She sat in their home, staring across the room, the pictures on the wall of his friends, of his family and of her. Reaching under the coffee table she grabbed the photo album, an album she hadn't looked through in months, not since she put the last photo in. Opening it there on the first page was of her and his first date, they're on a mountain a waterfall in the background, she thought on how they first met and a small smile crept across her lips.

She had just loaded her car with the groceries for the week, getting in she checked her surroundings and started to reverse when she felt a jolt and a crunch from behind. Cursing out loud she smacked the steering wheel, as she put the car in park and got out, to inspect the damage and to give the person who hit her a piece of her mind. She saw the truck that hit her, and looking more closely she saw that her driver's side tail light was going to need to be replaced.

Turning on her heel her eyes glowing with anger she went to say something to the man approaching her, concern etched across his face. "Are you alright, I promise I didn't see you." He asked looking her over. "I'm fine, are you alright?" She asked. "I'm good, I am sorry about your car, I will cover the damages, whatever the cost." He told her handing her a business card. "That is my card, and take it to your guy, and I will cover this." He stated. Taking the card, she saw that he was police officer, however, his card read like a military ID.

"Thank you Commander, I will let you know what I come up with." She said, her anger all of sudden leaving her as she looked into his blue eyes. "I appreciate..." Waiting for her name. "Right, sorry, my name is Amelia, but please call me Lia." She stated, extending her hand to him. "Well Lia, please call me Steve, I will be looking forward to hearing from you." He told her with an equally charming smile.

That day was one she would never forget, he came to the auto shop to make sure she wasn't getting screwed over by the mechanics, and then he took her out for coffee and Malsanada's at the bakery around the corner, and then was nice enough to get her home even though she argued that she could take a cab.

Flipping the next page of the album she came across a photo that was of her and him at a wedding reception for one of his team members, they were dancing under the soft light of Christmas lights, she had laughed at something he told her.

"If we snuck off to the beach no one would know we were missing." She told him. "I like where your head is at, but that would mean you would get sand in places you never knew you had, and that wouldn't bode well for either of us." He told her with a smile. She laughed harder than she should have, but in the same breath he was right.

Your fingertips across my skin
The palm trees swaying in the wind
Images

He grazed his fingers across her shoulders, as he bent down and stole a kiss, it was a tender kiss, not a needy, or forced one. But soft and gentle, letting her know in his own way that he cared for her and about her and he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

She ran her fingers over the picture, she couldn't help the silent tears that slowly fell from her eyes. How she wished they could have that night again, to be in his arms and to never be apart. Flipping the next page she laughed out loud as a couple of months since the wedding photo was a picture of him with frosting all over his face from his birthday.

"Danny if you don't get your ass here in the next five minutes with that cake, you aren't going to have to worry about whether or not Steve will get you killed on your next assignment because I will carry the deed out myself do you hear me Williams." She whispered loudly into the phone. "Yes ma'am, we will be there in two minutes, just please don't have a coronary." He told her. She disconnected the phone with a loud humph just as Steve came in from his afternoon jog.

"Who was that?" He asked her placing a quick kiss to her lips. "Wrong number, babe I love you, but right now you stink, please go and take a shower before you wilt the plants." She said wrinkling up her nose. "I have a better idea, 'grabbing her and rubbing his sweaty arms on her' why don't you come with me and make sure I get all of the important parts." "I have a party that is going to be starting in an hour, as much as I would love to wash all of your important parts, I will have to take a rain check. Now go before your man stink sets in." She stated as she swatted his behind.

As he went upstairs she went to the side door that led into the garage and let the party guests in and told them to be quiet as he was just upstairs. Soon Danny arrived with the cake, 'Bout time Williams." "I am sorry but traffic was a nightmare." He told her. "Danny you're a cop, you have lights and sirens, it is okay to use them every once in a while." She told him with a laugh. "Only in extreme situations, like you needing this cake." He told her. Smiling she took the cake from him and then made everyone hide as she closed all of the curtains and turned the lights off.

They heard Steve walking around upstairs, she quickly put the candles in the cake all thirty eight of them and lit them just as he was coming down the stairs. "Lia why is the house so dark..." He didn't get to answer because he saw her meeting him with his birthday cake and singing happy birthday, when she was finished the lights came on and all of their friends jumped out yelling surprise.

He was shocked to say the least, but he had a huge smile on his face as he looked around, she could tell that he was overwhelmed by the love he had for everyone in that room. "Make a wish." She stated as she held the cake up to him. He looked right at her as he blew his candles out. She smiled as she turned back to the kitchen he stayed behind to talk to his friends and co-workers.

The party was in full swing, that she decided that it was time for the cake, she cut a piece and took it out back where he and the others were hovering over his new grill she got him for his birthday. "Hey babe, come here for a second, I have something I want to tell you." She stated, the cake hidden behind her back. As he leaned down, she gave him a kiss bringing the plate up she moved quickly, before he knew what was happening she pushed the plate in his face, smearing the frosting all over, and his sister Mary quickly snapped a photo.

He quickly snatched her up and proceeded to rub his face all over hers, doing her best to try and get away, he just held onto her tightly.

Flipping through more pages she found one that she never knew he had taken of her, they were sitting on the beach at Kailua. She was sitting there her face toward the sunset as the waves were slowly crashing onto shore, he caught her as if almost in a deep thought.

Steve parked the truck as he got out he pulled his guitar from the back. "Are you going to serenade me Commander?" She asked him with a sweet mocking tone. "Actually I thought about singing to dolphins, but since you asked so nicely, I might be able to make your ears bleed." He told her with a chuckle.

You sang me Spanish lullabies
The sweetest sadness in your eyes
Clever trick

Well, I never want to see you unhappy
I thought you'd want the same for me

They sat on a blanket as he idely strummed his guitar, just letting his fingers do the talking, they sat in a peaceful silence, neither wanting to ruin the moment, as the sun set on the horizon. She looked over at him and she saw something in his eyes, something she never saw before, it was a look of longing, like he was afraid of this moment right here.

She crawled over to him, he placed the guitar down next to him as she crawled into his lap straddling him she grabbed a hold of his face in both her hands. Still no words escaped their lips, and everything around them disappeared, and it was only them on the beach. Wrapping his arms around he kissed her fiercely, snaking his hands into her hair, she returned the kiss, he rolled them over so he was hovering above her careful not apply all of his weight on her, he broke the kiss just long enough to stare into her eyes. Still neither one of them said a word, she knew what he was asking her and with her eyes she replied.

That was all he needed, and he kissed her again, by this point the night sky had fallen upon them, and the moon was cresting above the clouds. He disrobed them both, their hands navigating each others bodies, her nails gently grazing up and down his back which caused him to growl into her lips. He gently lifted her hips, and slowly eased into her, not moving as they were both savoring how the other felt.

Placing her hands above her head he laced their fingers together, as he started to slowly thrust inside of her he locked onto her eyes. Staring up at him she ignored everything around her, and just focused on him, wrapping her legs around his waist she tightened her hold on him as his thrusts became quicker.

Their gaze never broke from each other and as they both came close to their climaxes he bent down and captured her lips with his, and soon they both came together, and their bodies and souls that night became one.

That's the night that she knew that he was her soul mate, everything about that night was perfect, it wasn't rushed and it wasn't done out of a want, but more as a necessity. They silently knew that, that was a night that would forever alter their lives in a good way but also in a bad one. But they didn't care, as long as they had each other they could weather any storm.

Goodbye, my almost lover
Goodbye, my hopeless dream
I'm trying not to think about you
Can't you just let me be?
So long, my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
Should've known you'd bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do

Continuing to flip the pages she saw one of her and Grace, their friends daughter, it was Grace's first school dance, she was twelve and she and Lia were standing at Danny's door waiting for Grace to be picked up by her date's parents. She laughed remembering how Danny was thinking of ways to put a tracker on her date's person so he could make sure they were going to be at the school and not stray away from the dance itself.

"You are going to answer that door, and you are going to be polite, and you aren't going to mention to the kid that you are a cop, and you are definitely not going to embarress Grace, do you understand me?" She told Danny with a stern and serious expression on her face.

"She is my daughter going to her first dance with a boy, a boy who is thirteen, do you know what thirteen year old boys think about Lia, because it sure isnt fishing and video games." He stated, almost on the verge of having a stroke.

"I know that this thirteen year old's parents are going to chaperone them along with the other students of the class, and they will have her home no later than 9:30, so please for the sake of your daughter, take a deep breath, everything will be fine." "Yea Danno everything will be fine." Steve stated to him with a half smile.

"I cannot wait for the two of you to experience the hell I am in right now, because it will be sweet justice as I will stand in this spot and use those not so comforting words on you two." He stated with a smirk.

Steve and Lia exchanged a look between the two of them, one that Danny missed thankfully, she just slightly shook her head at him silently telling him to keep quiet and not to say another word. There was a knock on the door and she went to answer it.

"I mean it, there will be no re-enactment of Bad Boys 2, this kid is probably nervous enough knowing that he going to dance with a cops daughter." She stated back at them as she opened the door.

She laughed as the boy did his very best not act nervous or intimidated by Danny and Steve but he failed miserably as his hands were shaking so bad that she ended up having to pin the corsage on Grace, so he didn't accidentally stick her or himself.

We walked along a crowded street
You took my hand and danced with me
Images

And when you left you kissed my lips
You told me you'd never ever forget these images, no

I never want to see you unhappy
I thought you'd want the same for me

Smiling at a few more pages she stopped at one that made her choke on more of the tears that were threatening to fall.

He had her blindfolded as he guided her along a path, she could tell it was dark out even with the blindfold on, and she could hear murmurs as they walked by somewhere that was occupied by a lot of people. "So help me McGarrett, if you are planning some kind of prank I will smother you in your sleep." She told him gripping onto his arm afraid that she was going trip on something and fall flat on her face.

"I promise you I would never prank you on your birthday, that would be a horrible thing for me to do, now cake in your face, that is a whole nother story." He stated with humor in his voice. "I seem to remember you paying me back in kind after that incident." "Oh if you thought your torture was over, think again sweetheart." He stated trying to stifle a laugh. "Remember what I said about smothering you in your sleep?" She stated. Then they stopped, she tried to listen for any sounds, the ocean she heard and the wind but nothing else to help her determine their location.

Before she had a chance to say anything he lifted the blindfold from her face, adjusting her eyes she saw that they were on Kailua, the exact same spot from months ago that he and her really connected themselves with one another. She also realized that all of their friends were there too. She was speechless, he set this up for her, there were lights strung up on poles, tiki torches, and tables all set up. Everyone hollered happy birthday, and all she could do was cry.

"Hey you're not supposed to cry, you're supposed to be happy." He stated to her wiping her tears away from her face. "I am, I just never expected this." She told him, reaching on her toes she kissed him, forgetting that anyone else was there, until a few cleared their throats. Blushing she turned to her friends. "You guys, thank you, this is great and I don't know what to say." She told them, she looked over Chin who was standing there next to his cousin. She saw that he was happy but his smile never reached his eyes.

She walked over to him and wrapped him in hug, whispering in his ear, that got him a huge smile on his face as he looked at her and nodded, everyone looked at them confused. She dismissed the looks and walked back over to Steve, grabbing his hand she looked at him and smiled, he knew then what she told Chin, or asked him rather, still they said nothing.

Later into the night, Steve got everyone's attention, once he had it he looked down at her, the smile on his face bigger and brighter then it ever was. "Everyone here knows how much of a not so nice person I can be." "I think the word your looking for is dictator." Stated Danny emphasizing on the Dic part. "Yes Danny, a dictator, but everything changed when I backed up into Amelia's car that day at the grocery store, it's a day that forever altered my life." He stated looking back at her, he grabbed a hold of her hand as he got down on one knee.

"It was over a year ago when we ran into each other literally, and it will be a day that I will never forget because since that day you have changed me for the better, and you have made me want to change for the better not just for myself but for our child. 'Gasps and murmurs erupted from the crowd.' What I am trying to say...well ask is...Amelia Rose Raines, will you do me the honor and become Amelia Rose McGarrett, right now?" He asked her, holding the ring up for her.

She couldn't speak, all she did was stare into his blue eyes and she could see the sincerity and the love it spoke more volumes than his words which she had no doubt in her mind that he was speaking from his heart. She grabbed his face and bent down and kissed him, then she wrapped her arms around his neck, crying and shaking from the excitement.

Their friends clapped and cheered, as Steve stood up and hugged her tightly spinning her around. He slipped the ring on her finger, and their friend Kamekono walked over to them with two lei's one a ring of flowers, that Steve placed around her neck, she placed the green leafed lei around his. Holding each others hands they stared at each other as Kame performed the ceremony. Once he announced that they were man and wife the crowd cheered louder than they had before, while others popped corks of champaign around them.

Goodbye, my almost lover
Goodbye, my hopeless dream
I'm trying not to think about you
Can't you just let me be?
So long, my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
I should've known you'd bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do

I cannot go to the ocean
I cannot drive the streets at night
I cannot wake up in the morning
Without you on my mind
So now you're gone and I'm haunted
And I bet you are just fine
Did I make it that easy
To walk right in and out of my life?

Her tears weren't stopping at that point, they fell freely onto the plastic covered pages, their three year anniversary was just a month ago, and they were back on that beach, in their spot, making promises of the future and what they planned to do in that future.

There was a knock on the door, grabbing a few tissues she cleaned herself up and answered the door to see Danny standing on the other side, his face looking how she felt, empty and void of emotion. "Are you ready?" Was all he asked her, she nodded. "Malia Rose, it's time to go sweetheart." She hollered upstairs. Within moments a three year y/o came bounding down the stairs her curly brown hair was tied up in pigtails, her bright blue eyes sparkled with the excitement that she got to wear a pretty new dress, her smile came across her face when she saw Danny.

"Uncle Dan Dan." She squealed as she ran into his arms. Picking her up he hugged her tight. "Are we going to see Daddy now?" She asked. "You bet we are sweetheart." "See my dress, I picked it out." She told him. He hugged her again so she didn't have to see his face. "He will love it, pink is his favorite color." He told her, walking away from the house, Lia following behind him.

They made their way to their destination, cars were already lined up on the road, Danny parked and squeezed Lia's hand as he got out, walking over to her side he opened the door for her, helping Malia out of the car Grace followed suit. Grabbing a hold of her daughters hand the four of them headed to the area where their friend's and family gathered, there up front were two empty chairs, Lia and Malia took their places.

In front of them was a casket, the American flag draped over it with such pristine and beauty, several Guards men stood off to the sides as the priest started to share his words to the crowd. Lia held onto her daughters hand, staring straight ahead, drowning out the words and the commotion around her, her mind drifted to another memory.

"Steve I don't think I can do this, this is too much." She stated as she breathed through another contraction. "You're doing great baby, just keep breathing, I promise it will be over soon." He told her wiping her forehead with the cool cloth and kissing her hand. The doctor came in at that point and checked her, and told her it was time and that she could start to push.

After what seemed like an eternity, she finally heard the loud screams of their daughter as she entered the world. Leaning back against the bed she smiled eager to hold her child, their child. As if the nurse could read her mind, she handed her their daughter who had dark hair just like her daddy, and rosy cheeks just like hers. Steve looked down at them and tears started falling from his eyes, he reached over and kissed his daughters head, and turned and kissed her.

"We did it Lia, thank you, thank you for making me the happiest man in this universe. I love you so very much." He told her. She didn't respond she just laid her head against his as they both looked lovingly down on their daughter, who was trying her best to free her arms of the blanket that she was wrapped in.

She was brought from her thoughts as the first sounds of the rifles shot through the air, jumping every time the 21 guns discharged. Two Navy men dressed in their best whites, gathered the American flag from his casket, folding it in it's ceremonial triangle, one turned to her, she placed her her hand on top of his, as they stated that they were presenting this flag to her on behalf of the United States Navy, and the United States of America.

Nodding she accepted their gift, and still she sat with the flag now on her lap. Looking over at Malia who was no longer in her seat but by the casket, she turned to face the crowd, and with a smile on her face, she spoke.

"My daddy says, that he loves you all, and he misses us." With that, Lia heard their cries and whispers, she herself smiled as the tears were silently pouring down her face. Malia walked over to her mother and wiped her cheeks.

"Daddy says don't cry." "I know, but daddy knows that mommy misses him." She told her. Malia nodded and smiled as she ran off to see her uncle Chin. Lia finally stood, thankfully everyone that was in attendance didn't crowd her, and they let her have the moment she needed.

"Goodbye my almost lover, goodbye my hopeless dream, I am trying not to think about you, why can't you just let me be? So long my luckless romance, my back is turned on you, I should've known you'd bring me heartache, almost lovers always do." She sang to him.

Then she felt it the warm caress on her cheeks, and the slight hint of his aftershave. Smiling she placed a kiss to her hand and laid it on the pearl white casket below her, one last look at the head stone, that read his name, rank, date of birth and death, and the phrase but most importantly their first family photo of the two of them holding their newborn daughter in the hospital.

Turning she walked up the hill clutching that American flag to her chest, knowing that he was with her every step of the way.