Title: A long day

Rating: K

Disclaimer: Unfortunately they are still not mine. I hope CBS and whoever owns the rights to Five-0 doesn't mind too much that I'm borrowing them for a short while.

Summary: Entering North Korea results in a long day for Steve and Catherine. – Just a few missing scenes for 3.20

Thank you: Again a huge thanks to my friend Cokie. And please go and read her tag to 3.20 – you will not regret it.

A long day – Tag to 3.20

It was one of the hardest things he ever had to do. Steve looked down at the shallow grave where his friend's remains still lay. He could feel how his emotions threatened to overwhelm him again. He knew that Cath would understand and not judge him, but he swallowed hard and almost choked on the lump in his throat.

"Steve, we have to get moving," he heard Catherine's soft voice.

"I know," Steve barely whispered back.

"You want me to do it?" Cath asked as she laid her hand on Steve's shoulder.

He turned slightly, looked up to her from his kneeling position and shook his head. "No, I'll do it."

It took him ten minutes to transfer Freddie's remains as gently as possible to the box they had found in the camp. It was by far not as big as a coffin, and Steve had to put in the leg bones first. He had tried not to separate the bones and keep his friend's remains intact as much as possible.

When he was done he couldn't keep the tears in and blinked furiously to clear his vision.

"Thank you for coming with me, Catherine," Steve said after they had loaded the box into the jeep.

"Thank you for not pulling rank on me," Cath answered with a tentative smile.

It would have been the only way to keep her away. For a second back at the base she had been worried that Steve would order her to stay put, but he never did.

"I had the feeling you would have come anyway," Steve told her.

"Damn right."

Now it was Steve's turn to smile.

H50 – H50 – H50

Catherine looked over at Steve who sat behind the wheel and navigated their jeep through the rough terrain like he had driven this path dozens of times before.

When he turned to her she could see how bloodshot his eyes still were. Like he was still struggling not to cry.

"You okay?"

Cath had to laugh at his question; she knew that neither of them was okay. She was sure that he was only upright because of endorphins still rushing through his system. She knew how Steve was able to push an injury into the background, but she also knew that his head injury would catch up with him soon.

She hadn't been kidding back in the field when she had told him that his head was way worse than her cracked rib.

Her rib only hurt, and she could adapt to it. But no one can prevent the brain from checking out due to a concussion, which Cath was sure Steve had suffered. Not even Steve McGarrett would be able to go on indefinitely.

"Cath? You okay?"

She became aware that she hadn't answered his question yet and that he was looking at her with worry all over his face.

"I'm sorry, yeah, I'm fine."

She saw him nod and turn his attention back to the road. If you wanted to call it that. Even naming it a dirt road would be an exaggeration.

"How much longer until we're back in South territory?"

"Not long, maybe fifteen minutes," was Steve's short answer.

She could see that he held the steering wheel almost in a death grip.

"Steve, are you okay?"

"Fine," he gritted out.

Cath only snorted and lay in wait. She would be ready and there when he was no longer able to ignore his injuries.

H50 – H50 – H50

Steve knew exactly what was happening. He had more than enough experience to know all the signs. He was coming down from the adrenalin rush they were on since they had entered North Korea. He was coming down hard and fast.

If he wasn't gripping the steering wheel like he did his hands would be shaking.

His head was hammering and he saw gray spots invading his vision.

He knew he wouldn't have a problem with a simple injury to any part of his body. But hitting his head like he had, he was only able to fight the effects for so long.

But he'd be damned if he would give in before he made sure Cath was safely in South Korea, preferably on Osan base.

His mind had drifted a little and so he missed a pothole that almost broke the jeep's axle. He was shaken out of his stupor not only by the violent movement, but more so by Cath's groaning from being jostled like that.

"Catherine?"

"I'm good," she panted out.

"I'm sorry," Steve said and cursed himself for slipping like that.

Thanks to another dose of body chemicals released into his body, caused by the almost crash, Steve stayed alert for the rest of the trip.

He breathed a sigh of relief though when they reached the bar Frank called home.

Steve turned off the ignition and just sat behind the wheel. His arms and legs suddenly felt like they were filled with lead. He grabbed the wheel a little tighter to stay upright and was startled when Cath touched him. She was suddenly standing next to the Jeep, trying to get his attention.

He answered her worried call of his name, but nothing audible came out of his mouth. Dizziness slammed into him and the last he saw was Frank rushing to their aid before he tilted to the side.

H50 – H50 – H50

Cath watched Frank and two other men carrying her friend into the back of the bar. She was happy to see Steve blinking his eyes open as soon as he was lying on the couch with his legs propped up on the armrest.

"Catherine, sit down. You look like you will join our buddy here any minute," Frank said as he let her to the recliner to at least sit down.

"Please look after Steve, he hit his head really hard," she told Frank as she sat down.

"I'm fine," Steve piped up and struggled to sit up. "Do you have a phone we can use?"

"I'll get you a phone, but do us all a favor and lie back down before you pass out again."

Cath had to laugh at the face Steve made but he obediently lay back down.

Catherine watched as an older woman came into the room with an armful of medical supplies. She went right to work on Steve's head wound.

As soon as she started cleaning it the blood started flowing freely again.

Steve lay still during her ministrations, and for a minute Cath was worried that he had passed out again. But her worry eased when he grimaced when the woman pressed on the cut and applied a bandage to it. He was obviously awake.

She smiled at the woman whose name she didn't understand, and tried to tell her that she didn't need any attention.

"Catherine, let her take a look at you," Steve said without opening his eyes.

The old woman didn't do much for her, only gently cleaned the area around the bruise to see if there was any kind of wound. An infection was not something to take lightly, but there was no wound to tend to.

Five minutes later they were left alone.

H50 – H50 – H50

Steve opened his eyes again and had to smile at the sight in front of him.

Cath was half sitting, half lying in her recliner and looked just beautiful. Dirty and battered, but with a definite glow about her.

"What are you grinning at?" Cath asked without even bothering to open her eyes.

"How would you know if I'm grinning or not?"

"Well, are you?"

"Hmm."

"See, I know you," Cath said laughing.

"Yes, you do," Steve told her seriously. "Thank you, Catherine. I wouldn't be here without you. Thank you for bringing Freddie home."

Steve looked at the woman that had stood by him through so much over the years, who had been willing to die with him on this suicide mission. He wondered what lay ahead of them. On their trip back home and in the future.

But one thing he knew for sure. Whatever their future held, they would discover it together.

H50 – H50 – H50