A/N: Thanks again for everyone's wonderful response to this! It's very encouraging. This update took a little bit simply due to real life, unfortunately. I hope to continue the fairly decent writing schedule over the holidays as well so I can keep up the pace! I know, I know… Enough with my rambling, on to the story…

Part Four

Five-0 Headquarters

Steve sat at his desk and stared at the pictures fanned out in front of him. Chin had been true to his word. He'd had someone track Kono just as she'd tracked Adam Noshimuri. And what Steve saw… well, it wasn't anything he'd expected. Now, he understood what had been the cause of Danny's concern regarding Chin and Kono. He wished he didn't.

It was late and he'd sent everyone home hours ago. It was only when he was alone that he felt brave enough to open the folder on his desk that had taunted him since the moment Chin had left it there.

Steve rubbed a hand over his face as he sat back in his chair. He would be the first to admit that he didn't handle emotional responses well. And he would likely be the last to admit that his response to the undercover operation all those weeks ago had been all emotional, just as he'd told Kono it had been all personal. It hadn't gone well for him... interrogation had been the moment when his control had regrettably snapped, letting his fear get the best of him. Yet Kono had been the one to keep the level head amid it all. She'd been the one to point out all of the obvious – her standing in the operation that would keep Tricia Joyner alive, the fact that Delano would spot any tail or wire on her… those were all things that he knew and would understand in most circumstances. But in that one particular circumstance, he just couldn't comprehend it. There'd been a lot of static noise in his head since the moment Chin had first told him about opening fire on Kono's getaway care. He hadn't been in control at all, and that was very unfamiliar to him. If he was in control, she would be safe. At least, that's the rationale he kept telling himself.

It was what was keeping him from making his response to this new situation an emotional one. Because she wasn't safe and he needed that control. He was absolutely certain of that. Where her level head had been keenly present and obvious in Fryer's undercover operation… this situation he could feel that Kono's usually very level head was compromised as he looked down at the pictures again.

A picture of Adam and Kono at a cozy dinner. A picture of a sweet kiss on what was their room balcony. A picture of them talking closely in an empty hallway, much too closely to just be acquaintances. There were multiple other pictures of multiple other encounters.

Rather than go with his first gut response – anger and something else that he'd just begun to wonder at – he decided to look at everything with his investigator's eyes.

The fact that these pictures were time-elapsed over a couple of weeks from a regular hotel and not the Noshimuri compound told Steve more than just the obvious. It also gave credence to Kono's comment of "notoriously tight-lipped and careful." It all told him that Noshimuri seemed to want to protect Kono as well. The man didn't want her involved in Noshimuri business. And that meant things were more personal than Steve wanted to believe. It meant that there were some sort of feelings involved.

What Adam hadn't seemed to realize – but Steve could – was that if Chin could keep track of his whereabouts this easily, anyone could. And that meant that whatever protection Adam was trying to provide was, in effect, useless. Kono was now a known presence in Adam Noshimuri's life. In Yakuza business. And that meant her life was in danger. Again. This time, at his urging. Granted, his surprisingly naïve urging… but his urging nonetheless.

Looking at a picture of Adam and Kono, of a moment of very genuine affection, Steve could only guess that either Kono didn't realize that… or she didn't care. Neither one of the options sat well with him.

The chirp and buzz of his cell phone alerted him to an incoming call. Steve glanced over at the screen and saw the name "Cath" pop up. Usually, talking with Catherine was a bright spot in a day. It came with years of familiarity and the knowledge of the unpredictability of their schedules. But right now, it was truly at the bottom of the list of things he wanted to do. With a particularly brutal curse at himself, he reached over and hit ignore. He'd talk to her in the morning.

Steve quickly looked over the pictures once more before putting them all neatly back in the unassuming manila folder. There were going to be problems. That was readily apparent the moment he'd seen Chin sitting alone in his office again. But, they had bigger problems at the moment.

Next Morning
O'ahu Cemetery

The sight of the flag draped coffin always got to her. It had been that way since she was a kid and one of her distant cousins had been killed in a car wreck while on duty. The sadness of it all was so pervasive she'd felt it down to the bone even then…

Suffice it to say, police funerals were pretty much the low of any day, week, month… year. Today, there were three of them. In the nearly two years out of the academy, she'd been lucky enough to not have to perform this particular heartbreaking duty. Until now.

Five-0 stood with the rest of the Honolulu Police Department, dressed in their dress blues, to salute their fallen comrades. Out of the corner of her eye, Kono saw Catherine Rollins standing stoically between Steve and Danny, decked in her Navy dress whites. It had taken the Five-0 group by surprise when she'd shown up this morning. While Kono was appreciative of the woman's respect for the fallen policemen, she tried her best to try to avoid interaction with the woman. It wasn't that she disliked Catherine, per say. It was just that there always seemed to be some sort of awkward forcefulness when they did meet, a want for decent conversation. And Kono could pick a subject out of the sky with pretty much everybody, which is what she found most odd.

When the first shot of the three-volley salute rang out, it took her by surprise and couldn't help the small flinch. Chin nudged her elbow from her side and she looked up. There was concern there, even amid the censure, and she quirked her lip up in a split second of a smile to reassure him. He nodded tightly and looked back to where the rifle team finished their last shot. Kono caught a similar expression on Steve's face as he looked over at her. When his eyes dropped before refocusing on what should have their attention, Kono realized that he knew. And she knew how he knew. She grit her teeth to keep from turning to glare at Chin. Her anger at her cousin was so sudden and unexpected that it took all her willpower to get it under control.

It was when others around her started walking by her that she realized that the funeral had come to a close. Kono swallowed hard as she watched the devastated families gather around their loved ones caskets in a moment of private grief. She took off her cap and tried to gather her wayward emotions together again.

"We should go," Chin said from her side, touching her elbow. The anger was still simmering underneath the surface, though.

"Traitor," Kono bit out to her cousin through clenched teeth. Chin turned to look at her with surprise before his face calmed into his usual expression. He was a smart guy. It didn't take long for him to realize what she was referring to. He let out a breath.

"Kono…" She didn't want to hear it, though. She spun on her heel and started walking away. The ghost of Chin's fingers just missing grabbing her arm didn't even make her pause. Kono just continued walking away, not even staying to say anything to the rest of the team. Without a second thought, she pulled out her cell phone. As she neared her car, her finger hesitated over the dial button.

"Kono!" a voice called. Recognizing it, she slipped her phone back into her pocket and turned to the owner.

"Captain," she answered back as Fryer approached. He didn't say anything until he reached her side.

"Thought you should know… I've had a tail for most of the day," he told her, shoving his hands into his pockets. Kono tilted her head.

"A tail?" she asked, confused. Then she thought about it. "Delano…" Fryer nodded. She tried to surreptitiously look around. Fryer smiled.

"You won't find him around the edges. He was in the mix," he told her, pointing a thumb over his shoulder towards the crowd of police officers.

"What?"

"He was in uniform. I'm pretty sure he slipped away by now, but he was there," Fryer said with a shake of his head.

"You're not just getting paranoid now, are you?" Kono asked. Fryer rolled his eyes.

"Hard to be paranoid when the guy is staring right at you for 20 minutes," he said.

"Think Delano's spooked? Or is it revenge?" Kono asked. Fryer shrugged.

"Don't know. But… my gut tells me he's involved in these killings somehow. I don't know how, or how deep. It could be he's after revenge too. We did send him to prison. And Frank isn't one to not hold a grudge," he said.

"Great," Kono muttered. When her phone buzzed, she didn't even need to look at the caller ID to know who it was. Adam… She looked back to Fryer. "Well, I'll leave you to tell the boss the latest update. Better you than me."

"You're a real pal," Fryer told her, looking over his shoulder to where Steve stood. Fryer turned back to look at Kono. "Question out of pure curiosity…"

"Those never go well," she warned. He just smiled.

"Anything between you and McGarrett?" he asked bluntly, no sugar coating and regardless of the consequences. Kono resisted the immediate urge to look back to where the Five-0 commander stood with the rest of the team. Even not looking she could tell that he, Chin and Danny were trying very hard to not be curious by her conversation.

"Nope," she said lightly. "Not sure why you'd ask that question." Fryer chuckled.

"Like I said, pure curiosity. That whole undercover operation… it just seemed…" he stopped and shook his head. He chuckled again. "And why would you tell an IA guy anyway?" The question was obviously rhetorical. "But, just so you know… transfer option is still open." With that he gave her a sly wink before turning to go let the rest of the team in on his most recent discovery.

Kono watched him go for a few minutes, and when she caught Chin's eye she turned back around and resumed her trek to her car. She wanted to chuckle at Fryer's new recruiting tactic, but there was that pit in her stomach feeling that kept her from doing so. Instead, she pulled the phone out from her pocket and dialed a quick number. She smiled when the familiar voice came on the line.

"Hi. Sorry, we just finished. You busy?"

Ehukai Beach
Banzai Pipeline - North Shore
Later that day

Kono lay on her surfboard in the water and watched as some of the locals tried to tame the famous pipeline. Back in the day, she would have been just as eager to try out the testing waves, but now, she was content to be a part of the water, wherever that may be.

"Quitting on me already?" a voice asked from her side. She smiled before she looked over at Adam as he straddled his own surfboard. The sun was just beginning to set behind her and it cast him in a warm orange glow as he smiled back at her.

"Nah, brah… just relaxing. I'm glad you suggested coming here. A day out of Honolulu was just what I needed," she said. He paddled closer to her and leaned close for a quick kiss. He pulled back and studied her for a moment.

"You're in your element here," he commented. She smiled.

"Water and I have always gotten along. You, on the other hand," she teased. "You could use a few more lessons." He grinned.

"Yeah, well, surfing isn't quite as popular on the Hudson River. New York City is a long way from Hawaii and it's been a long while since I'd been on a board," he told her. Kono sat up and straddled her board as well.

"I'm glad you came out with me," she told him appreciatively. None of the other men she'd seen in the past had ever really given her passion much thought beyond how she'd looked in a bikini. Adam had actually been very enthusiastic when suggesting they do this, about wanting to re-learn how to manage a board after being away for so long. He watched her for a moment.

"Like I said, you're in your element. I didn't want to miss that," he said seriously, his dark gaze holding hers. Then he smiled, a teasing glint in his eye. "And I'd totally miss the stunning view of you in that bikini from the shore…" Kono laughed as she reached out and splashed him with water. Typical man, underneath it all. Adam reached out and grabbed her wrist playfully, tugging her closer and finally reaching out with both arms to pull her onto his board. She laughed into his kiss as he gently nipped at her lips. With a sigh, Kono wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself sink into the moment of being in his arms.

A few catcalls from passing surfers as they rode the gentle waves back into the beach for the night broke into the private moment. When Adam pulled back, his eyes roamed over her face happily. Kono smiled back, keeping her arms loosely wrapped around his neck.

"Dinner on the beach?" she asked. "Then…"

Adam smiled at her regretfully. "Then you've got to get back. I know." Kono nodded. She knew that he needed to get back to Honolulu as well. There was only so much of the real world they could avoid. Adam knew her job. And she knew his. It hadn't ever been a secret between them, but an obstacle to maneuver around.

"Hey," Adam called her softly before she could transfer back to her own board to begin the paddle back to shore. She looked at him. "I'm glad that when we're together, I'm just Adam and you're just Kono."

Kono grinned, her dimple peeking out. "Who else would we be?" With a quick kiss, she extracted herself from him and pushed herself onto her board. She knew the question was rhetorical, because Adam Noshimuri wasn't just Adam. And Kono Kalakaua wasn't just Kono. But for a while, they could escape and just be. It was nice they could do that.

Back on dry land there were icons on their waiting phones indicating they both couldn't avoid real life for much longer.

The next day

"Where the hell were you yesterday?" Danny asked as Kono walked into headquarters. She frowned at him.

"I'm sorry. Did I miss something? I thought I had a day off. So I took it," she snapped back at him. "What crawled up your butt? And by the way? Leaving me four messages to 'call you'? You've got to do better than that." Danny scoffed.

"And you didn't call me," he reminded her. Kono smiled as she walked to her office. Danny, predictably, followed on her heels.

"I didn't get back to town until late, Danny. It would have been pointless to call you at two in the morning," she said. Danny frowned.

"Two? A.M?" he asked. Kono raised an eyebrow.

"That would be the designation for morning, yes, Danny," she told him.

"You realize I had to deal with a crabby McGarrett and a crabby Chin Ho, right? Not to mention Lori, who couldn't help but ask questions about it, all day long?" he asked her. Kono rolled her eyes. She had a feeling she knew why both men were crabby. And she knew that Lori's questioning of Steve and her cousin would only agitate them more. Which would clearly agitate one Danny Williams even more. Had to be a fun day. She was sorry she missed it.

"If that's the only reason why you're in here complaining, I'm sure we've got better things to do," she reminded him. He eyed her for a moment.

"Reyes is dead," he said with no preamble. Her head snapped up from the report she was reading to look at him.

"What?"

"That's what I was calling about. We got the call about 7:00pm last night. He's dead, and so is his girlfriend. Shot in their apartment," he said, hands in his pockets as he leaned against the door frame. Kono frowned.

"A hit to finish the job?" she asked. Danny nodded.

"That's our current theory," he told her. Kono rubbed a hand over her face.

"Shit," she muttered. When Danny didn't say anything in return, she looked over at him. He was studying her. Kono frowned. "What?" The man pursed his lips as he stepped further into her office and closed the door. Not that anyone was really there yet to overhear their conversation. It was precautionary…

"What's going on?" he asked seriously. Her eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?" Danny rolled his eyes.

"Don't bullshit me, Kono. I know something's going on. First, you and Chin. And now Steve's all squirrelly," he said. Danny held up a hand to ward off her inevitable response to his description of their boss. "The point is I thought we were friends, not just co-workers. I thought we could talk." Kono let out a small huff of exasperation.

"Really? You're playing that card?" she asked, hoping to deflect a bit. Danny walked closer to her desk and clutched at the chair in front of it.

"YES! Yes, I'm playing that card, Kono. Because I don't want what happened with the Fryer incident to happen again, okay? That was too close," he said. He let out a breath. "I thought whatever it's been this time would get handled. I thought Chin would get this figured out, or Steve, because when it comes to dealing with that confrontation thing they have the switch to turn off the emotion. I admit, they're better at it than me. But now…"

Kono came around her desk and reached out to grip Danny's shoulders at his sudden troubled look. Her team was important to her, and she hadn't realized how much her operation with Fryer had shaken everyone. They'd been so good at not talking about it that she'd figured everyone had just simply moved on. But now their heightened reactions to her behaviors and actions were telling her differently. It simultaneously broke and warmed her heart.

"Danny, it's nothing to worry about, okay? Chin and I… we had a bit of a disagreement," she told him, dropping her arms to her side. "And Steve? He's just over-reacting. He'll be fine in a day or two."

"So you're not going to tell me?" he asked. Kono looked to the ground and shook her head. She hated herself for it, but she needed to not have Danny angry at her too. It was selfish, she knew. And frankly, her not telling him could make him just as angry if she did tell him.

"Okay," he said. Kono looked up at him in shock. He didn't look angry, he didn't look disappointed. He just looked a little sad. "If you want to tell me, I will listen."

Kono nodded, a grateful smile on her face. "I know, Danny. And I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

Danny nodded too. He was about to say something back but his cell phone interrupted.

"Williams," he answered. Kono watched as the blond man nodded. "Alright. Kono's here with me, we'll head over there. See you in fifteen."

"What's up?" she asked. Danny let out a breath.

"There's been another break-in. This time, the family was home. Same M.O., same neighborhood…" he said.

"Shit," she said softly.

"Yeah. Steve and Lori are already on scene. Chin is en route. I told Steve we'd meet them there," he said. Kono nodded.

"Let's go."

Noshimuri Compound

Adam paced in his office as two of his bodyguards stood at attention at the door. He knew instinctively that things weren't going well and it made him nervous. When the phone finally rang, he was wound pretty tight.

"Hello?" he answered.

"You've been sloppy," the voice on the other end told him. Adam shook his head, denying it even to himself.

"I haven't. I've been careful," he said.

"No, you haven't, Mr. Noshimuri. There are things that depend on your cooperation and so far you've done an excellent job. But now, things are beginning to be noticed," the voice said.

"You're the only one that knows about her…"

"No, Mr. Noshimuri. I am not the only one. You need to tighten up your movements and your organization. Otherwise I will be forced to take care of the problem myself. Do we understand each other?" It was asked pleasantly, but Adam knew better.

"We do."

"Good. You will hear from me again." The phone disconnected and Adam pocketed the cell phone. It wouldn't have mattered if he'd asked when… It simply wasn't up to him.

For a brief, fleeting moment, Adam's mind went back to the North Shore. It had been the calmest, happiest day he'd experienced to date. And it made his heart ache to know that it might be the only calm, happy day he would have for a long while.

A/N: Sorry all, this one didn't turn out quite like I had envisioned, but hopefully it got across what I'd wanted to get across. ;) We'll see what you think. I'd also hoped it would be longer, but I think that may come with the next update as things unfold a bit more. Anyways, as expected: to be continued…