This is a 'missing extract' from 'Where The World Drops Off', a McDanno fic BUT YOU DO NOT NEED TO READ THAT TO UNDERSTAND THIS! But I suggest you do, it's fantastic; the best H50 story I've EVER read. I honestly do not take any credit for that story. It is amazingly written, and there is no way I can write half as good as that author. So, please, do not sue me. I only own this story, which is written for pleasure, definitely not profit and it doesn't follow much of the plot for WTWDO. If the author of WTWDO wishes me to take this story down, I shall do so, just so y'all know. I hope you enjoy this. :)

Gracias.

It Shouldn't Be Like This

The moment she looked into Steve's eyes, Kono knew he didn't recognize her. There was fear in his eyes, panic, confusion. And Kono couldn't help but feel hurt. She shouldn't have taken it personally, Steve didn't remember anyone, but she did. Because her mind kept thinking terrible things. Like, what if he ended up remembering everything – everything except Kono? Or what if... What if, when they got to know each other again, he would end up not liking her? No, that couldn't happen, Kono told herself. She wouldn't let that happen.

She needed a hug. Chin and Danny were with Steve at the hospital – they had said something about a 'male bonding' night before McGarrett was allowed to leave the following morning – so her cousin was out of the question. The only other person she could think of who would understand what she was going through was Mary.

Mary had arrived in Hawaii earlier that day; she wanted to make sure the house was absolutely spotless before her brother was welcomed back. Anyone who knew Steve was well aware that he despised mess and was a total neat-freak. He even hated when Danny would sit at his table eating malasadas and get sugar on the glossy wood.

So when Kono rang the bell for the McGarrett's, it was no surprise when Mary answered the with her blonde hair tied up in a messy bun and yellow rubber gloves on, smelling like bleach and other cleaning products. "Kono." She smiled, showing off her perfect pearly white teeth. "Come in." Kono smiled back and stepped over the threshold. She made her way through the hall and into the living room, aware of Mary's footsteps behind her.

Knowing that Steve's sister was there, with her, knowing how she felt was comforting. Kono needed to feel that someone understood her. Sure, Danny was Steve's best friend, of course he was, and Chin was close with his Dad so they had a bond over that but with Kono... Kono felt like Steve was her older brother. The older brother who was protective but knew her limits, knew that he didn't have to babysit her all the time, that she could take care of herself.

"I'm not interupting, am I?" Kono asks when she takes a seat on the sofa, which smells of a familiar fruity ari freshener.

"No, I need a break anyway." Mary takes the gloves off, (Kono could never wear those things; they always made her hands so sweaty) and sits next to her friend. "I've been cleaning for three hours straight."

"Harsh." The Hawaiian woman laughs. "Danny and Chin are staying with Steve this evening." Mary's smile immediately fades.

"Oh." She clears her throat and asks, "How, uh... How is Steve?"

"He's... okay." Kono nods. Mary raises an eyebrow slightly. "Well, more or less. His jaw's getting better. You know, Danny said he forgot how to use a knife and fork." Kono knew Mary didn't want to hear this, didn't want to hear how useless her older brother, her protector had become, but she carried on anyway. "He knew what they were. He knew that he should use the for something, he just couldn't figure out what."

Mary gave a weak, empty smile. "How are you?" Mary asks, desperately wanting to change the subject, though the only thing she could think of was Steve. But she really did want to know how Kono was because, even through long distance telephone calls, Mary could tell Kono's been difference since Steve was in the car accident. Since the day she saw his fragile, broken body in that hospital bed, bandaged up like a mummy. And then came the afternoon when he had woken up and they discovered he had amnesia. Mary was surprised Kono hadn't broken down right then and there. Sure, Mary was devestated to hear the news but with Kono... With Kono, it was different. Because Mary thought Kono had a better relationship with Steve than his sister did.

"I'm... coping." And that's not a lie, she is. Just not very well.

"'Coping'?" Mary questions her, because she can tell oh-so-well that Kono is dying to say something, anything, everything.

"How can you deal with this so well? I mean, you're his sister and yet you seem perfectly fine. But me, I'm... I'm a mess." She admits, bowing her head

Mary turns her body so she's sitting cross-legged, facing Kono, and places a soft, comforting hand on her thigh. "To be honest, I'm a wreck too. I can just hide it." She gives a light shrug of her shoulders and tips her head to catch Kono's eye. "I understand how you feel, Kono." She says when the Hawaiian woman turns her head and looks at Mary from under her bangs.

A single tear trickles down Kono's cheek. "He doesn't remember me." Mary pulls Kono close to her, stroking her hair and rubbing her back.

"I know, I know." She whispers comforting words, because that's all she can do. Mary can't make it all better, like Steve would when they were younger and she had fallen off her bike and scraped her knee. Mary can't click her fingers, or heels, or whatever, and have Steve just remember again. And she hates that she can't do that. She feels she should have to, should be able to. She feels she should be responsible for the beautiful, crying girl in her arms right now.

The only other thing she thinks she can do is make Kono forget, at least for a while. And that's why she places one hand under Kono's chin and tips her head up, their faces only inches apart. Mary can smell the mintiness of her breath and the coconut shampoo from her hair. It smells fanastic, she thinks as she leans in closer, slowly. It's Kono who gives in first, snaking a hand around the back of Mary's neck and drawing her in, closing the distance between their lips. Mary's taste of cherry lip balm and Kono smiles.

They pull away when they realise they can't survive without air, though they both wish the kiss could have lasted just a few seconds longer. Mary places another short kiss on Kono's lips, and then another on the corner of her mouth, and then another on her jawline and then-

Kono's phone rings. She curses profound words under her breath as she reaches into her jeans pocket to fetch the retched thing. "Leave it." Mary mumbles as she takes to nibbling on her friend's neck.

"It could be Chin. Or Danny." Kono says, finally getting the damned device out of her skinny jeans and flipping it open. Indeed, the name flashing at her is 'Chin'. "'Sup, cuz?"

"Hey, Kono. You left your jacket- Are you okay?"

Mary had decided at that moment to bite down particularly hard on Kono's collarbone, causing the poor girl to make a strangled noise at the back of her throat. "Y-Yeah, cuz I'm fine." She says while slapping Mary's thigh. All the blonde girl can do is laugh and move away. "You were saying?"

"You left your jacket here. Do you wanna come over and get it?"

"Yeah, I'll be there soon." And then Chin starts saying something else, probably about Steve's progress or something, but Kono can't hear because Mary's rubbing light circles on her upper thigh and then nestles her head in the crook of Kono's neck and doing that thing with her tongue- "On second thought, can you just bring it up tomorrow morning when you drop Steve off?"

"Uh, yeah. Well, see you tomorrow, cuz."

"Bye." Kono hangs up and turns to Mary. "You evil, evil woman."

And Mary just laughs. "Shall we go to bed?" She asks as she stands, taking Kono's hand in hers.

"Didn't you just tidy it?" She replies, but stands anyway.

"Yeah, but we can tidy it again in the morning." Mary grins as she leads the way upstairs and to her bedroom.

-H50-

Yeah, meh right? But, whatever. :)

Review, please? I'd like to know what you think. If you're still a bit confused as to what happened to Steve, just read 'Where The World Drops Off' (Google it or something, it should come up). And read it anyway because it's that amazing, honestly.

AND BTW, those who have already read it, I thought of this idea and had the story already planned out when I had only read the first, like, three and a half chapters. Just an FYI for no apparent reason.

Mahalos for reading. :)