Memories

15. Pictures

It had been a month since Bailey had been allowed to return to work with limits. She was happy that she only had a month left on those limits. It had also been a month since she had written down a new memory. At first, Bailey had been extremely troubled by it but after talking to her husband she started to accept that the memories were just going to happen when they happened. Steve had told her under no circumstances was she to force the memories. He did not want to risk any migraines and have his wife in pain. Bailey had also spent the month shuttling herself back and forth to her own physical therapy appointments. She was still riding with her husband to work on days she didn't have physical therapy. Steve had initially been against Bailey driving but after a calm conversation and the appearance of the doctor's note Bailey had procured, he backed off.

Steve and Bailey were enjoying their day off in their backyard. Steve was having a beer and thinking about barbecuing on the grill and Bailey was sitting in one of the lounge chairs in her bikini enjoying the sun.

"You got any plans for the day, Vi?" Steve asked his wife bringing her a beer.

Bailey accepted the beer with a smile and said, "Spending the day with my handsome husband in a bikini, perhaps less."

"Sounds like a good day," Steve said with a huge grin on his face.

"I thought you might approve." Bailey teased.

Bailey took a drink of her beer stood up, took a couple steps over to her husband, and tilted up her face. Steve smiled tilted down his own face and kissed his wife. Bailey hummed with pleasure. Steve pulled back, put his beer down, and then scooped up his wife, causing her to drop her beer. Bailey squealed and laughed in surprise.

"What the heck are you doing you, big neanderthal?!" She laughed.

"I thought I would take my wife inside for a little of that "or less" she was tempting me with." He returned, carrying her inside the house.

Bailey laughed, playfully beat her hands on her husband's back, and said, "Caveman!"

Steve grunted a few times in response, doing his best caveman imitation, and carefully tossed his wife on the sofa. Bailey yelped in surprise and was about to say something else to her hubby when she was promptly cut off with a long passionate kiss. The McGarretts spent the next couple of hours of the afternoon making love on their couch. The pair eventually fell asleep. For the next two hours, the McGarretts napped on the couch until they were awoken by a knock on the front door. Steve got up quickly and put on his shorts as Bailey grabbed a blanket and covered up. Steve opened the front door to see Grace on the other side with a package.

"Hey, Uncle Steve is Aunt Bailey at home?" Grace asked in greeting.

"Yeah, she's a little indisposed at the moment though Grace," Steve replied with a smile.

"Oh, okay. I just wanted to give her this. Could you give it to her for me?" Grace requested, holding out a package.

"Sure, sweetie. Are you sure you don't want to come in?" Steve asked, taking the package from Grace.

"Nope. You guys enjoy the rest of your day." Grace declined and left.

Steve closed the door with the package in his hand and looked at his wife.

"Well, that was different," Bailey commented.

"Yeah." Steve agreed.

"So I guess that's for me?" Bailey asked indicating the package in Steve's hands.

"Looks that way. Here ya go Vi." Steve said with a smile handing her the package.

"Come sit down, Steve. We'll open this up together and see what's inside." Bailey said, scooting over to make room for him.

Steve smiled and sat down next to his wife. Bailey put the package on both their laps and indicated for her husband to open his end, while she opened hers. Opening the package was awkward and silly. The pair kept getting in each other's way. This made Bailey laugh and pushed the box entirely onto Steve's lap. Steve smiled at his wife's amusement and opened the box for the both of them. They looked in the box on top was an envelope, and underneath it was tissue paper. Bailey reached into the box and removed the envelope.

The top of the envelope read: Bailey & Steve McGarrett

"Go ahead and open it, Vi," Steve told his wife.

Bailey nodded and opened the envelope. Inside was a card, Bailey read it out loud to her husband, "Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. McGarrett! We hope you enjoyed your honeymoon and that you will love this wedding present!

"Looks like Rachael's handwriting," Bailey commented.

"How do you know that, Vi?" Steve asked, a soft smile in his voice.

"Just something little I remembered," Bailey admitted.

Bailey noticed a tiny arrow at the bottom of the card, flipped it over, and read aloud, "Sorry, the surprise I promised you when you guys got back from your honeymoon is so late. Grace decided we all needed to add to it. We thought it might help Bailey recover her memories. I love you both- Danny

"No need to guess whose handwriting this is, he signed it. Add to it to help me recover my memories, huh? I wonder what could be inside." Bailey said.

"No idea, Vi. Why don't get this tissue paper out of the way and find out." Steve suggested.

Bailey put the card and envelope on the coffee table. Steve did the same with the box and together they pulled out some tissue paper covering the first item in the box.

Steve caught sight of the contents first and said, "Oh."

"What?" Bailey asked.

Bailey looked in the box and saw what had gotten Steve's attention. Bailey reached into the box and pulled out a photo album.

"Is this what I think it is?" Bailey asked slightly shocked.

"They put together a wedding album for us," Steve said in confirmation.

On the front cover were the gold embossed words: Mr. & Mrs. McGarrett-Wedding

Bailey opened the cover of the wedding album and started looking at the pictures. The first pictures in the albums were of her and Steve getting ready separately on the big day. Steve leaned over and looked at the pictures with his wife for a moment. He then gently took it out of her hands and set it on the coffee table. Bailey looked at her husband upset.

"There's still more stuff in the box. Why don't we find out what it is then look at our wedding album." Steve suggested.

"Alright." Bailey agreed quietly.

More tissue paper was taken out and underneath it were several more photo albums. Each album was titled with a different name. Once they had gotten them out of the box, they put the box aside and made a pile of the albums on Steve's lap. Bailey picked up each album one at a time and read the titles aloud: "Kono & Adam, Grace Adventures, Beach Days, Cuddles with Charlie, Hanging Out, Bailey's Birthday!, Engagement & Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties, & Honeymoon!

"I'm going to guess that these eight albums are to help with my memory," Bailey stated wryly.

"Probably, but look at everything our Ohana has put together for us, Vi," Steve said impressed.

"I know this must have been a lot of work and it's amazing. I just wish I could find these memories in my head." Bailey replied slightly sad.

"You will baby. Just give it time. I'm here and so are they. If you need proof just grab one of these." Steve told her holding up one of the albums.

Bailey chuckled and nodded her head. Steve was right. She was loved, Swiss cheese memory or not it was important to remember that she was loved and deeply.