A/N: Right, so this is the sequel to my story Lost in the Green. I can't thank everyone who reviewed it enough, it meant so much to me, and I hope this sequel lives up to it. It doesn't have a definitive end, so it could go on for a while. Give it a chance (if you wants =] ) And I hope its alright; so review!
Kono hadn't been sleeping since she'd left the hospital nearly a month ago. She'd wake up in the middle of the night shaking, wishing she wasn't alone. All she could see was Sang Min, he was in every dream, and it took all her power to stop him sneaking into her every waking hour too.
Somehow in the hazy logic, it seemed like a good idea to attempt to take crutches onto the beach. She soon worked out that it wasn't a good idea. And as itchy as the cast was – it would be nearly twice as bad with added sand. Instead she sank onto a lonely bench, on some indistinct stretch of beach. She watched the waves crash against the shore, slow and methodical. IN the distance she watched a lone figure sprinting round the bay. Her eyes flicked to her watch and saw it was half 3 in the morning. With interest she watched the figure getting closer and closer, til she felt slightly guilty for watching them. A stiff breeze blew across the bay, and her hair stood on end. She shivered, regretting her choice of clothing. She rubbed her arms and shivered slightly.
"Kono?" She nearly jumped out of her skin. Having lost herself in thought the faceless figure had come right up to the bench without her even noticing.
"God Boss, you trying to kill me." She said, shuffling over on the bench. She cursed herself for letting her guard down, she cursed herself again for being outside alone in the middle of the night. She cursed herself when she saw him wince at her statement.
"Sorry boss." She muttered, the breeze dying down.
"What you doing out here on your own Kono." He asked breathlessly, sitting on the bench beside her.
"Could ... the same to you." She said quietly, fiddling with the top of the cast.
"I asked first." He said giving her a gentle nudge. She raised her eyebrows.
"Yeah I know. Same issue." He rubbed the back of his head, and leant back. He hadn't been sleeping properly and he didn't think he would for quite some time. Every time he woke up in the middle of the night he thought of only one thing. Her. When his dad had been killed it was exactly the same, and for months after his sister had been kidnapped same thing; and now it was happening all over again, but he had images to go with the blind panic, and it was something that truly terrified him.
"You shouldn't be out here on your own." He added. She just looked at him.
"You wanna ... there." She said, jabbing her crutches into thin air. He smiled, getting her point, but still wishing she hadn't been here alone. He didn't think his heart could handle anything happening again.
"Guess not. You look like you've got those things down." He said nodding towards the crutches.
"You saw me at ... bar earlier ... I was like ... crutched Ninja." She said with a smile; she'd mastered the art of the crutches, and when she was finally free of them in a few months time, she couldn't wait to burn them.
"Too darn good on them is what you are."
"Still .. pain in ass." She sighed, slumping slightly. She suddenly felt exhausted almost safe. Almost.
"Yeah, but you'll be back in the field in no time." He said, plastering the happiest smile he could muster. He was glad she was back in the office, having practically held their phones hostage til they agreed to let her on desk duty. But if he had it his way she'd never be allowed outside the bubble he'd made her. He felt her yawn beside him, and he subconsciously put his arm around her shoulder.
"Finally feeling sleepy." She chuckled tiredly.
"Want me to help you back?" He asked, grinning when he saw her eyes drooping slightly.
"Not unless ... agree to sleep on ... couch. If I'm ... to sleep, I'm gonna ... damn sure you are."
"Danny, it was stupid coming over here to because I couldn't sleep. Go back to bed, I'll just go home." Steve just stood up, a smile on his face as he scooped her up, he looked across the road and saw her apartment building.
"You hang on to the ninja sticks." He grinned, as she held the crutches to her chest. She yawned again.
"Put down Steve. I can walk." She moaned, he just shook his head. He saw how exhausted she was and knew how much every step or in her case hop was taking it out of her, and her lack of struggle only went that little bit further to prove it to him. The short walk across the street was interrupted by a rouge bird and a lonely plastic bag, but once he had the door shut behind him and Kono lying on the bed, snoozing softly. He slumped onto the sofa. Finally feeling safe knowing that she was.
H-5-O
It took him a good thirty-seconds to process where he was when he woke up the next morning. He peered over the top of the couch, and saw Kono sprawled unceremoniously across the bed.
Over the last few weeks he'd gotten to know the layout of the apartment all too well, and found himself, almost on autopilot making the few short steps into the kitchen area to make the coffee. He heard the vibration of a phone somewhere in the apartment. He looked around the bombsite, trying to see underneath the piles of dumped clothing for where the elusive phone might be. Finally he found it beside the front door, underneath a pile of socks.
"Hey Chin." He answered.
"Steve why are you answering my cousins cell at 7 in the morning?" Chin inquired.
"We had an impromptu meet and greet at the beach last night." It wasn't a lie, Chin didn't need to know that he'd found her sitting alone on a bench at the beach at 3 in the morning, or that he had to carry her back. "She's currently catching flies in the bed, so I thought I'd best answer
"Reckon she'd appreciate a wake up. We've just picked up a lead on that stolen artefact case, thought she'd wanna know; has Danny not called you yet?" Steve frowned, unlocking his own phone to find a few missed calls.
"Maybe a few times." He cringed, realising he was in for a lecture when he was finally tracked down.
"We'll be there as soon as." Steve told him before finishing the call. He pocketed the cell and tip-toed across the remains of Kono's wardrobe towards her bed.
"Yo, Kono, up and at 'em." Steve said, hoping to wake her up. "Shake a leg." He grabbed her good foot.
"...off." She moaned into her pillow.
"I thought you surfing girls were good first thing in the morning."
"We have ... have coffee first." She replied, just as gruffly.
"Oh and there's been a break in the Bell case." He said, returning to the coffee pot.
"Danny call?" She said forcing herself to her feet.
"Chin. Your cell."
"You answered my cell?" Kono asked. "To Chin."
"I told him you came and threw yourself at me." He chuckled.
"Steve!" Kono chastised.
"I told him we had an impromptu meet and greet after the bar last night. He doesn't need the details. Unless you want a lecture from him too."
"Thanks Steve."
"You got any eggs." He asked rummaging through her dilapidated fridge.
"Should be ... the drawer at the bottom." She said, struggling to balance herself on the crutches.
"Kono, do you ever do any grocery shopping." He asked, watching her hop across the carpet towards the bathroom, where she practically flung herself through the curtain that divided the two.
"When ... broke your arm. Was it this annoying ... to shower." She yelled over the clattering of her trying to cover her cast with the damn plastic covering.
"I'm sure not as annoying as it is for you." He said finally pulling a box of eggs from the bottom of fridge. He heard her laugh before raking around for a pan.
H-5-O
"A women who can shower and get ready in half an hour, with a dud leg – gotta be a new record." Steve said when Kono came into the kitchen using the cupboards to lean on rather than her crutches.
"You ain't seen nothing yet." She stated. "Who knew a Seal could make such good eggs." She grinned through a mouthful of eggs, he'd practically shoved into her face.
"Seals are full of surprises." He grinned.
"Are your culinary skills ... only to dairy ...?" She asked dumping her plate in the sink before retrieving her back pack and crutches.
"I know a few tricks." He smiled, holding open the door for her, she tossed him her keys.
"I'll ... show you a Hawaiian breakkie one day."
"I've lived here long enough to have had a Hawaiian." Kono raised her eyebrows and Steve chuckled with the innuendo.
"If you say so Boss." She grinned.