Sorry for the delay. We had a family emergency this weekend, so I couldn't finish my update. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know your thoughts!

I don't know if I'll do another "chapter" after this one. This was just sort of my idea of settling things between Steve and Catherine. If you want MORE, let me know where you want to see it go.

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Recap:

Steve could see tears starting to fall down her cheeks, so he stopped walking to step in front of her. "Dammit, Catherine. Look at me." When she looked up to him again, his voice softened, "You were running away….from us. I want to know why."

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Catherine swallowed and tried to get her tears under control while also thinking about what to tell Steve.

"When Billy died, I felt lost," she began. "Like I didn't have a purpose anymore. The Navy had taken over half of my life and it was gone. When Billy came along and offered me another opportunity outside of the Navy, I was excited about the new job and being able to spend so much more time with you. But, before we could really get into a routine and I could adjust to being a civilian again, Billy was shot and everything changed. I was supposed to have his back, Steve….and I failed him."

Steve started to protest, but thought better of it. She needed to get this off her chest, even if she was wrong…. and then he would talk.

"I didn't know what to do with myself after that. I know you saw that and you tried to help me through it, but I still felt completely lost. The more I dwelled on what had happened and tried to deal with it, the more I realized it could be you someday. I mean, as much as it hurt me to lose Billy…" Catherine's voice choked on a sob, "I know I would never make it if I lost you."

Steve wanted so badly to pull her into his arms and make the pain go away, but he stood silently and waited for her to get it all out.

"You put your life in danger all the time and I don't think I could survive losing you too." Her eyes pleaded with him to understand. "So you're right. I did run away…..but it was because I realized how much I loved you and I couldn't bear the thought of losing you some day."

Catherine turned to look out at the surf rolling in. The sun had long since set, but the sound of the waves was calming as she willed herself to continue. Steve walked up behind her, put his arms around her and pulled her tight against his chest as they both looked out at the ocean. There was a gentle breeze blowing, so with his arms around her, Catherine could smell the scent that was purely 'Steve'. He smelled like soap, fresh air, and a hint of mint and woodsy aftershave. She breathed it in letting the familiar scent calm her.

Steve's voice was a soft rumble as he held her close, "But by running away, you forced us to be apart…so you kinda pushed me out of your life and didn't give me a damn thing to say about it, Cath. Sounds like we were both miserable for no good reason. So tell me the truth: What changed your mind and made you come back?"

Steve could feel the steady breathing of her chest as he held her close and waited for her to tell the rest of the story.

After a few moments of silence, she continued, "There was a woman in the village named Jamila whom I became friends with while I was there. When I first met her, she was pregnant with her first baby. The Taliban had taken her husband hostage a few weeks prior to my arrival when they looted the village, destroyed everything, took the men hostage, and left the women and children to fend for themselves. When I arrived, Jamila was about 4 months pregnant, so I was there when she gave birth to their son. Then…a couple of months ago, we found out that her husband had been killed along with most of the other men from the village."

Steve let out a sigh before taking a step back to turn her around. He looked into her eyes and leaned down to kiss her as he pulled her tightly against him again, "Shit! Baby, I'm so sorry."

A lump formed in Catherine's throat hearing the endearment from his mouth. It was rare, but whenever he called her by a pet name…..like "baby"…it made her melt on the inside. Catherine knew she was the only one he allowed himself to be completely unguarded and transparent with. He may be a tough as nails Navy SEAL and the unfaltering commander of Five-0 to most people, but he had always looked out for her. He'd been her friend, her lover, her protector. She always felt safe with him, and moments like this made her wonder what the hell she was thinking by staying away.

Steve held her close enough to feel her heart beating fervently against his own.

Catherine wrapped her arms tightly around his waist as he held her close, "Jamila forced me think about things," Catherine continued, "Even in her grief after losing Rami, she never regretted a moment they had together. Seeing her love for him….even after he was gone…..made me realize that I was wasting precious time with you. When I found out about Kono and Adam's wedding, Jamila told me it was time to return to my 'handsome American soldier'." Catherine let out a small chuckle. "I talked about you a lot and she knew I missed you."

She took a step back to look up at Steve with tear stained cheeks and her soul completely vulnerable to him. "I realized I would never forgive myself if I stayed away any longer. I knew there was a chance I'd lost you forever since I told you to 'move on', but I prayed the entire way home that that wasn't the case. Kono assured me everything would be okay because you were just as miserable as I was. "

Steve grinned, "Oh she did, did she? Well, remind me to thank her for that later."

In Steve's opinion, she had never looked more beautiful. He leaned down to kiss away the tears on her cheeks before taking her mouth in his again. "Okay now it's my turn. First of all, you aren't going to lose me, Catherine. Not ever. Not having you here with me has been one of the hardest things I've gone through besides losing my dad. I've been in hell. Honestly, it took everything in me not to come over there and drag your stubborn ass back home. Honest to God, I was ready to jump a plane and bring you back…..to me…..where you belong."

Relief filled her as she realized Steve was still hers. She had been so afraid she'd lost him forever, but now she knew their love ran deeper than either of them realized. Catherine looked up into the eyes of the man she loved a teasing smile on her sweet mouth. "Dragging my ass back home? Geez…..you're such a caveman."

Steve grinned back before growing serious again. He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and stroked her cheek with his finger, "The only reason I didn't do it was because I knew you had to work all of this out for yourself. Now that you're back, I'll be damned if I let you go again. Understand?"

Too emotional to speak, Catherine simply nodded her head.

Steve gripped her arms firmly and looked into her eyes, "There's something else, Cath: If we're going to make this work, we have to promise to talk to each other from here on out. I thought I lost you and it made me miserable. I know I should've told you more often that I love you…."

"Steve, wait…." Catherine tried to interrupt but Steve wouldn't let her.

"Hang on. Let me say this." He continued, "I should have! I should have told you every day that I love you, and I'm sorry I didn't. But from now on, that will change. But we need to promise each other that we'll talk things out from now on."

Steve looked at her with obvious pain still in his eyes, "My God, Catherine, you're the one person who really knows who I am. You know me better than anyone and I won't lose you again. I can't."

Steve's mouth quirked up into a hesitant smile as he looked down at her, "I'm going to be the first to admit, it won't be easy for me to be open and talk about everything, but I'm going to try. I can't deny anymore how much I need you."

They spent a few precious moments in silence enjoying the fact they were together again. Having the weight lifted off of her, Catherine sighed in contentment at being in Steve's arms again. She may have told him that she'd "found her place" when she was helping the village, but how wrong she had been. Steve was her home. She wouldn't doubt that again.

Steve leaned down to kiss her and Catherine felt the hunger in his touch. Suddenly, she couldn't think of anything else but being alone with him. As if reading her mind, Steve broke contact and looked down at her his eyes dark with desire, "What do you say we go inside? Home….for me and you."

Home. Yes, that's exactly what she wanted with Steve.

Steve gave her a naughty grin, "We have about a year's worth of fantasies to make up for, Lieutenant."

Catherine found herself blushing at the promise in his words before he put an arm under her legs and quickly swept her into his arms. It was reminiscent of the time he had shown up in a tux to take her to dinner and carried her away in front of everyone at Kamekona's shrimp truck. Steve really could be romantic when he wanted to be, she mused.

"Take me inside, Sailor…..and tell me about those fantasies on the way."

Steve shook his head in disagreement. "No way. I'd rather just show you."

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A few hours later….

Steve woke up to find Catherine sleeping peacefully at his side. He propped himself up on one elbow so he could look at her as he reached a finger up gently to push away the strand of hair that had fallen on her cheek. He had missed her. Having her show up so unexpectedly the day before had damn near made him have a heart attack. Then, settling things together last night, he had vowed he would not let her go again. Though he may not be quite ready to admit so much yet, he wanted more than a home with her. He wanted a family full of babies who had Catherine's beautiful eyes and infectious smile. For now, though, he was willing to take it a day at a time until he could mend the hurt caused by her leaving him. Then, they would move forward.

Catherine started to stir and released a happy, contented groan that Steve felt all the way to his toes. They had made love several times throughout the night, but he found he still wasn't satisfied. He had gone a year without her and still wanted more. Catherine opened her eyes sleepily to look up at him.

"Good morning, Commander."

"Good morning, Lieutenant." Steve smiled down at her with hunger in his eyes.

The greeting was a normal part of their repertoire when they were together and Catherine loved it. He moved his hands to cup her ass and draw her up against him so she could feel how much he wanted her.

"Again?" she asked teasingly.

"Yes….again. I've been without you for a year, young lady, so I need at least an entire weekend in bed with you before I will even begin to feel remotely satisfied."

Catherine smiled back at him as she let her own hands roam towards his ass. God, he was chiseled and hard in all the right places, but his skin was still soft. It was a Navy SEAL 'thing', but it still turned her on how he could be hard and "badass", but still soft and gentle when he touched her. It made her want to kiss him all over.

But, even though she'd already done that quite a bit the night before, her own hunger for Steve was nowhere close to being satiated either.

"I know the feeling. So what do you say we go for another round? Then you can take a shower while I make us some breakfast."

Steve shook his head, "No. How about we take a shower together…and then make breakfast together. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Catherine's heart couldn't have felt any fuller at the moment. She was finally back home where she belonged.

With Steve.