Where's Kono?
By Montez
Disclaimer: Still don't own, though love my DVD from the first season and i'll fight to keep that.
A/N: Okay, who didn't see that coming? We all knew something was up with Kono I was just really disappointed how they've written Steve so far this season-seemingly uncaring to Kono's plight, so unSteve-like. Monday's episode was good, but lacked that extra hurt/comfort that I'd hoped for with the previews. Again, Kono could have been hurt just a little more and Steve could have been a little more concerned, I mean when she left the bank ONLY Chin hugged her-I mean really? Where was Danny? but more importantly where was Steve? So to fill my need (and hopefully your's too) of angst/hurt/comfort and more importantly Ohana, this little fic sprang to life-hope you enjoy-Montez
Steve McGarrett wondered if his life was ever going to get back to normal, well normal since he'd returned to the island over a year ago to bury his father and find his killer. And find Hesse he did, only to learn he worked for a man responsible for the turn his life had taken when he was sixteen years old and his mother was killed, not by a drunk driver like he's always been told, but murdered by the Yakuza because his father was getting too close.
Wo Fat had become the ultimate enemy now and the man had vanished again once Steve had escaped jail after being framed for killing Governor Jameson, then cleared, given his task force back, but with one less member, Kono. She'd been pulled in by IA, investigated for the ten million that he'd actually stolen to give to Victor Hesse when he'd strapped a bomb around Chin's neck and threatened to kill him if he didn't get the money. Again it was all a ploy; though Hesse was captured the ten million had literally gone up in smoke, thus keeping Steve from returning it to the forfeiture locker.
It had nearly sent Steve over the edge when Kono had been stripped of her badge because of him. He'd called her numerous times, but she refused to talk to him. He'd stopped by her place only for her to not answer the door. At a loss as to what to do he'd thrown himself into finding Wo Fat, trying to figure out exactly why his father had been found on a video meeting with Jameson and Wo Fat and dealing with the cases that started rolling back in once Five-0 was up and running again. The last month or so had been a non-stop blur. Then today happened.
Chin and Lori had been searching for Trisha Joyner who was tied to the death of the University of Hawaii's girl's volleyball coach only to learn that her husband's businesses were a money laundering front for a former dirty cop, Frank Delano. When one of his men showed up at the motel the two Five-0 officers were waiting for Trisha at, Kono had turned out to be driving the getaway car.
When Chin told Steve about it, it made him sick, what had Kono gotten herself into? Why hadn't he pushed harder to try and get through to her? Why hadn't he just marched into IA and confessed to taking the money and taken the downfall instead of feeling helpless to stop Kono from taking it? When had Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett, Navy SEAL and Five-0 commander become so useless, he hadn't been able to see or stop the decent of a young woman he'd promised to protect, he'd failed her.
Pulling a gun on her was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do in his life, Steve prayed as he slide his Silverado sideways in front of the car Kono was driving, that she didn't come out of the vehicle with a gun, because he honestly didn't think he could shoot her, he'd die first. He'd been so furious with her in interrogation when she wouldn't talk, wouldn't even look at him. Then Chin called him back, took over trying to get through to his cousin, but before the young woman could say anything Fryer came in and dropped a bomb, Kono was working for him to take down Delano.
That was how they'd ended up here, outside a Honolulu bank waiting for Frank Delano to exit with the money Mrs. Joyner had taken from her husbands account when she left him, not knowing it was laundered money belonging to Delano who wanted it back. Kono'd had to go back in once Five-0 knew the truth and Steve didn't like it one bit. He'd allowed her to go back without back-up right there, alone, unprotected from a ruthless ex-cop who already had a string of bodies in his wake.
Once taking out one of Delano's men who almost blew the whole thing since SWAT, Five-0, HPD and IA were waiting outside the bank; McGarrett had made his way back toward the front of the bank. He tensed when several shots rang out from inside, the alarm sounding as Frank and his men came out with the money and a hostage. Delano's men were dropped quickly, with Fryer confronting Frank, his former partner. Once Fryer took Delano down, the hostage freed and uninjured, Steve looked around and noticed something, Kono hadn't exited the bank.
"Where's Kono?" He called out as he neared Fryer and Delano, who was lying injured on the ground. The former cop gave Steve a slight smirk making McGarrett's blood run cold as he took off toward the bank, he heard rather than saw Danny and Chin coming in behind him, "KONO!" Steve yelled as customers in the bank were being moved toward the doors by HPD. It was then he saw the slumped figure toward the back, near the elevators, the purple shirt and dark hair unmistakable, "KONO!"
He raced across the room, Chin right behind him as he heard Danny yelling for Medics, "No no no, this isn't happening." Steve mumbled as he slid in beside the young woman curled on her side facing the wall.
"Kono?" Steve heard Chin whisper, his voice barely hitching with emotion that the older man had been holding in for several weeks now.
McGarrett was hesitant, fearful to touch Kono, fearful of what he might find when he did, but he had to, he owed her that, he owed Chin that. Raising his hand, that was now shaking slightly, Steve pushed his fingertips against the young woman's neck, holding his own breath as he felt for the one thing that would tell him he hadn't lost someone else he cared about. "She's alive!" He called out, moving her hair away from her face, her eye's closed, her face relaxed in unconsciousness.
Moving quickly, but cautiously Steve slowly turned Kono onto her back as Chin dropped on the other side of his cousin. Both men winced at the amount of blood that now covered Kono's shirt, the ragged whole in the material on her upper right chest. Without thinking Steve pressed against the wound, trying desperately to stop the blood still pouring from it, "Where the hell are the medics!" he yelled as Chin took his young cousin's lax hand.
"Come on Cuz, don't you give up on me know. I told you I'm here and I mean it." Kelly ran his hand through her hair, clutching her hand in his other, praying for a sign, a grimace, anything that would tell him she was listening, that she could hear him. "Come on Kono, please." He whispered.
Steve had never heard that tone coming from the man across from him, Chin was pleading, begging his cousin to respond, but the young woman beneath McGarrett's hands was deathly still, the pressure on her wound not even garnering a reaction. "Please Cuz, you never gave up on me, I'm not giving up on you, so you fight this kid, do you hear me? You fight your way back to me." Chin's voice broke, Steve chanced a glance at the older man and saw a tear slip free, that tore at McGarrett's soul more than anything.
Commotion behind him got Steve's attention, EMTs finally making their way to them. But it took Danny's arm under Steve's to move the SEAL as he stumbled back a few steps, watching the scene unfold. Chin refused to leave Kono's side, her hand still held in his, his voice still pleading with her as the medics readied her for transport. Within two minutes they had her up and moving, Chin still at her side, Kono's eyes still closed as her pale form was rushed by Steve and Danny.
"What have I done?" Steve whispered so softly that Danny nearly didn't catch it.
"Steve?" Danny stepped closer to his friend who was now staring at his blood covered hands.
Shaking his head back and forth slowly Steve just stared at Kono's blood, "What have I done?"
Williams could see his friend shaking slightly; he can honestly say he'd never seen Steve like this. He'd seen him pissed, seen him mad as hell, seen him scared to death when his sister was kidnapped, seen him walking the edge of sanity when he realized Jameson was working with Wo Fat, but this, he'd never seen McGarrett in shock. "Steve, look at me…" Danny stepped closer, reaching for his friend.
However, Steve stepped back, his wide eyes pleading with Danny, "I did this…this is my fault…" Steve held his hands out slightly.
"Hey man, look…" Danny tried but Steve interrupted with a shake of his head.
"It should have been me, they'd never gotten to her if I'd just turned myself in, when did I become a coward Danny? When did I start forsaking people? I promised her, I promised I'd protect her and I didn't and now…" Steve just stared at the crimson color. It wasn't that he hadn't had blood on his hands before, blood of friend's, of college's. But this was different, he'd swore to protect her that night at her impromptu graduation ceremony, told her she was Ohana, but now he'd failed her, just like he'd failed his mother, just like he'd failed his father and now another person was paying the price for his lack of action.
Danny again stepped forward, this time Steve didn't move. The blond man reached out and took his partner's forearm, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We didn't know until today, we did what we could, she made that decision; all we can do now is be there for her, for Chin." It was killing Danny that they'd failed Kono, she'd only talked to him a couple times since everything had fell apart and he too was feeling he hadn't done enough for their onetime rookie. Yet right now, he had to trust Kono to the doctors and he had to pull his best friend back from the very dark place he was slipping toward, he knew how McGarrett's guilt worked and knew if he couldn't stop that decent right now, if they lost Kono, they'd likely lose Steve too.
A/N: Well, should I go on?