a/n. WOWW. First, let me just say THANK YOU for all the reviews and alerts and favorites! I was shocked to see how much attention this got, and pretty stoked. lol. :( I'm embarrassed that I took so long to update! I had this one mostly finished, just had some things to tie in. Let me go ahead and say, I clipped it towards the end. This bad boy hit 11,000 words and I had to stop. There wasn't enough to start a whole new chapter, and chapter 3 needs it's own space. Any questions about this one should be answered in the next chap, I know I mention the end at one point, and hopefully that will tie any loose ends. Sooo, here's chapter 2... enjoy!
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Case Files
By: Watermelon . Drops
Chapter 2:
The Case With the New Chick. . .
In a span of two months, Kono has successfully managed to rid herself of anything McGarrett related. Everything outside of the actual person, of course. He's her boss, so a few words, a few glances, a few confirmative nods; it's all necessary. But he hasn't asked her anything personal during those long, long, eight weeks, and she hasn't pushed any boundaries or brought up anything even remotely close to what happened between them in her kitchen. How embarrassing; to think that she had actually initiated the whole ordeal. . .it makes her skin crawl.
"Well," Danny drawls casually, letting himself into her office. "Judging by Mr. Lehawa's nose, it's safe to say you're on the road to recovery, yeah?"
She suppressed the urge to wince at the thought of the poor man now awaiting HPD in their interrogation room. There really had been no need to hit so hard. . "He was gonna run," she shrugs, doesn't look at him. "I just saved your ass from having to chase him. You should be thanking me."
"Riiight," and he's moved to sit across from her, arms folded. "So you wanna spill it?"
She glances up then, shakes her head a little. "I don't know -"
"- yes you do," he butts in, eyes rolling. "You and the Hulk have barely spoken since you came back from leave. You may think that Chin and I are blind, but we're not, and myself especially, given my close quarters with the lovely Commander, have been on the receiving end of his frustrated outbursts. Only difference being, I'm a little faster than Mr. Lehawa, and am a little more able when it comes to dodging." He scales back in the chair, raises a brow at her guilty expression. "Just tell me what's going on, I promise, I wont say a word to anyone. Especially Grumpy."
She hesitates, because she hadn't planned on letting anyone in on her little Commander issues, but then keeping it all to herself has proved to be less than healthy, for both her and those around her. She suddenly feels really bad for Mr. Lehawa.
"Look," and she's still unsure, eyes glancing to the door to her office, just to make sure he's still in his, hands a little shaky with the knowledge that, yes, she's about to spill her secret beans to Danny of all people. "It's not really that interesting," she deflects, finding something very interesting in her fingers on the desk. "It's just that… well, you remember how he took me home from the hospital?"
He nods. "Oh yeah! That was strange," he hums, relaxing a bit, raising his hands up and above his head, stretching. "Considering the only time he ever showed was when you were asleep. Creepy, right?"
Her eyes widen a little, that tiny, horrible, evil little part of her that likes dresses and make up lurching at the thought of him secretly coming to see her. She feels like face palming. Why is that attractive? Danny's right, she should find it creepy and annoying, but instead, some of her anger dissipates for just a moment, thoughts of them in the ambulance and in her kitchen and -
"How chicken shit is that?" Danny continues on, ignoring her internal battles. "The guy sits around blaming himself for weeks, and cant even rack up enough decency to talk to you. Sometimes I wonder about our Awe-Inspiring Commander."
She narrows her eyes at the little man, face palming him suddenly seeming like a good idea. .great idea. . .
"Guys," Chin interrupts from the door, an uncharacteristic frown marring his usual chipper features. "Boss wants us in his office. . ."
Kono's stomach flips, her chest tightening to very uncomfortable proportions. "Is it mandatory?"
Chin sighs. "Unfortunately, yes, it is."
Danny shrugs at her inquisitive look, silently stressing over what McGarrett could possibly have lined up for them so soon after this last bust. And then, of course, there were the continuous lingering issues between he and Kono, which Danny had failed, once again, to obtain answers to. Whatever. He needs some Advil.
"Yes, almighty one -"
Danny's voice is halted (an accomplishment that speaks volumes) by a figure standing idle in McGarrett's office, hands behind her back, blonde hair pulled into a tight pony tail atop her head. He stares, along with the other two, as she turns to face them, offers a hesitant smile.
"Hi, team," her sweet voice coos, sickeningly so, and the three frozen 5-0 members cannot find words. "My name is Lori."
Steve shifts uncomfortably behind his desk, reading their expressions with little effort. He clears his throat, attempts to look indifferent with the way his hands clamp behind his back and his neck straightens, face a flawed mask of certainty.
"Well, Lori," Danny says with a sarcastic sort of ease, "My name is Danny." He pauses, glances at Steve. "Can I ask what brings you to our headquarters?"
"Of course," she says with one of those voices that makes you cringe, like you're in therapy, like she's gauging everything you say. "The Governor has asked me to sit in on your newest case, a Mr. James Gretzkin, whose file I've brought with me today. I've been with the F.B.I. for five years, and I specialize with profiling, something that's going to be useful to catch this guy, who as of last week, has made Hawaii his preferred safe haven."
"Wonderful," Danny says, sour. When the others remain silent, he huffs. "Okay, so, let me get this straight… I mean, I get that you're a good. . 'profiler', but we all have experience with this sort of thing. We don't need help with a one man case. Especially not help from the F.B.I. . ." he pauses, raises a speculative brow. "Unless there's something you're not sharing, which is rude, by the way -"
"- the Governor is just looking out for the 5-0 team," Lori says calmly, unfolding her arms. "Recent events, complications," she winces upon seeing the wide eyes, defensive stances. " - well, he's worried about the team's well being. So when I came into town, following Gretzkin, he asked -"
"- asked you to baby sit us?"
Steve frowns at Danny, at his horribly loud mouth. "She's not babysitting anyone, Danny."
"I don't know, Steve," Chin says slowly, uncomfortable with the tension and awkwardness between the team members. They used to talk to each other. It used to be a lot easier. "I'm not one to ride the waves, but Danny has a point. We've been working cases on our own for a long time now, for the Governor to randomly toss a new person into the mix. . .it's a bit suspicious."
Lori shifts, lets out a loud breath. "He's concerned -"
"- You've mentioned that," Danny says, a little irritably. "But what you've failed to mention, is what he's concerned about. Our well being? Bull. What's got his panties jumbled all of a sudden?"
Lori's tight-lipped silence stretches for a good five minutes before anyone dared to break it, and of course, Danny has no quells about being the one to do so.
Kono rolls her eyes as he steps forward.
"Fine, fine," he says, hands up, head tilted down a bit, trying to appear a little less disgruntled. "I suppose you'll need time to do your thing with. .- with Commander over here, so we can take a few days, try to figure this all out."
Lori sighs, glances at Steve. "Actually, we've been instructed to get on this as soon as possible. . .Steve and I took care of all the paperwork and schedules and such last week, we're all good to go, when you're ready, of course."
It's in the way she says Steve's name - makes Kono want to vomit. Or maybe it's the girly, stupid way that she keeps glancing at him, like she's double checking, making sure he approves of all those unfortunate things that are falling out of her mouth. She doesn't know. Just knows that this room is suddenly like a thousand times smaller than it was a few minutes ago, and if she has to watch Steve try to not look at the blonde again, she may actually drop her lunch on his office floor. Danny seems to agree with her, if the crinkling of his nose and puffiness of his mouth have anything to say about it. Fortunately for her, Danny is allowed to let the more disastrous of his thoughts to spill over without worrying about consequences, allowing her the satisfaction of sitting and watching, rather than saying and doing.
"Wait.. -" and Danny actually seems a little offended when he turns attention to Steve. "You.. - you knew about this? You knew and didn't say anything?"
Kono blanches a bit because, damn, she hadn't even been paying attention to that part of the conversation, as warped around the new girl as she'd been. But, yeah, actually, that is pretty shitty of him, considering the tension in the office as of late, and she finds that she's as annoyed as Danny, and apparently so is Chin.
"I thought we'd agreed to no secrets?" her cousin is asking, moving to Danny's side. "I thought this was a team?"
"We are a team," he's breathing out slowly, letting his hands rest against his desk. He seems so tired, and yet she cant really find it in her to feel sorry for him right now. "But what the Governor decides is far beyond my reach, you all know that. He asked that I tell you when it was finalized, that we not make it into a huge deal until the schematics were worked out, and that's exactly what I did."
Danny's frown deepens. "So his word is law now? After all the shootouts and explosions and near deaths and injuries and insane situations, all things we've been and pushed through together - you listen to him now? About something as drastic as this?"
"In a way, Danny, you're correct," Lori involves herself quietly, lookin' a bit nervous. "I will be watching over you, which means I'll be watching over Commander McGarrett. He'd planned to tell you last week, upon leaving the Governor's office, no less, but I reminded him of the arrangement, and what it entailed."
"So you're a snitch?"
Honestly, she hadn't meant for it to roll over. She'd been thinking it, a stupid, personal jab at the woman, and it'd truthfully escaped with a will of it's own. She stood strong under the surprised stares, though, and raised her chin a little. "For the Governor, I mean."
She was as surprised with herself as the rest of them looked, and wanted to take it all back as quickly as it'd escaped - still not her fault - but Lori was nodding her head slowly, and seemed as if she were getting ready to answer, so Kono let it brew, ignored the glare from her boss with an ease that shouldn't be legal, considering what it did to him and his sanity.
"In ways, yes," the woman seemed to choke around the words a bit, and no, Kono was not laughing inside at the horribly unattractive face she was making. "But in others I will be your teammate, as well. I'll be working closely with all four of you, and it doesn't have to be uncomfortable. There's no need for us to be on awkward terms."
Kono decides very quickly, upon seeing McGarrett's small smile, that the discomfort she's feeling towards the woman has absolutely nothing to do with the team dynamic, and everything to do with the fact that he's looking at Lori a lot like she imagined he'd look at her, you know, if they didn't have all their freaky issues. And it's just not acceptable when the woman throws him a small, shy glance and smiles right back at him. So, what? They're best friends now? A week and they're all comfy-cozy, working late together and taking lifts home? It pisses her off more than it should because, really, she has no claim. She's got nothing more than a small kiss, shared after a very frightening, stressful experience for the both of them that brought about questions there are no answers to. She's got complicated - this chick's got simplicity. What chance would she have if she decided that McGarrett could, under no circumstances, sleep with this woman? If she steeled her resolve despite what's happened between she and her Boss, of all people, and made damn sure that no woman ever touched him again, other than herself?
She frowns at the unlikely notion and looks away from curious eyes.
"Right. Of course not."
Danny seems to deflate along with Kono as the situation comes to a slow broil, leaving Chin to fend for himself.
"I still think you should have told us," he's saying as he moves towards the door. "We've all broken rules for you, you for us, and this shouldn't have been any different. Not when it affects us as directly as this."
Kono is surprised at Chin's soft tongued outburst, and barely notices Danny slipping out of the room after he says one last piece (always the last word) and doesn't move when Lori makes to leave, closing the door behind her. She's unsure of how long she stands there, eyes on the floor, stress levels through the roof, an uncomfortable sense of trepidation weaving up her spine. Just knows that when she looks up, Steve is sitting down at his desk, staring straight ahead, and it makes her stomach curl. She knows that look, knows that he's probably beating himself up for keeping this lady from them, knows that he's probably wondering what the hell she's still doing in his office. She cant really figure it out, either. It should have been her storming out first; it's how she felt. Angry, annoyed… kinda betrayed. Not so much because of the new team member - more for reasons she's not allowed to mention, and finds that, despite the mortification that still lingers from their last encounter alone in a room together, she cant leave. Nothing that's happened this morning is settling in her stomach, nothing about the tension between all of them is right, no matter the stress levels. They've never been as distant as they are now - any of them, not just she and Steve. Chin is quiet at work, reserved, settling for the least amount of contact with them as possible, and she's sure it's because he cant solve whatever problem it is that's arisen between them. It annoys him - not being able to help. Danny's tolerance for McGarrett's stunts has just about disappeared, though she thinks it's more out of concern than anything else, given the frightful way in which her Boss has been throwing himself around recently. And the Boss man himself? - cranky, irritable, reckless and hostile. It's a combination of meltdowns between four people and she's not positive that they would recover if they finally just blew it all out. And then - in a moment of pure, unadulterated weakness, she thinks that, maybe, all of this is a direct result of what she helped to unearth. Whatever it was that had been lingering below a well constructed surface, something sitting right there between them, untouched, ignored - maybe they had ruined everything when they let it breathe a little, that day in her kitchen. Maybe they had screwed everything up - thinking they could have a moment like they'd shared that day.
And maybe he'd realized that when his phone rang, and tried to salvage what was left of their everyday by walking away. Duh. She'd already thought of that, and reasoning now didn't seem to help the hurt that still reared up to sting her every now and then, reminding her that, sure, he may want her to some extent, but that they're both too screwed up to ever have what they really want. She turns eyes to him, still sitting idle in his chair, and sighs. If this is going to work - if 5-0 is going to survive the arrival of Miss Prissy-Pants, something's gonna have to give. She's gonna have to suck it up and push forward if she ever wants to get over what's happened. She understands that.. Honestly. It's just a little harder to retract whatever she'd admitted that day, whatever had scared him away, than she'd thought. Watching him wait for her to say something is like frying under the lamp in the interrogation room - worse, even, because she knows he'll never go first. He'd let this silence stretch and swell until it was suffocating them both, before he'd break whatever he's resolved himself to. The thought annoys her to no end, and the realization sort of hurts, considering everything she's had to come to terms with over the last few weeks.
One being that she cares for him more than she probably should, more than any rookie should care for their boss, more than any friend should care for another. It makes her head hurt, admitting it to herself.
"We need to come together," she says slowly, quietly. "If we're gonna work as a team, if we're ever gonna be like we were before.. - we have to come together in this and show Danny and Chin that everything's fine."
He looks up at her, then, and his eyes are the same hurtful shade of grey. "How?" and she thinks he sounds a lot like he's choking. "How are we supposed to do that when we can barely function in the same room together?"
It startles her; that blunt-force honesty. "If you and I cant come to a real median, then we need to fake it. At least for the city's sake. For Chin and Danny's."
He snorts and shakes his head, looking away from her, out the window. "They're not stupid, Kono. And our acting isn't that good."
"So what do you suggest then, Boss?"
The silence swells again, and she thinks he may leave it that way, until he stands and turns to her, steeled for whatever he's about to say. To admit that she was a little scared would be the end of her, so she settles with nervous. Because he had that look - like he did in her kitchen; determined, unafraid, even if only for that moment.
"Fine, we'll do it your way, and we'll try and play nice and pretend that everything's alright.." he pauses and shifts, head shaking in a way she knows relates to discomfort. ".. even though we both know it's not."
"What would you propose, then?" she sounds a lot braver than she feels, and she's kind of hoping he wont answer her, despite her growing curiosity on the subject, now that he's admitted a little of how he feels. "What else can we do without breaking this team up? We're good together, Steve. We work well together and we always get things done. We save lives and we help people… isn't that why 5-0 was created? What good would it do for us to split it up?"
He shrugs against the weight of what she's implying, because he doesn't trust himself to speak. He doesn't want them to disband, doesn't want to lose the friends he's gained - he doesn't want to lose her, no matter the havoc the two of them have wreaked upon what was once a solid group. He has no illusions as to what's causing all this tension, he just doesn't know how to take it back. How to fix it.
"It wouldn't do anything," he concedes, nodding slightly. "I know that. And that's why we're gonna suck up wha - … whatever's going on and do what needs to be done."
During the moments that they stand across from one another, silence like a blanket over them, suffocating, stifling - she tries to imagine what that will entail. What the arrival of this new member and this new 'agreement' will mean for them as a pair, rather than a team. Drive a stake further between them? Create more tension? She assumes as much, considering the way he was looking at Lori earlier, the way she was looking back. The thought alone is enough to pull her from the weird stand off, and she's walking out the door without another word, closing it softly behind her - a testament to the self control she'll have to maintain, now that they're 'speaking' again.
She slams her office door, 'cause there are no rules against that.
.
In the weeks that followed Lori's arrival, few things had panned out the way Kono originally planned. She'd expected a fairly simple case, maybe a little undercover, a little digging, a little shooting, chasing - the usual. What she hadn't anticipated was the effect Lori and Steve's newfound partnership would have on her. She'd had an idea, sure, given the enormous amount of jealousy that had sat on her face, promptly following the other woman's arrival, but this was different. The fake smiles and the false laughter and the easiness that just wasn't there… it was fast becoming impossible to keep up. Feed that to the monster that was her ever-consuming fixation on finishing whatever she's doing, and you'll find her, hair mussed and piled atop her head, ugly black bags under droopy eyes, staring at a picture on the smart desk. The man is fairly attractive, has that look - the one that fools you so easily, with such little effort. She knows he's a charmer, knows he's gotten over on even the smartest of women; his only target. He likes them rich, he likes them beautiful, and more than anything, he likes a challenge. Submissive behavior and the desire to please drives him away, as does a woman who shows the least bit of interest in him. His victims are usually married or engaged, already committed to someone else, to their life with that person. His ultimate goal is to change their minds, to make them want him, rather than the men they're with. The fact that the women actually fall for it doesn't surprise her - not like it does Lori. The agent believes that any self respecting woman would see through his act, would be able to decipher genuine interest through such blaringly false pretenses.
Kono knows better.
The man is precise; looks to clothes to what he drives. He has money, stays in the nicest hotels or resorts, is always immaculate with timing and entrance. He draws their attention without ever saying a word, and it's always casual - the way he approaches them. Bumps into the them on his way to the restroom, drops his credit card while in front of them in line, leaves something behind before he makes his exit, knowing they'll see and follow to return the small item. It's the first conversation that is most important to him. He judges everything; accent, clothes style, hair and eye color, mannerisms. He looks for a loud personality, someone spoiled and used to getting what they want. Though someone with his genuine looks would usually never stand a chance with these high-class or successful women, it's the way he dotes and attends to them that pulls them in, even during those first five minutes. He compliments, asks questions, wants to know everything about her, and she feeds on the attention. She sees him as someone that's well off, confident in himself and his dealings, someone that doesn't need her, not like the men she's used to, and that above all else peaks her interest. He has his own money, so why would he care about hers? And that is his most important lie. Because in the end, when he's successfully wooed her away from her husband or fiancé, even being patient enough to wait for the divorce to finalize - the money is all he's after and, unfortunately, he usually gets it. Granted there have been times, once or twice, when something has kept him from it; sudden prenup, complications with the divorce, or even a change of heart - still, he usually managed to take something from them and, in a few cases, it was the life of his target. Hence his high profile.
"You smell."
She glances up at Danny and frowns, ignores the coffee he places on the edge of the large screen.
His sigh is tired; bland. "I take it Lori is still pushing for the drugs or abuse?"
"There has been no evidence to say as much, yet she insists that there's no way they would go for him otherwise." She stands, stretches, glares at the man's picture. "How could she honestly believe that this man, who dates each woman for months, in some cases over a year, is drugging them or beating them into submission for such long periods of time?"
Danny shrugs, folds his arms. "Maybe she's damaged goods."
Kono stops mid-step, interest pulled from her previously hopeful exit. "What do you mean?"
"Well, sometimes when an officer or agent's experienced something, been through a situation similar to one they're assessing, they can't see passed the outcome or circumstances of what happened to them." He moves around the smart desk, points at the large screen, the rows of women's photos pictured side by side. "All of these women are successful, sometimes almost unattainable by men - perhaps our sweet little agent-lady has some personal issues with this guy… or someone similar."
The idea isn't as farfetched as Kono would have thought, coming from Danny. She'd half expected a boob joke, or something of the like. "You really think she'd let something cloud her judgment like that?" She leans against the wall, thoughtful. "She's been pretty professional since she got here."
"Never know," and his usual grin is a frown as he looks over her shoulder, nods, motioning behind her. "She doesn't seem to be against inter-office romance."
Though a part of her is screaming not to look, to ignore his clouded eyes and take whatever he's gesturing at for what it should be - nothing - she turns slowly, only her upper body, refusing to fully commit, and decides upon sight that she should have listened to herself. Lori is there, across the hall, skirt-clad ass sat atop Steve's desk with all the feminism of a kitty cat. She chokes down the puke and makes herself glance at Steve, makes herself see the way he's smiling at the other woman, the way his hand is on her bare thigh, the way she's subtly scooting closer to him as the seconds tick by. Despite her aggressive demands that she not care, she can feel her stomach flipping, her chest tightening, and when she looks back at Danny, she knows she's answered what he's wanted to know since she returned from leave.
"What happened when he took you home?"
She blinks at him, but doesn't deny anything. What's the point? She's made it all very obvious with the way her chest is kind of heaving, and her hands are sort of shaking… "We kissed," she admits quietly, glancing back to the scene unfolding inside her Boss's office. "It wasn't as much of a surprise as I would have thought. Not with how tense we'd been with each other. It's always been there, I guess, we just ignored it."
"Let me guess," he mumbles, eyes downcast. "He ran?"
"Like a little girl," and she's not smiling at the joke behind truth, can only scowl at the memory, still so raw and new. "We decided to call it a truce when Lori came into the picture, play nice for everyone's benefit." Her shrug is halfhearted. "It's been working out, I guess."
Danny sighs something tired, something almost exasperated, and she's surprised when he moves to stand directly in front of her, more serious than she's seen him in a while. His eyes are focused on Steve and Lori, mind obviously whirling around something he's unsure about, something he doesn't know if he should say. It's almost funny, considering how unethical the lot of them can be at times, but she lets him have it, doesn't say a word as he struggles to find what it is he wants to get out, or maybe a way to get it out.
"Our uppers would blow every blood vessel in their bald little foreheads if they found out he was dating his rookie, we all know that, he knows that." His arms fold over his chest and he finally looks at her, finally sees the confliction dancing through the gathered lines of her brow, the uncharacteristic sadness in her eyes, and he seems to fold in a little. "But he would be fine, they would look passed it for him because he's a good cop, a good detective, good Commander. He cares too much and does more than is necessary. He goes above and beyond because he doesn't know how to settle, he's never learned, always pushing for something bigger, something more. He's -"
" - it's all he cares about, I know," she interrupts, pushing from the wall, walking away from him. "You don't have to tell me about how important 5-0 is to him or how bad it would look if anyone ever found out." She glares again at James Gretzkin on the smart desk. "I haven't told anyone, and I wont."
Danny's frown remains when he forces her around to look at him, face darker than usual, hands firmer than they've ever been with her. "You think he's worried about his job?" and he seems truly miffed. "If you knew anything about him, which I know you do, through all that denial you're working with, you'd know that, if anything, Steve's knack for self preservation is nothing if not stunted. The man doesn't know how to take care of himself." There's something regretful in his eyes when he pulls away, takes a step back. "His career would be fine - but you? Every promotion you'd get, every award or medal, it'd be seen as a token of appreciation for sleeping with your boss. It wouldn't be because you work hard or because they respect you as a female officer, a member of 5-0 - it'd be because you're Steve McGarrett's girlfriend and everyone knows how that works in this field."
Although she's promised herself that throughout this whole ordeal, she'd leave the blame upon Steve, let him take it all because she doesn't want to face the reality that she's equally as involved - she finds herself sinking. "I didn't mean for this to happen," she pushes through clenched teeth, despising how little she sounds. "It wasn't supposed to. But his face in the ambulance… when he showed up in my hospital room.. -"
"- he doesn't know how to handle this correctly," Danny concedes, a little lighter. "He doesn't want to screw up your career, doesn't want to mess up your partnership, either. He doesn't want to cause problems with Chin, doesn't want to tamper with the team dynamic. He's probably got a novel written out in his head filled with every reason why he shouldn't pursue… whatever it is he's got goin' on towards you, but that doesn't mean he can make it go away. It's just not that easy."
Kono smiles a little, glances up at him through lashes. "Alright then, Dr. Phil, how much do I owe ya?"
"Of course!" and his arms immediately begin to flail. "I try to help and what do I get? A joke at my expense, as usual. Well fine then, Dane Cook, you can handle this on your own."
She's laughing by the time he gets to the door, barely gets the, "I was just kidding!" out through the sharp breaths between giggles. But he's stomping down the hall, hair bouncing and chest puffing, ignoring her weak protests for him to come back. Despite the weight of the conversation, she feels a bit better, having witnessed someone else's reaction to the situation. After hearing someone else's interpretation. Though nothing's changed, and it's likely not to any time soon, it feels different, lighter, somehow. Perhaps Danny's strange insight had shed a light on something for her, like maybe the horrid realization that she'd misread McGarrett's hesitance, that she'd misread her own. And yet, through the sudden reprieve, when she turns and sees Lori hugging him, sees him hugging her back, it isn't sadness that returns, only a familiar irritation and bitterness that she can always relate to her stupid boss. It's a bit freeing, the way she finally just lets it go when she witnesses the woman place a chaste kiss to his lips, when he smiles at the small show of affection. It isn't easy, not by any means, but then a situation such as this has few options to toy with, and none of which she'd choose for herself or anyone else. So she shuts off the lights and powers down the smart screens, moves down the hall with a determination that surprises even her, and ignores the way she can feel him watching her until front doors close behind her.
.
"You've done, what? Two or three undercover projects in your career?" she's demanding, glaring at the woman with all the distain she's allowed to surface over the last twenty four hours. "I've got more experience in a month than you've had your whole life, I should be the one to do it. You don't understand him, not like you say you do, and he'd sense it if you hesitated even once."
Lori's irritated scowl is telling - she's pushing her buttons.
"It doesn't matter how much experience you have over me, I'm leading this case, and I say I'm going in. Please don't forget about who sent me here. The Governor will back whatever I think is best."
Danny taps his foot somewhere off in a corner, annoyed at the early morning hour. "Kono's right, Lori, you wont know what to do if you get caught in a situation."
"That's why Steve is going with me."
Kono, Chin and Danny gape at her, the latter two moving to stand nearer the two bickering women when she makes no move to confirm that she was kidding.
"Taking Steve in there is a huge risk," Chin says slowly, eyeballing her with all the uncertainty he suddenly feels towards her. "Someone could spot him, recognize him, tag him as an officer. He's good with undercover work, but not in a room full of locals. He's not exactly low-profile, especially in the criminal circuit. Taking him with you would be a sure way to blow this thing up."
Lori shakes her head quickly, dismissing his doubt with a small smile. "I don't need him to do anything other than stand around and be there if I need help. I'll be mingling and doing all the talking."
"Again," Danny insists, following her when she starts for the door. "Taking him in there is a sure way to screw this up. We need fresh faces." He pauses, glances at Kono. "In fact, if both you and Kono went, we'd be certain to get his attention, whether it be through you or her - at least we'd have it."
"We don't need three of us in there -"
"- if I went," Kono butts in, suppressing the urge to growl, "Steve wouldn't have to go, therein removing the threat of us being made."
"This man is slick, more so than I think you comprehend," Lori grumbles, folding her arms. "He ropes you in and you only get out when he says you can. I don't think you're prepared to handle him if he takes an interest in you."
"And you are?"
Lori's eyes snap to Kono a little to quickly, the question swimming openly in the blonde woman's eyes. "I've been tracking him for a long time."
"That doesn't mean you know him," Danny tries to reason, watching her stare at Kono. He tries not to grin, knowing they've successfully shaken the normally at ease agent. "You've never met him in person, never actually watched him work. You know what you've gathered, but not what he's really about. His motives could be about anything, it's a matter of catching him in the act, making damn sure we have everything we need to put him away. This isn't some kind of competition."
Kono doesn't turn away from the small stand off when the glass door pushes open and Steve walks in, his tension palpable. "Kono will go in to the benefit solo, we'll watch from afar and wait for her signal. If everything works out how I'm hoping, Kono can pull him out, lead him to us, rather than us having to storm in and hope we catch him at the right time."
Lori visibly blanches, shakes her head. "Steve, I am running this, I thought we discussed this last night? We agreed that -"
"We agreed that we'd do what's best, and this is what's best. Kono has more experience and will be able to deal with him better should he actually approach her."
Danny snorts. "Amen, brother."
Steve glares a little, but turns attention to Kono. It's uncomfortable, him being so close, eyes so focused on her - just her. "You're objective is to make him see you without seeing him, pull as much attention to yourself as possible without being obvious. We need him to come to us, make him follow you. It wont be easy, but I'm pretty sure, if you play it right, you can lead him."
Kono nods under his heavy stare, trying really hard to ignore the little part of her that lurches at the genuine conversation he's attempting, though the subject remains completely work related. "I've got my ways," she agrees, grinning. "I'll get him to follow me, one way or the other."
Steve smiles, a real smile, and she returns it before she can think better of it. When he turns around to address the rest of the group, she does think better of it, and hates herself because, hello, he was all kissy-face with Blondie McLoser not even eight hours before this meeting, and here she is smiling at him of all things. Again, she has few reasons to be angry, other than her own quells with she and Steve's… whatever it is - but it flares, anyway, souring her already shitty mood. Apparently Lori is feeling the same way, if her theatrical walk over to that chair had anything to say for it, and she's pouting in a way Kono's never seen on an adult. She fights the mischievous grin that threatens her current resolve.
"There's a small shop across the street from the benefit hall, the owner's agreed to let us camp there while Kono's inside. I need everyone to be there at around three tomorrow to help set up - it's just us on this one, alerting P.D. is too risky. This guy has a lot of connections and we don't wanna tip him off." Steve pauses, glances down at the papers in his hand. "Since we don't have P.D., we don't have their resources, so my sister will be helping you get ready, Kono. You'll need to meet her at my house in the morning, figure out what to do about a dress."
Kono realizes that he wasn't finished talking, that he's still talking, giving out instructions and probably a pep talk - but he lost her at 'my house', meaning his house, meaning she's gonna have to spend her day inside the very last place she ever wanted to step foot in, given recent events - the chaos that ensues behind a carefully calm demeanor is epic, and she feels a bit nauseous. She blinks against her small moment of anxiety and realizes she and Danny and Steve are all that's left in the room - she clears her throat, stuffs hands inside her pockets, appears collected.
"You got a game plan for tomorrow?" Steve asks casually, leaning against the doorframe. Danny turns eyes to her from the papers he snatched from the Boss, grins a little.
"I've been going over his file all week and I think I've pinpointed what he looks for, all the details," she answers certainly, letting her ass fall to the desk behind her. "I'll have to appear confident, completely in control. The conversation will have to be started by him, if it's going to be taken any further than that, he'll only approach me if he's interested, and if I approach him, it'll push him away." She shrugs, thoughtful. "I guess I'll just need to make myself noticeable. Flirt, strike up loud conversation with other men." Her brow raises a little. "I'll need a wedding band."
Steve's head tilts a little, brows gathering. "Why a ring?"
"His targets are usually married or engaged," Danny pipes in, turning and powering up the smart desk, pulling up a handful of the target's photos. "Kono did some digging, and almost every one of them had boyfriends or something more committed. A few of them even lived with the guys."
"It's his thing," she concedes, moving to stand by Danny. "He likes the challenge, wants her to choose him, rather than him forcing her into anything or just taking her money."
Steve nods, lets out a slow breath. It's unnerving when she turns and he's still looking at her, grey eyes calculating, a little uncertain. "Just be careful," he says quietly. "Be certain of where you're going if he follows you, and make sure we know where you are at all times."
"So I'm wearing a wire?"
"It'll be discreet," he assures, straitening. "Even if he gets a chance to look, he wont find it."
She nods, and follows both men out the door, the thought of home a welcome notion - compared to the thought of being in his for the entirety of tomorrow.
.
Despite a very successful put on she's been working for most of her life, there are many things Kono is self conscious of. There are times, when she glances at the mirror, she thinks maybe she's too thin. There are others, when she's shoveled an enormous amount of food down her throat, she wonders if she's getting fat. Her appearance is the least of her worries though, forgetting her sometimes-frizzy hair, her long-ish fingers, the way her collar bones seem to protrude a little too far - because her personality and mannerisms give her enough to fret over, without adding all things physical. Physicality can be overlooked for a beautiful personality and vice versa, always depending on the person doing the accepting. Still, there have been moments she's feared her inescapable bluntness, the way her lip seems to curve when she's trying to pretend a joke was funny, the way her eyes roam, glossing over, when she's disinterested in whatever's being discussed, will leave her alone and brooding her entire life. The glossy-eyed disinterest is her worst attribute, it seems, when you take her horribly short attention span into consideration - and everyone usually does. Not immediately, of course, but only after she's offended or annoyed them into a frustrated escape. The most annoying part of it all, though, is the knowledge that, sure, she could sit through an entire 'civilized' conversation and never hear a word, never give a crud about what's going on with her friends or family or answer her phone when people call to chat - but you stick a con in front of her, a fugitive on the run, a case with a file that could sit flat on the floor and reach her thigh… she'll be gleefully enthralled for days, weeks, months on end. All these things suck pretty hard, and yes, she realizes that her list only continues to grow with the way her mind consistently warps itself around the worst possible things and outcomes and decisions of every stupid thing that pops into her stupid head - but overlooking said shortcomings, though difficult because she's already let them weasel their way into her conscious thought, there are two that stand out above all else.
One - her temper. That damnable fuse that is forever being lit and blown up in her face… there are few good things to be said for it. Though helpful in a jam, it does nothing for her personal life, or lack thereof. - which brings about number two.
Two - the most absolute of her self-decided faults - her complete and total inability to face what's right in front of her. Speaking in terms of relationships, of course. Point a gun in her face? -she's shoving it away and landing a right hook. Toss her off a cliff? -she's latching on and climbing her way back to the top without a hint of help. Touch her in any way that may possibly resemble a romantic advance? -she's breathing hard and sweating and stuttering and crawling away to lick her ever wounded pride.
It's difficult to pinpoint when she became this self-depreciating, horribly anxious version of herself, but she'll put her money on sometime after she joined the oh-so-righteous McGarrett Clan. Though still confident in her professional abilities - he's taken whatever sense of sexuality or romance she'd had at some point and squished it under those stupid boots of his.
The point to all of this?
James Gretzkin.
Walking into this, she was supposed to be confident, even cocky, and show absolutely no quells as to how bad-ass she thinks she is. She's a friggin' CEO for Chrissakes! In theory, he traitorous mind offers, playing a hand in the third or fourth glass of scotch she's downed in the past fifteen minutes, much stronger than cocktails, she's learning. Walking into this, she was supposed to forget all the stupid crap that's been going on and remember that she's a woman, a strong woman, and she can do just about anything she sets her mind to. She needs no man to get the things she wants, has always done things for herself, never needed anyone, really. She's independent and smart and witty. She's a lot of things, but right now, she's just not feelin' it. Why? you might wonder. But it's all fairly simple. She's let some arrogant, undeserving Commander get inside her head, and it's right now - not yesterday, not the last week, not last month, but right now, that she's paying for it. She thought the nights spent staring worthlessly at her ceiling in the dark, pathetically going over the ridiculous things that had had happened between she and Steve, were the worst of the side effects she'd have to endure - but she was obviously quite wrong. That it's effecting her so much now is a startling, sobering, infuriating notion. One she cant seem to shake, even as another suitor comes sauntering her way, grinning devilishly.
"You seem lonely," he drawls, moving to stand between she and the bar. "Not much into mingling?"
"Not really my type of conversation," she answers honestly, letting the brief idea that perhaps she shouldn't be slip from immediate thought. "I find this whole thing a bit boring."
He seems surprised, if not a bit startled. "Boring?" and he sounds truly appalled. "Why, this is the most decadent gathering I've seen in Hawaii in many years. Everyone of importance is here, as you can so see."
Her eyes follow his hand's quick sweep of the roof top they've been stationed upon, her focus working passed all of the hanging bulbs and glittering fountains, to see the people he's so obviously impressed by. The Governor, of course, stands dead center, with a handful of men she cant for the life of her recognize, despite this guy's palpable enthusiasm. Perhaps they're some sort of investors, though she has her doubts with a few of them, noting with slight appreciation their sleek suits and expensive accessories. Company overlords, perhaps. Or the Devil's minions… whichever way you'd like to put it. Subjected to her distracted silence, and experiencing first hand her disinterested, glossy way of ignoring him, the slightly lanky man rolls his eyes and makes a hasty retreat, towards some other awaiting damsel, she's sure. Though she doesn't care much for the attention of these idiots, it's the man still lounging comfortably in a chair across the main area of the party, face half cast in the shadows of the darkening sky, away from the bright lights where the Governor and his guests have huddled, that bothers her. Had she not studied him so thoroughly, she'd have already moved to him, sparked a half-truth sort of conversation. The thought does little to help her patience, though, as she watches from the corner of her eye as he finally stands and moves around the table. His destination is only uncertain for a few seconds, however, and she realizes with a baited panic that he's swaggering, quite impressively, in her direction. She averts her eyes, feigns interest in the men attempting to dance, focuses more solely on the Governor's face - any type of familiarity is better than none, she's decided, just as Gretzkin steps up behind her, attention on the glass in his hand and the drink he's pouring into it. The bartender mumbles something to him, to which Gretzkin rumbles a short chuckle, and he's walking away before she has time to think of something suitable to say should he address her.
The night has been sluggish, long, and as he takes his seat at the table he's occupied for the entirety of the evening, her lacking confidence slips even further. Maybe Lori was right - maybe she should have let the blonde take over this whole thing, work this undercover. She may have experience, but obviously nothing that pulls this man's attention. It's as she's setting her glass down, steeling her nerve to tell her teammates that he's not nibbling at their bait, that she sees it. In the very spot he'd set his glass to refill it; his driver's license. Her stomach flips, chest doing funny little flutters, as she reaches for it. He didn't just nibble, he bit, hooking himself just as she thought he would. Her fingers play across the plastic, thumb brushing over his face, and she knows he's watching her, can feel his eyes burning through her side, awaiting her reaction. And even though a part of her knew better than to stray from the plan - she's never been very good at doing what she's told.
Without another thought, she drops his I.D. back to the table, along with her empty glass, and struts easily across the floor, towards the exit. Many of the men ogle her, she knows, as she moves by them, and even goes so far as to wink at one, just to draw a reaction. It's this man that gets up to follow her, and the scene she'd just imagined in her head begins to play just as she thought upon reaching the door to the stairway. His hand wraps around her upper arm, pulling her to face him, and she fights against the grimace when she gets a full look of his drunken face.
"Well, well," he's slurring, nose brushing against her forehead during one of his many sways. "Found me something sweet tonight, didn't I?"
She hears confident footfalls behind her current predicament and grins. "I fear you're mistaken, sir," she says as she pulls her arm from his grasp. "There's few things sweet about me."
"I highly doubt that." He's reaching for her again, and is surprised when her hand connects solidly with his face.
Perhaps it'd been a bit much - slapping him, that is, but the smirk on Gretzkin's face, one he probably thinks she's oblivious to, is reward enough for her troubles.
"What the hell was that for?"
"For assuming yourself man enough to spend the night with me," and it flows with such a calm, swift, sting that the man doesn't have time to fully understand before she's turned, headed once again for the stairs.
She makes it halfway down before he clears his throat.
"Excuse me, miss?"
Kono slows, but continues down, casting a smug glance over her shoulder. "Sorry, no more donations, I've been more than generous." She shrugs halfheartedly, grumbles a discernibly cross, "Now goodnight, sir."
He takes the steps a little quicker now, his interest obviously peaked. "Uh - no ma'am, you mistake my intentions, I only wish to -"
Her sigh is blatant and telling, stilling him as she makes a slow turn to face him. "To what? Hop in my limo with me and sleep in my bed tonight?" Her brow raises, intrigued by the almost innocent set of his face. "Spare me your lines and bullshit pickups. I've heard them all, and don't care to waste my time listening to any more."
She can her him move to follow her and she turns a hand on him, stilling him again. "Besides," she says slowly, a grin tugging at her lips. "I'm married, and I doubt my husband would appreciate me bringing a simple conquest such as yourself home to our bed."
To her greatest surprise, he smiles. "I doubt he would," he agrees, taking the steps between them with a slow ease. "But the same cant be said for you."
It amazes her; that he's taken to this so easily. "Is that right," and it comes out a lot huskier than she'd first meant it to. "I'm afraid I don't share in your confidence on the matter…" she turns to him completely, stepping up a hair. "I've been with some powerful men, and very few of them have impressed me."
"Maybe you just haven't been with the right one."
Something about the speed in which this whole thing is moving makes her a little nervous. She's beginning to think she should have just returned his license to him as planned, rather than ignore him so openly. Apparently that's more appealing to him, and he's advancing much more aggressively than she'd expected. Maybe she'd underestimated him - or given him too much credit…
"You think too much of yourself," she finally replies, shaking her head. He's staring at her like she's some sort of rare gem, his hand outstretched towards her, as if he's waiting for her to swoon and fall into his arms. It's disgusting. "Hopefully all that arrogance will keep you warm tonight. Good evening."
Her heels are the only thing she can hear as she makes for the ground floor, opting out of trapping herself inside an elevator, in the chance that one of those drunken fools end up in there with her. She's nearly made it to the stairwell on the third level, her shoes silenced on the plush carpet of the hallway, when the elevator stops in front of her, doors sliding open to reveal Gretzkin, leaning casually against the wall.
"Tired of walking yet?"
She grins, but it's halfhearted. She'd strayed from the plan, changed things up, and she's having trouble recuperating. She was supposed to lead him to her room inside the hotel, where cameras and microphones are strategically placed, well, everywhere, to catch every second of her time with him, and hopefully gain enough to cuff him right there. But now… now she's heading for the front door, and he's following, and she cant seem to find a reasonable escape from this. She quickly blames it on her own stupidity, remembering where her thoughts had traveled for most of the night, and did her best to appear unconcerned with his lingering presence.
"Actually," she chirps, attempting a lighter demeanor. "I think I am."
He's smiling that roguish smile, both charming and dangerous. "I've got a room," he offers, shrugging.
"So do I."
His smile widens, reaches his eyes, a boyish gleam lighting the strange shade of hazel. "Perhaps we shouldn't bother your husband at all."
She takes slow, deliberate steps towards the elevator, and despite the danger of the situation, can feel her blood pressure rising, her skin flushing just a tad. Having to work so closely with their target is pretty exhilarating, and the fact that she's nearly succeeded in getting him to her room makes for a high score in the boosting of confidence department. She's grinning at him, and he's giving her this weird little smile, and it's upon actually reaching him that she realizes she has no idea what to do now. It's horrifyingly practical - the way she stands before him, so very unsure, but seeming so very confident. It's classic Kono luck. She's got him right where she wants him, and what if not her most embarrassing weakness to blow the whole thing up. He's watching her with obvious trepidation, excited with her last minute pause, awaiting what exciting ventures she's to bring to his bed, or hers. But the joke's on him, isn't it? - cause she doesn't have any awesome tricks to pull out, no neat little tongue maneuver or crazy, flexible position to tease him with as she strips half naked in the hotel room. She doesn't even have the balls to strip half naked - not in such close quarters, not when something else is expected of her. She's supposed to be sure of herself, know what she wants and likes in a man, and here she stands - a whole lotta nothin' comin' to mind in that department. Her experiences are nothing if not plain, and she can honestly say it's mostly due to her own oddly placed fears.
"You're something of a mystery, you know that?"
She blinks, lets out a slow breath. "Part of my charm, I guess."
He smiles again, something so deliciously deliberate, and she knows beyond a reasonable doubt that she's in over her head. But she doesn't shy away when he reaches for her, when his fingers trace up the bare skin of her arm, over the shiny hem of her dress, casually gracing her cleavage. She knows that one wrong move pushes him away, alerts him to her uncharacteristic behavior, and she's really not in the mood to get shot again. So with much effort, she's moving towards him, fingers playing easily up the buttons of his shirt, tugging him down towards her, and in one last second of rational thought, she recognizes that she's lost her mind, just as his lips move over hers.
.
Never in her wildest imagination had she thought herself capable of something so absolutely insane. Not only had she managed to snag his attention, she'd managed to seduce him with less than thirty minutes in his presence under her belt, and have him merrily making his way to her room without any protest whatsoever. Not once has she had to throttle anyone, and she's nearly completed a mission once thought impossible by not only her, but her teammates. Grated, their fugitive's tongue is crammed down her throat, and her hands are tugging at the belt of his pants, and he's slamming her into the wall beside her room door - it doesn't really matter. She's got this whole thing under control, and is having a pretty good time while she's at it. As soon as they're inside the room she can hit the pause button, go to the bathroom, and call for backup. No big deal.
So she thought, anyway.
And maybe this whole thing would have worked out exactly how she'd planned, like it had so far, but she'll never know. Because as his hands slide up the back of her thighs, lift her legs around his hips - just as she's tugging her room key out of it's hiding place between her boob and the inside of her dress, she hears hurried footfalls somewhere in the distance. It's a little alarming, but considering the mass amount of people gathered for the party upstairs, she doesn't let it pull her attention. She remains completely absorbed in his touch, his kiss, just as he wants her to be, as her hand slips behind her, fumbling to secure the key into the slot. He's making all kinds of unattractive noises, so unfortunate given his previous charm, and she's trying her best to get them inside, just a little closer, so that she can call this in - let them know she's gotten him where they need him, get further instruction.
When she hears the unmistakable clap of a gunshot, she freezes, has no choice but to, when she feels Gretzkin go limp against her, his deadweight pushing her down the wall. Her eyes snap open and are greeted with the same fluorescents that were there when she closed them, but when she glances down, she has to fight the urge to scream. It's not so much the close proximity, as the amount of matter - matter that was, just moments ago, secured inside James Gretzkin's well manicured head, that disturbs her. It's everywhere. Across her chest, her face, down her dress, on the wall in front of her, the floor beneath her. Her hands are visibly shaking when she moves to shove him off, finding that he's much heavier when dead, and begins to choke on the words trying to bubble up her throat. Just as she starts to shove at him, a bit frantic in the way she's scrambling to move, attempting to keep from falling to the ground, his weight is gone, and she's stumbling to the side, falling against Danny's tie-less chest.
"Are you alright?" he demands, and she can see the uncertainty around his eyes. "Hey," he snaps his fingers, shakes her a little. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," she's mumbling, turning to look at the body being lowered to the floor. "Wha - .. What the -" time seems to catch up, and she's whirling around, eyes narrowing in on Lori, service weapon still in hand. "What the hell was that!"
Danny doesn't protest the outburst, prompting her to believe he's as clueless as she is. When Lori doesn't answer, Kono opens her mouth to start in on a well deserved rant, but stops short when Steve rounds the corner, grey eyes metallic, glimmering, a bit frightening.
"What the fuck happened?"
He's not yelling, but his quiet tone is equally as unnerving. And when he sees her, she contemplates running, 'cause he's wired and he's focused on her, and she doesn't think she has the brain power to deal with him right now. Not after having a man's head blow all over her.
"Are you -"
He's already rushed to her before he can ask, already moving hands and eyes over every inch of her over and over again, already pulling his phone from his pocket and readying himself to dial 911.
She sighs. "Steve," she says evenly, rolling her eyes when he pays her no mind. "Steve, I'm fine. It's not mine."
He looks at her, then, face a shaded façade of uncertainty, and she resists the urge to reach for him.
"What -"
" - I shot him."
His eyes dart to the blond still standing idle in the middle of the wide hallway, weapon lowered but held tightly in both hands.
"Why? They were almost in the room, why would you -"
"- I told you I had my reasons for following him here. He was my perp - my collar. If she'd have gone in there with him, there'd have been no getting to her in time. You were wrong," she's mumbling, hands beginning to tremble. "I do know him. You may have read up, but I've been on this guy for years. I've watched him victimize woman after woman, destroying their lives and leaving them with nothing. We would have succeeded only in allowing him to conquer another, and you'd have wallowed in that guilt for the rest of your life."
Kono blinks, wonders if she did take one to the head. "What are you talking about? We had him!"
"He had you," Lori is emphasizing, finally dropping the gun to the ground. "Don't be foolish. Don't think for one second that you were playing him - he's always got the upper hand."
Several officers round the corner at once, weapons drawn, and Kono can only watch as they slowly approach Lori, pull her hands behind her back and cuff her. She glances at Danny when he nudges her.
"Told you she was damaged goods," he's whispering, nodding towards Gretzkin. "My money says this guy wooed our little lady here, just like all those other women, and she's forever the fool for falling for it."
Kono nods absently, a small part of her sorry for the woman being hauled away, her career and any opportunities she had left on the floor along with her service weapon.
.
There's a bit of a chill in the air of her office as she watches two suited men carry the last of Lori's things out the front door. The Governor is flailing in McGarrett's office, bald head quivering with pent up anger, veins popping out here and there. She tries to grin, but cant really manage one when she thinks of what he's probably goin' on about. Probably trying to blame the Boss for Lori's little breakdown, claiming he should have seen it coming. Pfft. They barely knew the woman. If anyone should be to blame, it should be the Governor, for doubting their ability to handle themselves. If Lori hadn't have lost her mind, Gretzkin would probably be rotting in a jail cell somewhere waiting on a court date.
The thoughts do the same as they did yesterday, and the day before, and she's unsure of how much more Advil her stomach can handle. Danny already claims to having stomach ulcers, resulting from too much of the stuff, all in thanks to the stress Commando puts on him during their day to day activities. Still, it's hard not to reflect. The man died with his tongue down her throat, probably enjoying himself, and will never really pay for the crimes he committed. Lori may believe that in death, she's punished him for said crimes, but killing him is too much of a cop out. He was unaware of why or by who, and in the end, he was never really caught. Technically, he was murdered. Murdered by one of the people who set out to stop him from doing just that. It's a circle she's sure she'll never understand.
"Pretty gloom and doom, huh?"
She glances up at Danny, shrugs. "I guess."
His sigh is a warning, but she ignores it, opting to stare at the unfinished paperwork on her desk.
"So I guess things'll go back to normal after this?"
Again, she shrugs. "Cant really be sure. Without Lori to distract him, I figure Boss-Man'll be back to his usual broody self."
"Probably."
The silence is comfortable, relaxing, and she's a little annoyed when it's broken by a knock at her door. She rolls her eyes - the door is open, honestly, why bother knocking?
"Hey," Steve greets quietly, hovering just outside. "Callin' it a night."
Danny stands and stretches, spares her a withering glance. "Me too. I'll see you guys in the mornin'."
He's already brushed passed Steve when she stands and grabs her jacket, shrugs it on.
"Just wanted to let you know that you did really good the other night," he says to her back, watching her busy herself with scattered papers.
She snorts. "So, what? No lecture about straying from the plan?"
"If you hadn't, he'd probably have never followed you." He pauses, takes a hesitant step towards her. "If Lori hadn't intervened, we'd have nailed him, no doubt about it."
"You made the right decision," he presses when she remains silent. "You knew exactly what he wanted and you played on it. It's all a matter of mindset."
She nearly laughs because, Christ, what would he say if she told him that her mind was in shambles that night? What would he do if he knew that the entire time that bumbling idiot was kissing her, she was thinking of him? He'd run like hell, is what he'd do, and she's in no mood to be left hanging. She shrugs it off, turns to face him.
"Thank you," she forces out, frowning. "I'll remember that."
She leaves him standing in her office, confused and disappointed, just as he'd left her that day in her kitchen. She hopes it hurts, though she doubts the effects are the same given the light weight of their time recently. She should let it go, this whole Steve thing, she knows that, wants nothing to do with any of this feeling business. As with her little black dress, she's learned another valuable lesson from her many cases alongside Steve McGarrett - Caring for someone is nothing but a cruel joke, the emotion itself almost as damaging as the realization of it. She's realized that she's let herself grow too attached to her stupid Commander - and something has to be done about it. Something drastic, and something immediate.
Something she's told herself a million times before…
.
ANOTHER a/n! I know! How much can I talk about! - I did want to touch on Kono's characterization in this chapter, 'cause I don't want any of you to think I'm making her into a cheese-headed whimp. This chapter was mostly a filler, less Steve, more Danny, to kind of let their relationship breathe a bit after the last chapter. Still, I know she may have seemed off. This was mostly about her discomfort with herself sexually, unsure of when she stopped being so confident, when she started to doubt herself, even when facing a complete stranger she had no intention of sleeping with. She overcame it with Gretzkin to an extent, in the name of getting the job done, but that's not the full extent of her problem. It's resolved in the next chapter, so it's not a recurring issue. Devero is reintroduced in chapter 3, along with Steve/Kono interraction. lol Just wanted to throw that out there.
Oh! Speaking of chapter 3, I'm gonna give you the title, 'cause I'm pretty excited about this next one. Chapter 3: The Case With the Stupid Bunker. (As in military bunker, and yes, I stole it from the show, but take it in a completely different direction... can you guess!) Ohh, man. It's late, I'm tired, but I have to say oneee more thing... REVIEW! I was so excited when I saw how many I got for the last one. Thank you again!
Warning: Chapter 3 is DEFINATELY rated M. Remember that, and proceed with caution once it's posted.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii 5-0, it's characters or plots.
