Steve had been sitting in his car outside the house for almost thirty minutes, staring at the same green blue door, trying to build up the courage to walk up and knock on it. But something was holding him back. The fear of rejection by the person on the other side of that door, just like they had rejected his phone calls this last week. They had all been trying to get in contact, calling the landline, the mobile, going over to the house hoping someone would answer… They had tried everything but break down the bloody door, but Steve was not that far from it.

Taking one last glance at the door, Steve opened the car-door and walked up to the house with determined steps and a steeled face. He raised his fist and knocked firmly on the door, making sure it would sound through the entire house.

"Kono, open up!" He yelled and held his breath, waiting for an answer. Oh how he longed to hear her voice, he would even settle for a yelled response through the door, as long as he got to hear her voice and make sure she was alright. Something he should have done two weeks ago.

Yes he felt guilty for Kono's dismissal from the force. They were both responsible for taking the money from the forfeiter's locker but she was the only one who had to face the consequences. The team was Ohana, family, and he always protected his family. Only this time he had failed and it only felt worse because it was Kono he had failed.

"Please, Kono open the door!" Steve knocked again, louder this time, but there was still no response or movement from inside. "Open up, Kono!" He yelled with more anger but he still got nothing.

Steve was frustrated to say the least and was two steps down, on the way back to his car, when another idea struck him and made him turn around again. He knocked again at the door, but softly and more calmly this time around.

"Please Nani, open up! I need to know that you are okay!" He pleaded, trying to let his desperation to come out for Kono to hear. She was probably the only person he freely showed his emotions to. And finally he got a reply, a softly spoken plead through the still closed door.

"Go away, Steve!"

"Not until we talk." He said, glad that he had finally got a response.

"There's nothing to say, Steve. I lost my badge, I am no longer a cop and therefor no longer a part of your team, so do me a favour and leave me alone."

"Kono, please!"

"Go away Steve!"

Steve could hear footsteps walk away from the door and he knew that he would not get any further today so he walked back to his car and drove off, taking one last look at the house in the review mirror before it disappeared. It pained him that it had to be like this. Less than a month ago he drove away from her house after he had dropped her off after they had spent the day together at the beach. Things had been so good between them, they were spending time together outside of work just the two of them and he felt completely comfortable around her, with no walls that held him back.

There had always been a connection between the two of them ever since they met for the first time at the beach when Chin introduced them. It was something about her that had drawn him in, she was so open about everything and easy going. She was lethal but there were no nicer person out there, and in the short time Steve had known her, he felt more comfortable with her than with some of the guys he had been in battle with.

Then a couple of weeks ago their relationship changed and became more intense, their playful banter turned flirty and several tender moments and kisses were exchanged whenever they were alone. And Steve could not have been happier, it felt so different from what he had had with Catherine. But then Wo-Fat came along and then he became distracted by Lori, the new Governor's babysitter, while Kono got dismissed from the force. They had not spoken in two weeks and it was slowly getting to Steve, he missed her and just wanted everything to go back to how it had been before. But it couldn't. He had let her down and she had every right to be angry with him.

Steve punched the steering wheel to let out some of the anger and frustration that he felt. How was this fair? The one good thing in his life and he manages to fuck it up while trying to do the right thing. He was two minutes away from home when his phone rang and forced him to turn the car around.

For the first time in history Steve did not want a new case, he just wanted to go home and let out some steam with a massive work out before having another crack at getting to speak to Kono. But being the patriot that he is, he dutifully sucked it up and got to work. He worked it as if it was any other case, methodical and following all the leads, up until the point where everything became personal.

He took two steps at the time as he rushed up the marble staircase in the lobby to the office. How could he not have known? He should have seen the signs, he should have been around to help before things got out of hand, but it seemed as if it was too late and he had messed up once again in such a short time. Chin was already waiting for him in his office when he stormed in, head bowed down in shame. He felt it too, they had let her down and they should have known better. Chin should have said something, Steve would have done everything in his power to get Kono out of the mess she had apparently gotten herself into. She could have been killed today and he would never have gotten the chance to make things right between them, she would die thinking he had let her down and no longer cared about her. And that was not going to happen, he would not let that happen.

"Do you want to tell me in on what's going on?" Steve had already gotten the gist of it over the phone with Lori. She and Chin had been waiting in the motel for Trisha Joiner to turn up when a man had showed up with a gun. There had been a chase and shots had been fired before Chin caught a glimpse of Kono in the getaway car.

"I didn't know it was this bad!" Chin said defeated. This was clearly taking its toll on him as well not talking to Kono, they were tight as thieves. But Steve couldn't really take it in at the moment, he was worried and wound up and all he could focus on was that Chin had had his suspicions and not told him anything.

"Then why don't you tell me what you do know?" Steve had to hold back not to scream.

"I knew what we all knew. Kono lost her badge and now she is in a bad place." Chin said in exasperation. "Steve, she hacked into the HPD-database using my password! When I asked her about it she said she wanted to see her case file."

"What's her connection to Joiner and his money laundry business?!"

"I don't know! I have never seen her with the thug she was with today. She is hanging out with guys like Ray Mapes now."

"Who is Ray Mapes, Chin?!" Was he supposed to know who that was? By the looks on Chin's face it was not a nice guy.

"Ray Mapes is an ex-cop. He lost his badge when he got caught shaking down drug dealers. I figured that was all she felt she was good enough for. I know that feeling."

"How did it get this far huh?! Why didn't she come to us?" Did he really have to ask that? It was pretty obvious why she didn't come to them, she had said the same earlier when he went around to hers. In her eyes she was not a part of the team the minute they let her down and she lost her badge. It was his fault she felt she had to hang with dirty ex-cops and get into situations like these instead of coming to them for help.

"I don't know." Chin replied. "I don't know what she is into. I don't know how deep she is in."

"I don't know if we can protect her anymore! Do you understand that?" He yelled, he was so frustrated and he felt so helpless knowing that he could not get away with half the things he used to.

"I know. I should have told you. I should have… I'm sorry!" Chin didn't have to say it, it was written clearly on his face for Steve to see.

"Did Kono see you today?"

"I don't think so."

Steve got up from his position from the couch and walked out of his office to Danny and Lori who had been watching the entire thing through the glass walls. With a final apologetic look at Chin he spoke, knowing that this was not what any of them wanted to do, but it was the only way he knew.

"Get a lock on Kono's cell, we're bringing her in."

Chin walked out of his office and joined Danny and Lori by the smart-table, leaving Steve alone with his thoughts and some time to calm down. He sat down on his chair behind his desk and though about the last time he had actually seen Kono and talked with her, not to her. It had been three days before everything went to hell and they had been in the middle of a case when it became just the two of them in the office. It was the last time things had been good between them.

Steve leaned back in one of the rolling chairs they had around the conference table and closed his eyes. Their perp had done a runner as usual when they turned up to bring him in and it had ended up with him chasing the perp down a small alley way. They reached a dead end and the perp thought it was a good idea to get into a fight. Unfortunately for Steve, this perp knew how to fight and got him right in the face before Steve could take him down. Now he had a sore jaw that ached every time he spoke or twitched.

Thankfully Chin had grabbed Danny to go over to Fong in forensics to get some answers from their crime scene, leaving him alone for a few seconds to wallow in self-pity. Steve was just starting to relax when he felt a presence next to him. Opening his eyes he was faced with a concerned looking Kono holding one of the icepacks from the first-aid box. After she got some sort of confirmation, Kono tenderly placed the icepack against his face and held it there.

"I thought you were made out of steel and could not get hurt." She said teasingly and smiled that smile that did things to him.

"A moment of weakness." He grinned. "We can't all be super ninjas like you."

"Pft." She sneered. "Says the Navy-SEAL!"

He smiled as she started to run her hand that was not busy with the icepack through his hair. It was something she had started one night when she had stayed behind and watched a movie after one of their barbeques with the team. They had somehow drifted closer on the sofa, he was half lying down with his hand on her thigh and her arm was resting at the back of the couch where she was curled up. All of the sudden she was running her hand through his hair, without realising what she was doing. It felt so good that he nuzzled closer to her and before he knew it he had fallen asleep in her lap. When he woke up the next morning he and Kono were lying tangled up on the couch and he had had the best night's sleep ever.

Grabbing a hold of Kono's hand he tugged on it until she fell down in his lap and when she tried to get up again, Steve wound his arm around her waist and held her tight.

"We're at work, Steve!" She admonished him, but he could tell that she really did not mind.

"Like that's ever stopped you before. Besides, Chin and Danny won't be back for a while so we're fine."

Steve let himself enjoy the sensation of having her in his arms again, and after a while he could feel Kono starting to relax as well. They had not defined what they were. In fact they had not really spoken about it at all. But to Steve that was fine, at least for now. They were enjoying themselves and he didn't feel the need to make it a bigger deal than it is, he didn't want to ruin the good thing they had going. It was all so new anyway, it did not need to be more complicated.

After a few minutes of complete silence except from the buzzing noise coming from outside, Kono stirred in his arms before gently removing the icepack from his face to take a look at the damage.

"That is going to bruise, it is red and a little swollen."

"I have had worse." He said with a shrug like it was not that big of a deal, which really it wasn't. It was just a bruised face.

"I know, don't remind me." Kono muttered. Steve had meant it as a joke to downplay the bruise and play the macho-man everyone said he was, but obviously Kono didn't take it as one and thought about all the times they had to patch him up so he would not fall apart.

"You're very cute when you are worried, Nani!" Steve used his low and whispery voice, something he had learned very early on that Kono liked.

"Shut up!" Came her mumbled response. Kono hated being called cute, it did not add up with the front she was trying to build up for herself. No matter what he or the guys did or acted around her, Kono was constantly trying to prove herself to them and to herself that she was just as tough and could the exact same things. But to them there was no doubt in their minds that she could. Most of the time Steve thought that she was tougher than Danny, she did not whine half as much. But not to Kono. She wanted everyone to think that she deserved to be where she was and that she did not just get it because of her cousin. So cute was not a word she liked to be associated with.

"It's true though!" He loved the slightly red colour that spread across her cheeks at his words and he promised himself he would do that do her as often as he could.

The icepack was starting to warm up and didn't really do any difference anymore, so he grabbed it from Kono's hand and threw it onto the table before pulling her closer again. Steve buried his face in Kono's neck and promised himself just five more minutes, since Danny and Chin were bound to turn up soon, and if Danny caught them in this position they would never hear the end of it and Chin would never talk to him again. He might even get a matching bruise on the other side of his face. Though it might be worth it.

Steve hardly recognised Kono as he forced her to come out of the car. Her eyes were dead and held no emotion for him to see. This was not the Kono he knew. The Kono he knew would never drive around in a car with a dead body in the passenger seat, she wouldn't. She would come to them and ask for help, no matter how embarrassing or how big of a mess she had gotten into.

It was so hard pointing the gun at her like she was just another low level thug that he could not do the next downgrading thing and put the cuffs on her as well. He did not think he could handle it so instead he ordered Lori to do it. But that hurt almost just as much when he saw a flash of emotion run across her face. It was disbelief and hurt all at the same time, but it was gone before he could dwell on it and replaced by the same cold and distant look as before. Steve had to stop himself from running over there and unlock the cuffs again before taking her in his arms. Instead he watched as Lori walked Kono over to the car and made her get in in the back.

He still missed her. Seeing her did nothing to diminish that, but he had a feeling that it would not until he had the answers and she had that look back in her eyes. So many feelings were triggered by seeing her again. Anger, sadness, sympathy, affection and more anger. Anger takes the upper hand and by the time they are back at the office Steve is so riled up that he forgets how he is involved in all of this as well. All he can focus on is how she did not come to them, how she turned her back on everything she stood for and how betrayed he feels by her actions.

Steve has to go into the interrogation room by himself. Danny doesn't want to, he flat out refuses, Chin isn't allowed since the Governor is more hands on than ever and Steve doesn't want Lori in there, this has nothing to do with her and he still remembers the look on Kono's face when he made Lori cuff her.

When he walks in Kono just sits there on the chair and stares at the wall in front of her with that cold and empty look, she refused to meet his frustrated stare.

"I want to help you Kono, okay? I really do want to help you, but you got to help me help you, you got to tell me what's going on!"

"I can't!" Her response was forced and quiet. What did she mean she couldn't? Of course she could! It was easy. She just had to open her mouth and talk to him. His anger got the best of him and he slammed on of the chairs hard into the floor.

"Listen to me that is not good enough! I can't is not good enough because today you were driving a getaway car with a dead person in the front seat. This isn't a game, Kono! We are talking about two murders! What were you thinking?! What happened Kono?!" He yelled and came up close in her face, trying to make his point across.

Before he could get any further and take his anger to another level, he was interrupted by Chin who wanted to try, thinking that maybe it would be easier for her to open up family to family. Steve let him try, but could not help but feel sadden. They were family too, weren't they? At least he thought they were, he considered Kono family, especially after what she had come to mean to him. Perhaps she didn't feel the same about him.

Chin did not have any better luck. Kono gave him the same response "I can't" but she did look at him though so that was progress. He stood in the door way, just watching them, and he was just about to join in with the same soft voice that Chin used when Captain Fryer barrelled into the room, the same Captain Fryer that had stripped Kono of her badge.

"Captain Fryer, what the hell are you doing here?"

"You're done here McGarrett. Kono get up!" The man had the nerve to order her around, but it was when Kono actually listened that he lost it.

"Hey, hey!" He exclaimed and walked after him into the room. "She is in custody."

"Oh no!" Fryer said with a shake of the head. "She is mine."

"What are you talking about, she is yours? This has nothing to do with IA."

"Wrong again. She is working for me."

If anything that floored Steve to the ground. He motioned with sharp movements for Fryer to follow him out so that he could talk to him privately, he did not take it lightly when someone walked all over him in his own house. Fryer was going to hear what he had to say, no one messed with his family.

After they had battled their will against each other, just like he could hear Kono and Chin doing inside the interrogation room, Fryer started to fill him in on how it all started. They had had the dirty ex-cops that Kono had hung out with the last couple of weeks under investigation. Those same men had been in business with their second murder victim, Karl Joiner. Fryer used to Kono to get inside the organisation, apparently she was attractive to them because she was Five-0 and they were known for their recklessness, another fault of Steve's. Steve was just starting to accept Fryer's intentions when he heard Chin as he was getting louder in the interrogation room.

"You don't understand! Do you know who Frank Delano's partner was when he was on the job? Do you know?" He yelled. Steve had never heard Chin this worked up before. "It was Fryer! Delano almost took Fryer down with him when he lost his badge. Don't you get it?! Fryer is using you, he is using you to get revenge."

That was all Steve needed to change his mind. Fryer was using Kono to get his revenge, to get even with his old partner and that was all he needed to know that he had blackmailed Kono to work for him. He willingly put Kono in danger for a vendetta and he showed no remorse what so ever. Kono on the other hand, now that it was out there his old Kono was back and he would be damned if his admiration for her did not grow. She had done all this to protect the team even though they had all let her down immensely.

Steve did not want to let her go off on her own, he could not risk losing her again, not now when he could finally do something to help her. But she was stubborn and managed to convince both him and Chin to let her go in again, saying it was the only way they could save Trisha's life. The entire time they were sitting in that van, waiting for what he really did not know, he kept pacing back and forth, he had never been so nervous and impatient in his life. But that was something he was soon going to have to eat up.

When they arrived at the bank that Kono had just entered with Delano and Trisha Joiner and they heard gunshots, just before Delano came running out with Trisha as hostage, Kono nowhere to be seen, he was seconds away from having a heart attack. He couldn't breathe properly until Kono came stumbling out of the bank, holding her bandaged arm. The first thing he did after seeing that she was okay, was walking up to Fryer and punch him right in the face. Nothing had ever felt so good and the throbbing pain in his hand was so worth it.