally asked the question and irrationally scared that it was too soon. But he was ready, and they'd both agreed they didn't want to hold anything back, so he held his breath and forced himself to focus on her.
She gasped in surprise and looked first at the ring, then up at him, searching his face. "Steve, you don't have to… if you're not—"
He smiled softly and reached up to cup her face, stroking her cheek gently with his thumb. "But I am. I'm ready. More than anything, I want to be married to you. To be your husband. I know it took me a long time to get here but it's always been you. The moment we met, something changed in me - you made me want to open my heart so I could let you in. I love you, Cath. I've loved you for almost half my life and I want to love you for the rest of it." He inhaled sharply. "As long as that's what you—"
Her eyes damp, she leaned in and kissed him deeply. He snapped the box shut and slipped his hand into her hair, anchoring her to him.
"Was that a 'yes'?" he asked softly when the need to breathe forced them apart.
Her smile was beaming as she nodded. "Yes."
He felt his soul sing with joy as he pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her soft strands. He held her tight, unable to imagine ever wanting to let go. He straightened just enough to lift her off the ground for a moment before placing her back on her feet and, needing urgently to kiss her once more, stepped back just enough to claim her mouth. He felt as if his elation was pouring out of him and into her, and he hoped she felt it, too.
When they broke for air, he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. "Say it again?" he implored softly.
She pulled back enough to lock eyes with him, love shining in hers. "Yes," she repeated, "I can't wait to marry you. I love you, Steve. I've always loved you."
"I love you so much, Cath," he murmured. "I'm so happy right now."
"Me, too," she whispered. She stretched to kiss him again, lingering in the embrace.
As he started to regain his senses, he remembered that he hadn't given her the ring. He released her to bring the small box between them and open it again. He removed the ring carefully, holding it between the thumb and forefinger of his right hand as he lifted her left hand and slid it into place on the third digit.
She gazed at it for a moment, drinking in the sight of it. "It's beautiful. It's perfect. When did you have time to get this?"
He smiled. "I've had it for years."
"Wait… is this…" She looked up at him. "This is the same ring? You kept it all this time?"
He nodded and shrugged gently. "I couldn't ever let it go. Let you go."
"And you brought it with you when you left Oahu?" She was touched by the realization that he really never had let go of the idea of a happily-ever-after for them and tears sprung anew to her eyes.
He shrugged again and smiled at her joy. "I told you I was planning to look you up some time."
She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in tight. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too," he said reverently as he held her in his arms and planted a gentle kiss on her hair. He noticed the sun had set and the sky was awash with color. "Look," he said as turned her gently and stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her front and his chin resting against her head.
"It's beautiful," she murmured. "But nothing can beat the sunsets at home."
It warmed his heart to hear her refer to Hawaii as 'home' and he smiled softly. They watched the sky for several more minutes, until the colors began to fade. "We should probably head back; it's going to get dark," he said regretfully, hating to burst their little engagement bubble but looking forward to getting her alone somewhere private. He released her and took her right hand with his left as they started back toward their rental car.
Catherine lifted her left hand, angling it so she could admire the ring as they walked. After a moment she leaned into him, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
"How about if we just get married here?" she suggested softly.
"You don't want a big ceremony and a party?" he asked, cautiously.
"I mean, sure, if that's what we decide, but I don't think I need that. I don't really have a lot of family left, just my parents and I'm sure they'd make the trip if we wanted. I don't have a lot of close friends anymore - I lost touch with a lot of people the last few years… But I know you'd want Mary and Danny there, Junior, and the team, Chin and Kono if they could make it. I know how much your 'ohana means to you. Plus, Joanie would be an adorable flower girl."
"Yes, she would," Steve agreed with a smile. "And I did promise Mary I'd invite her to the wedding, but, you know," he said thoughtfully, "there are so many people who couldn't be there, people that I would miss, and I-I don't want to wait; we've waited so long already. Honestly, Cath, I'd love to get married tomorrow as long as that's what you want, too."
"I do," she agreed. "I want that. Maybe we should just keep it simple. I know you're all I need. And I don't want to waste a lot of time planning. You know, we could just go home and get married at the house," she suggested gently.
He shook his head slowly. "I'm not ready to go back yet. Maybe…" he said as an idea started forming in his mind. "Maybe we should just find a beach somewhere. Maybe South Carolina - we're headed down to visit your parents in a few days anyway."
"Do you think we could get everyone here that quickly?" Catherine asked.
He considered for a moment. "I'm not sure we need to. We could keep it small, just us and your parents; I'll fly Mary and Joanie out if she can take a few days off."
"Are you sure?"
He nodded. "My parents are gone; so are Aunt Deb and Joe. But your folks were always great to me. And once we're married, they'll be my family, too. They could meet Mary, get to know her and Joanie a little bit."
Catherine smiled softly. "I'm sure they'd love that. My mom will probably only need a day or two to pull together the perfect wedding, once she understands that we're serious about wanting small and simple. They're going to be so surprised."
Steve looked at her sheepishly. "I, um…"
"What? Did you already tell them?"
He grimaced. "Not exactly. I may have called them the other day to let them know I planned to propose and ask for their blessing."
Catherine was touched. "You did? What did they say?"
"Your father said, and I quote, 'It's about damn time, son.' Then they told me they'd been hoping for years we'd find our way back to each other and welcomed me to the family."
Hours later, after they'd finished round one of their celebrations and ordered the food they would need to sustain them for subsequent rounds, they placed some calls to get plans in motion.
Elizabeth and Rear Admiral Patrick Rollins were delighted at the news and, though the former initially protested, albeit weakly, at keeping it simple, she was more than happy to help plan the ceremony.
As Catherine had predicted, her mother was a force to be reckoned with. Twenty minutes after receiving her daughter and future son-in-law's initial phone call she had basic plans in place for Friday, less than four days away. A notary public friend-of-a-friend would perform the ceremony on what she called 'the perfect stretch' of the semi-private beach behind their house. She'd also made reservations for a private room at a resort a short distance away for a meal that would serve as the reception. She planned to start making calls in the morning to arrange flowers and a few other items for the ceremony. A quick internet search yielded that a marriage license needed to be obtained 24 hours in advance, so the betrothed couple would drive down Wednesday evening to get that taken care of first thing Thursday morning. The only other items Steve and Catherine would need to address were their vows, their rings, and their apparel.
While Catherine spoke with her mother, Steve got in touch with his sister who understood completely their desire not to wait. She flatly refused to even consider not attending the ceremony and was on her computer almost immediately checking flights. Steve, who was also checking flights, found a red eye that departed Los Angeles late Wednesday night and arrived early Thursday morning and insisted on purchasing the tickets. Mary called him a control freak but accepted his offer and contacted her employer to ask for the time off.
Catherine's parents were excited to meet Steve's sister and niece and offered to host everyone at their house for the weekend but advised they had booked a luxury suite at the resort for two evenings with the intention that it would be utilized by the three McGarretts on Thursday evening before the wedding and by the bride and groom on their wedding night.
Although Elizabeth understood and accepted the couple's desires for their wedding day, there were some traditions she hoped to observe and the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding was one of them. But when her daughter told her, in no uncertain terms, that she and Steve had not spent a night apart since they found each other again and would not be doing so anytime soon, the two Rollins women found a compromise that was mutually agreeable.
The bride and groom would wake together Friday morning but then be apart for the hours leading up to the ceremony. In the interim, Steve, Mary, and Joan would eat breakfast and spend time together while Catherine did the same with her parents. Elizabeth confided to her daughter that she knew it would be a challenge to keep the groom away from his bride so she hoped having his sister and niece with him would help keep him occupied. Catherine smiled and told her mother she should also have a plan to distract the bride because it wasn't going to be any easier to keep her away from the groom.
Steve had protested the expense of the suite, but his future father-in-law insisted he was honored to cover the bill, then commented that he was getting off easy in paying for the wedding, so they graciously accepted her parent's generosity. Before bidding her folks good night, they made plans to meet for a late meal on Wednesday after their drive.
"Wow. You weren't kidding," he said when she put down the phone.
"About my mom and planning the wedding? Nope. And this was even faster than I expected."
"I can't believe we're getting married in a few days," he said with a grin. "I can't wait."
"Me neither," she said with a happy smile.
Steve woke to the feel of his fiancée's mouth on a very sensitive part of his anatomy and moaned with pleasure. He could tell it was still early and was surprised she was awake. There had been another round of their celebration either very late, or very early, depending how one looked at it, and he guessed they'd only slept for a few hours, but he wasn't complaining.
He held out as long as he could then said lowly, "You need to stop that."
She looked up at him with a devilish smile. "Good morning, Commander."
"Good morning." When she moved to resume her previous actions, he growled and pulled her up. He kissed her deeply before flipping her over and stilled immediately when he heard her catch her breath.
"Did I hurt you?" he asked with concern.
"No," she said with a smile. "I'm just a little sore, but it's the best kind of sore."
He studied her face carefully and saw only desire and… something else reflected there. Trust. He realized it was trust he was seeing. It was a heady feeling knowing how much she wanted him and that she trusted him completely not to hurt her. He smiled wolfishly and trailed his hand down her body.
"My turn."
He stroked her tenderly, eliciting the soft moans he knew he would never tire of hearing. He wanted her desperately but forced himself to be patient. He'd always thought of her body like a fine instrument, to be cherished and revered and played as often as possible. And like any accomplished musician, he'd studied hard and learned how to play his instrument flawlessly. He knew her body so well that he could manipulate it dozens of ways to make it sing and he never tired of doing so. In fact, he took pride in it. He continued his gentle ministrations and soon her moans turned into cries of pleasure and when he knew she was close, he applied just the right pressure to send her over the edge.
She looked at him with hooded eyes and rolled onto her side to kiss him hungrily. When they broke for air, he locked eyes with her.
"I don't want to hurt you," he said softly.
"You won't," she whispered. She pushed him to his back and settled astride his hips.
He looked up at her with a smirk. "You're insatiable."
"You're not?" she challenged.
He grinned and flipped them both over gently. He looked down at the face he would never tire of seeing. Even with her hair mussed from sleep and her face devoid of makeup, she was beautiful. And she was his, as he was hers. He was still in awe of the fact that they'd found their way back to each other and would finally be married. "I love you."
"And I love you," she said, "so much. I can't wait to be your wife."
He grinned in joy at her words before closing the distance between them to capture her mouth and show her just how much she meant to him.
Several hours later they sat across from each other at a small café finishing up their breakfast.
"Tired, Rollins?" he teased gently when she yawned over her oatmeal.
"Yes," she acknowledged with a grin. "Yes, I am tired. But it was worth it."
"So worth it," he agreed.
He reached for her hand, rubbing his thumb softly over the back of it. "Part of me still can't believe we're going to be married in a few days. Friday will be here before we know it."
Happiness shone in her smile. "I know. And we don't have a lot of time before we have to leave to drive down there."
He squeezed her hand. "You ready to get out of here?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Where should we start? Rings or clothes?"
"Rings," they said in unison and laughed.
When the left the café, they headed toward the town center; he pulled into a public lot and put the vehicle in park. On the drive over, they'd been talking about their plans for the day, but she could tell his mind was elsewhere.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked.
He sighed and answered honestly, "Deciding when to tell Danny."
"About the wedding? He's your best friend. Don't you think he'd want to know?"
"Probably. I'm just not sure how he's going to react."
"You think he'll have concerns," she guessed. "Does that bother you?"
He locked eyes with her. "Not at all. I don't have any doubts and if he's not on board with that, then it's his loss. I just don't want to play 20 questions with him right now. I'd rather focus on you and the fact that we're getting married in a few days."
She studied him for a moment. "Still, you should tell him. If you don't, it's going to be on your mind anyway. You told me a little while ago you think he'll be happy for us. If that's true, then he'd want to know. It's probably too early now to call, but maybe in a few hours?"
"Yeah." He sighed and pulled out his phone. "But I'm not calling him until I know where his head's at," he said, then began tapping a text message while she looked on.
I know it's early there, but I have news. I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark, but Cath and I reconnected a couple weeks ago and are getting married on Friday at her parent's house in S.C. If you want to say congrats, you're welcome to give me a call later today. If you want to say anything else, we can talk when we get back from our honeymoon.
He tapped 'send' and was reaching for the car door when his phone chimed an incoming message. He glanced at her in surprise and checked the screen.
Is she out?
"Why is he up?" Steve wondered aloud. "It's like three in the morning there." He didn't need any additional information to know that his friend was asking about Catherine's job with the CIA, and he tapped out his reply.
Yes.
His phone rang two seconds later, and he accepted the call, putting the device to his ear. "Why are you up?" he asked by way of greeting.
"We had a case, Steven, stop trying to deflect," Danny said dryly. "Are you really getting married in three days?"
"Why would I lie about that?"
"Congratulations, buddy! That's fantastic!"
He exchanged a look with his fiancée. "You mean that?"
"Yes, I do. I'm happy for you."
"Just like that?"
"Yeah, just like that. Listen, after Joe died, I saw you two together and I could see that something changed, got rekindled, whatever. But you went your separate ways after, so I figured something must be holding you back and her job probably had something to do with it. I was hoping the two of you were going to figure it out and get back together someday and I'm very happy I was right."
"Me, too," Steve admitted.
"I figured when you left that you were planning to look her up at some point. How you'd find her so fast?"
"Actually, she found me. She's the one who decrypted the cipher and Lincoln told her about my plans, so she quit the agency and surprised me on the plane."
"And let me guess, you've been together ever since," Danny said with an audible smile.
"Yeah."
"That is excellent news. Is she there?"
Steve smiled. "Yeah, hold on." He put the phone on speaker and held it out.
"Hi Danny," she said with a smile.
"Hi Cath, it's good to hear your voice. Congratulations. I am very glad you and the big lug found each other again."
"Thanks. We are, too."
"So, how long you been planning this?"
"The wedding? Less than a day," Steve answered. "I proposed last night."
"And you're getting married in three days? I'm impressed."
Catherine laughed. "You haven't met my mother. But we're keeping it small; just my parents and Mary and Joan."
"We decided to keep it simple," Steve added. "We don't want to wait and there's a lot of people who can't be there, so…"
"I get it. I'm sure it'll be perfect."
Catherine exchanged a smile with Steve. "Thanks, Danny. We appreciate that."
"I know you make each other happy. And you deserve to be happy, both of you. So, what's on your agenda for today?"
"We're going shopping for rings and clothes."
"Ah. I know how much Steve loves shopping. Have fun with that."
Steve chuckled. "I'm looking forward to it actually."
"Well, you are forgiven for keeping me in the dark. And I knew, by the way."
"Really?" Steve rolled his eyes, even though Danny couldn't see him. "What exactly do you think you knew?"
"I knew something was up with you. How many times since you left did I say you sounded different, huh? And the only time I have heard you sound like that was when Catherine was around. Hence, I knew something was up and wondered if it involved Catherine being back in your life."
Steve was touched by his friend's words but chose not to comment on it. "Well, I appreciate you keeping your suspicions to yourself rather than asking me about it."
"You're welcome. I figured you'd tell me when you were ready, and I was right," Danny said then added with an audible grin, "Again."
Steve chuckled and exchanged a look with his fiancée. "Yes, you were."
"I'd say that makes me three for three this morning, Steven, and I haven't even been to bed yet."
Steve rolled his eyes again and said dryly, "Let me know when you finish patting yourself on the back."
"I am going to ignore your sarcasm. Congratulations and good luck with the shopping, I gotta get some sleep."
"Thanks. Hey, Danny?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you, uh, keep it this to yourself for now? I'd like to let everyone know at the same time. Probably sometime after the ceremony."
"Yeah, no problem. I can do that. I am very happy for you guys. Nice to talk to you, Cath. Steve, I'll give you a call later on, all right?"
"Yeah. Talk to you later." Steve disconnected the call and looked down at the phone for a moment.
"I'm glad he called," Catherine said softly.
"Yeah. Me, too." He leaned over for a kiss. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah, I'm kind of excited. Are you?"
He nodded and kissed her again. "Let's go shopping."