Finally, Steve arrived home. He had been away for over a week, and now he was glad to be back. The visit with Jason and his family, who had been worried about him, had shaken Steve awake. Catherine had surely been just as concerned, and he didn't want her to suffer any longer.
Steve parked the Silverado in the driveway, got out, and unlocked the front door. He entered the house and looked around for Catherine. In the next moment, she came down the stairs and froze when she saw him. For a brief second, neither of them moved—they just looked at each other, unsure of how to react. There had been a tension between them since Helen's death, and it now kept them from immediately going to each other, offering support in their embrace.
But finally, Catherine took the step forward, walking toward Steve and pulling him into her arms.
"I'm so sorry. I should have told you," she whispered in his ear, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Steve gently pulled away, looked at her briefly, and then took her hand, leading her to the couch so they could sit and talk in peace.
"It's okay, Cath. I forgive you, and I want to apologize too. I haven't been acting like a husband lately, and I abandoned you when you needed me most. Her death hit you just as hard as it did me, but I couldn't handle it. And when I found the ultrasound picture, it was too much. I was desperate and needed time alone. At least, I thought it would help, but honestly, it only made things worse. To be completely truthful, there was even a moment where... I thought about ending it all. I'm sorry for that. Things might have been different if I had talked to you from the start."
"I understand that you needed time. And it's partly my fault too that you left. I shouldn't have hidden the pregnancy from you, but I didn't know how to tell you. You were so devastated, and I was afraid of how you'd react to the news of the baby."
"I think we both made mistakes. So don't blame yourself alone. We need to work through Helen's death together and focus on our second child. We'll tell him all about Helen, and she'll always be a part of our family."
Steve held Catherine close, and they both cherished the moment, finally able to relax and be there for each other.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Steve stood up and opened the door, only to freeze in place, staring in shock at the person standing there. When he didn't move, Catherine got up and joined him. She, too, froze, not knowing what to do next. The person at the door simply stood there, looking back at them with a mix of apprehension and anxiety until Steve broke out of his trance and pulled her into a tight embrace. He held on so tightly, as if letting go might cause her to vanish. Then all the emotions came flooding in—grief, anger, joy, curiosity, and relief—all swirling inside him, and he struggled to make sense of it all.
After releasing the person, Catherine embraced her as well while Steve shut the door. Once he regained his voice, Steve spoke up.
"What happened?" His voice was barely a whisper, as if he was almost afraid to ask.
Helen looked at him for a moment before crossing her arms and clearing her throat. As she did, her thin jacket shifted, revealing a gun in a holster at her waist.
"Why do you have a gun?"
"That's a long story. I'll have to start from the beginning, or it won't make any sense. It all started when I was on my way to see Leon, and a car pulled up beside me. Inside was a woman who seemed to know a lot about me, even though I'd never seen her before. She said she wanted to talk, so I met her at a café. There were enough people around, so I thought it was safe. She told me she knew Liana and that you're not my father. She said she had proof, and I don't know why, but something about her made me get into her car to see this so-called proof. I didn't want to believe her—that you're not my dad—so I wanted to find out the truth."
Steve and Catherine listened carefully, terrified of what else this woman had done to their daughter.
"Once I was in her car, she threatened me with a gun so I couldn't escape. We drove for about fifteen minutes until we got to a cabin in the woods. From there, she called you guys. After the call, we drove to another location I didn't recognize, where she met with a man I had never seen before. Then we went to the harbor, where we boarded a boat. She kept me there for three days. And... and I just kept hoping you guys would burst through the door to rescue me, but no one came."
Tears shimmered in Helen's eyes, and Steve hugged her again, trying to show her that they were here for her now.
"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. But we thought she had killed you. That's why we stopped searching."
"I know that now, and I don't blame you. Actually, I have to thank you."
"Thank me? For what?"
"For the things you taught me. When I was out there alone, I had nothing—except what you'd taught me. That's the only reason I was able to escape. I overpowered the man who was watching me and ran as fast as I could."
"If you were only there for three days, why didn't you come home after escaping?"
"Because I wanted to protect you. While I was with her, she talked to me a few times. She said she wanted to make you suffer but wouldn't harm innocent people. Hence the explosion. But she also threatened that if I tried to run or contact you, she would kill you—right in front of me. So I didn't risk it and stayed hidden."
"You faked your death all this time? You couldn't have called us, not even once? We had to live for over two weeks thinking we'd lost you!"
Steve could no longer control his emotions. Of course, he was relieved that his daughter was still alive, but he couldn't understand her actions.
"Dad, please don't be angry. You have to understand. You and Mom have helped and protected me so many times, and I didn't want to risk your lives. I don't want to lose you."
At these words, tears welled up in her eyes, and Steve tried to push down his anger. She had only been trying to protect him and Catherine. But still, it didn't make sense to him. Why had she suddenly come back? And why was she carrying a gun? She was only seventeen. What had happened to his daughter? She seemed almost like a different person.
"I'm sorry for raising my voice, but those two weeks were pure hell for us. Now, can you please explain why you have a gun?"
"After I escaped from the boat, I didn't know where to go at first, but then I thought of Doris. You've told me about her a few times, and she seemed like the right person to reach out to. So I called her, even though you told me she wasn't answering your calls anymore and had probably gone underground. Luckily, she picked up. She was surprised at first because she also thought I was dead, but after I explained the situation, she arranged a meeting. I've been with her ever since, and we've been trying to track down that woman. We also got in touch with Joe, who's been helping us. In the meantime, he taught me how to handle a gun so I can defend myself if that woman tries to take me back."
This was too much for Steve. He wasn't surprised by his mother's involvement, but Joe—he should have told him the truth. Anger surged again, and to avoid taking it out on his daughter, Steve grabbed his car keys and left the house.
Catherine and Helen watched him leave silently, and Helen began to cry again. She hadn't meant to hurt her parents this much. Catherine pulled her into a comforting hug.
"He'll calm down, don't worry."
"Mom, I'm so sorry."
"It's okay. You were just trying to do the right thing. Steve understands that, but all of this has been really hard on him. He wasn't doing well at all after he realized you were gone. And now, here you are again, and he just needs time to process it."
"Do you think he'll ever forgive me?"
"Of course. And once that woman is behind bars, he'll finally be able to find peace, and we can all put this behind us."
"Speaking of her, we might have a chance to catch her tonight. Doris, Joe, and I have been working hard to track her down, and based on the information I gathered about her car and boat, we've been able to predict some of her next moves. She'll probably be at the harbor tonight."
"You're starting to sound like a real detective. Maybe after school, you should join HPD and then Five-0. Speaking of which, it's only midday, so we still have time. Do you want to go to the Palace and say hi to the others? It wasn't easy for them either."
"I don't know if I'm ready. What if they're all mad at me, like Dad?"
"I don't think so. They'll just be glad that you're not dead. And we should probably make another stop on the way."
"You mean Leon, don't you?"
"Yes. He was devastated when he heard you'd died. You need to talk to him."
"He probably doesn't want me anymore."
"Don't say that. He loves you, and he deserves to know the truth."
"Okay, let's go."
Catherine hesitated for a moment, considering whether now was the right time to be completely honest with Helen, or if she should wait. Then she decided it was better to tell her now.
"Helen, there's something else you should know."
"What is it?"
"You're going to be a big sister soon."
Helen stared at Catherine with wide eyes for a moment, then slowly understood what that meant. She wasn't quite sure how to feel about it. There was something she had been carrying with her for a while, something she hadn't yet had the courage to tell her parents. The news that she was going to have a sibling made her think even more deeply. Maybe now was the right time to talk to Catherine.
"That's great news."
"You don't look as happy as you're saying. Listen, this was unexpected for us too, but maybe this will bring us closer and help us move past this difficult time."
"Mom, I really am happy. It's just... well, there's something I need to tell you."
