Chapter Text
After dinner was over, Steve was sitting out on the back lanai with Catherine when Mary came over to them. She had just put Joan to bed and the doorbell had rung so she answered it, and she looked a little hesitant, “What is it Mary?”, he asked her with a curious look, he knew his sister so well and knew something was up.. She looked from Steve, to Catherine and then back to Steve, “Well, I was putting Joan to bed and the doorbell rang, and so I was answered it and it was”, she lowered her voice a little more, “Lynn”. She looked back towards the house, Steve and Catherine looking as well, “and she won’t leave till she talks to you, I’m sorry bro”.
Sighing softly, he shook his head as he looked over at Catherine and then at Mary, “It’s okay Mare.. You can bring her out here, but I’m not talking to her without Catherine here, whatever she needs to say to me she can say in front of Cath”. This was the first time he had seen Lynn since before his hospitalisation, she hadn’t been to visit him while he was in hospital or anything even though he knew she knew because Ellie Clayton had been to see him whilst in hospital.
Catherine smiled at him, squeezing his hand as she sat next to him, she knew she could trust Steve have a conversation with her by himself but she appreciated the fact that he wanted her there with him whilst he spoke to Lynn. Nodding her, head, Mary headed back to the living room where she had left Lynn, relayed what Steve had said and then brought her back out to where Steve and Catherine were sitting out the back.
The room was silent as a pin drop, before Steve finally spoke up, “So what do you want to talk about Lynn?” He had heard the talk around town that she had been talking about him, asking people why he would want Catherine over her, and badmouthing Catherine to anyone who would listen. “And before you say you want to talk to me privately, whatever you need to say to me, you can say in front of Catherine”.
Lynn shook her head and sighed softly as she looked at them both, “I just don’t understand why you want to be with ‘her’” she said her with such distain in her tone and in her facial expression that Steve wondered why he ever went out with Lynn to start with. He wasn’t over Catherine when he began dating Lynn and he did feel a little pushed by a few people to move on and date someone else, but he knew in his heart he wasn’t ready to.
He became angry with her wording, but the soft squeeze of Catherine’s hand was all he needed to reign things in, “‘Her’”, he began softly but firmly, “has a name and her name is Catherine, and I have been in love with Catherine since the first day we met at the academy all those years ago, and you don’t need to understand anything at all”.
Catherine’s heart beat a little faster hearing that and she smiled softly as she listened to Steve speak. She had been a little jealous and hurt when she had come to Steve’s to inform him of his mother’s predicament and had tried her best to not look hurt, but she had never spoken badly about Lynn to Steve or anyone for that matter, in fact she had only ever spoken nicely about her and hoped Steve was happy because that is all she needed to know.
“She left you though, more then once.. Steve I could have made you happy, She doesn’t deserve you, you need someone who is going to stay, who sees you as being a priority, not her career”. Steve was beginning to get frustrated and annoyed at her, he wasn’t going to leave Catherine and even if she had to go back to work with the CIA, he still wasn’t going to let that affect their relationship this time. Shaking his head, he breathed out through his nose and looked at her, “No, you couldn’t have made me happy, you want to know why.. because you aren’t Catherine.. I know I owe you an apology for unintentionally leading you on, and I am sorry for hurting you and causing you pain, but I am not going to apologise for reconsidering what is best for me after a near death experience and deciding that what is best for me getting back together with Catherine, she is the best thing to ever happen to me, you didn’t even bother to come visit me in the hospital or call me, why do you think you deserve a place in my life?”
Scoffing a little, she clicked her tongue and shook her head, “I did come to see you, Ellie called me, because none of your team were bothered enough to, but when I got there, She was already there with you and so I just left”. Catherine and Mary who had stayed as well could sense this woman knew she wasn’t going to get Steve back, and she just wanted to cause drama, and make Steve feel bad. Mary could sense the calmness in Steve and Cath even though she knew Steve was a bit frustrated, and so Mary stood up at this and addressed Lynn.
“Look”, began Mary, “I think you really need to leave, Steve’s just come home from major transplant surgery and is trying to recover and rest, I have my young daughter upstairs sleeping and I don’t think this is appropriate. I understand you are feeling hurt and betrayed but you are an adult and there is no need to act this way towards my brother and his girlfriend. You have had your say and now I think you need to leave”.
While Mary had been upset as well when Catherine had left, she too understood why and understood Steve’s willingness to forgive her and move on, She herself had not found a man to share her life with but she knew that this was all Steve had wanted for years, and she sized Lynn up the moment she met her and knew that Lynn wasn’t the one for her brother, and she got on well with Catherine and so did Joan so she was happy to give Catherine another chance as well.
Lynn wanted to say more, she even opened her mouth to start speaking again but closed it when she realised that it wasn’t going to get anywhere, and she turned around in a huff and walked out, Mary following her to make sure she left and then locked the door behind her. Once Mary had locked the door, she came back out the back and checked in on Steve and Catherine, Steve smiling softly as he saw his sister re-appear, “You both okay?”, she asked them both sounding concerned.
Nodding his head, he smiled a little wider, squeezing Catherine’s hand, “We’re fine thanks Sis, thanks for standing by us, we both appreciate it a lot”. Mary nodded and leaned in and hugged her brother as he began to stand, “You are welcome bro.. You know I love you guys together and honestly just between you and me, I think you dodged a bullet there with her”, she smirked and laughed softly.. “Now I’m gonna head to bed, make sure you both get some rest as well”.