Ohana

Chap 6 "Learning From Emily"

Steve's POV
I put the rest of the team on the case while I took a chance to go and sit in one of Emily's classes. It was her last class of the day. "This is interesting," I replied.
"Just behave and sit in the back," Emily pointed. "I don't want any disruptions from you. I'm teaching this class not you."
"Is this all real?" I asked.
"Every girl is different. You know that," Emily looked at me. "What I teach isn't about me. It's about the students finding the sweet, romantic side of them." I noticed the students filing in. "So, don't take what I teach to heart and try to use it on me. Besides, you already got me. I am your wife." She went to the front of the room. "Alright, it's 2pm, class is starting. Who read the chapter?" Everyone raised their hand. "Great! Questions?" A guy raised his hand. "Yes, Tanner?"
"For guys, how do we know if it's the right girl?" Tanner asked.
"You're wanting a guys perspective," Emily replied as she sat on the edge of her desk and faced the students. "Uhm, I don't really teach on what either female or male should do. Most of my teaching has been unisex."
"Yeah, you never really told us if you had anyone or that ring is a promise," Dani replied. "How'd the guy get you? Or is it a different meaning? We want to know how your love life is as well, when you're teaching us about this." I cleared my throat. "You never really told us much about you."
"I googled you," Tanner replied. "The only thing that came up was an FBI Special Agent was tortured and raped when undercover for your first case ever at the Bureau and now you're an agent with Five-O." Emily looked at me and then back at the student. "You can either tell us about your love life or I'll dig up everything I can on you."
"Threaten her again, and you'll be arrested," I stated.
"I'm sorry, and you are?" Tanner asked.
"I wouldn't get him mad if I were you," Emily stated.
"I am Commander Steve McGarrett, Five-O," I replied as I walked up to Emily and faced the class. I crossed my arms. "Special Agent Votaw doesn't have to share about her time at the Bureau if she doesn't want to."
"Steve, stand down," Emily stated. I looked at her. "Seriously, stand down." I put my hands up and sat in her chair. "I'll share, with you, about my time at the Bureau." She looked at the class. "I was fresh out of college, brand new hire of the Bureau. I was well a couple months away from 23. I interned there my senior year and when they hired me, I was set. They found me to be the perfect undercover agent due to physicality and visuality of a description." I sat back in her chair and listened to her story. "I happy accepted and I was sworn into the BAU of the FBI. I went under and happened to be tortured and raped by this unsub. I'm just glad it was me and not the other girls I was locked up with. They wouldn't have lasted if they didn't have the mentality I had." She sighed. "The guy got away when my team found me. He laid low when he found I was pregnant. He stopped killing. For two years, we kept an eye out for this guy, including his alias. He used one to get to Hawaii and started killing again. After three bodies, Five-O contacted us, and my team sent me out here to catch this guy. So, I brought my daughter, and a partner of mine out here." She looked down and then back at the class. "We caught the guy after he pretended to hold our daughter for a ransom. That day, the Bureau decided it was best to let me go because my actions were against protocol. Same day, I was sworn into Five-O. I couldn't afford to pay for more time on a hotel room, so Steve McGarrett let me stay at his place with my daughter. Couple months after that, we became a couple. Two years later, we have a daughter and we're married."
"So, you have two kids now?" Heather asked.
"Yeah, Kaarina and Eileen McGarrett," Emily nodded. "Kaarina will never know who her real father is. I, as a parent, think it's best to not let her know she's related to a serial killer." My phone vibrated and I looked at it. "Steve."
"Sorry," I replied.
"Anyways, she looks at Steve as her dad," Emily replied. I looked at the text and ignored it. "So, to answer your question about how you know if the girl is the right one, Steve McGarrett will answer that."
"You want me to answer that question?" I asked. Emily nodded. "Okay. Uhm, follow your heart."
"How'd you know Agent Votaw was the right one?" Tanner asked. "I mean, with her past, you wouldn't think to ask."
"I didn't care about her past. I looked at what's inside. Her heart," I replied. "I asked her out with a song. I didn't even get down on a knee when I proposed. It's only because I know she doesn't care about that. She only wants to know her kids are taken care of. Also, she only wants the simple things in life." Emily smiled as I looked at her, I looked back at the class. "I knew she was the one because of how she saw me as a person." I went and stood next to Emily. "And because I wasn't going to find anyone crazy enough to jump off a building and catch a criminal with me." The students laughed. "Hey! It's true. She literally jumped off the pier after a car that went into the ocean to catch the guy that tortured her."
"Yeah, that happened," Emily nodded. "He almost went in after me." I put my arm around me. "But I wasn't crazy enough to jump off the side of a building and into a pool like you did."
"How is that any different?" I asked.
"Well, a pool is a confined space and I'm not a Navy SEAL like you are," Emily smiled. A girl raised her hand. "Yes, Rose?"
"How does your relationship work? How did you guys last this long?" Rose asked. "I know you guys must be away from each other all the time. He's Five-O and you're a professor here. Also, you have two kids."
"That's the power of ohana," I nodded.
"Don't listen to him. Sure, it's family but there is a reason why relationships work," Emily smiled. "Relationships last long not because the two people are destined to last long. They last long because two brave people made a choice." I looked at Emily as she looked at me. "To keep, fight, and work for it." She looked at her watch. "Okay. So, time's almost up for this class. Here's your assignment. Valentine's Day is tomorrow. I want you to have a romantic day or night with your significant other that doesn't include sexual desires. If you're single, ask someone. Girls, you can ask a guy. It's the twenty first century." I nodded. "A girl can ask a guy. One of my girls in the FBI asked a guy, they're happily married for a couple years now." A girl raised her hand. "Tiffany?"
"What if your significant other is deployed?" Tiffany asked.
"What branch?" I asked.
"Marines," Tiffany sighed. "I'd rather not spend my Valentine's alone in my apartment, moping."
"How are you at babysitting?" I asked. Emily backhanded me in the gut. "Ow!"
"We don't need a babysitter," Emily replied. "Email me, Tiffany. If you have a situation, don't hesitate to email me. I need to know asap." She looked at the students. "I want to hear about your Valentine's when we get back. Have a wonderful day." Students started filing out. One girl stayed behind, putting her things in her bag. "Janice, you were pretty quiet today. Everything okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Janice nodded.
"Okay," Emily replied. "Do you have any questions for me about the class?"
"No," Janice quickly stated and left.
"She's in a hurry," I replied. "Is that normal?"