Payback

Chapter Seven

Zebraboymom

Disclaimer: They are not mine. I have nothing else to say about that.

Author Notes: It's down time before the big event. Steve has to tell Kono the hard facts. Maybe some romance will find its way in as well. Let's just see where we go.

Steve locked eyes with Kono and the team was suddenly making excuses to leave the room. In less than a minute Steve and Kono were alone. She waited for Steve to speak, but he just stood and looked at her. She tried to read the look, but she had never seen it before. It was soft and tender in a way that scrambled her insides. It was like he had let a wall slip down for a moment. His voice came out quiet and uneven.

"Kono…"

Then he was at her bed gathering her carefully into his arms. Steve buried his face in her hair and just held her.

Something must have happened. This was a side of Steve she had never seen. He seemed almost uncertain. It was surprising. It was like all his strength had left him. She rubbed her hands soothingly up and down his back.

"Talk to me Steve."

He took a deep breath and pulled back to look into her concerned eyes.

"Wo Fat didn't just happen to be involved in your case, Kono. He targeted you. He was going to try and enlist you just like he did Jenna. I guess he figured you were so mad at me that you'd turn against me. He wanted to strike at my "family"…my "Ohana". He's unbelievably angry because he believed you were dirty. He wanted to turn you…to uh…get back at me. Now that he knows you were never dirty he wants you dead. Kono, I think you need to go into Witness Protection until this thing goes down."

Kono surprised him when her eyes filled up with tears. She swiped angrily at them before her chin went up and he watched as she set her jaw.

"No Steve. I'm not going. I want to stay here with you. I deserve a chance to get even. I want a chance to get Mapes."

Steve dropped his eyes and then slowly lifted them to hers.

"He's dead Kono. Wo Fat killed him. He killed him because he didn't finish the job on you."

Kono's eyes widened but she didn't back down.

"Don't you see? I have to stay now."

Steve stood up and paced the room. He finally stopped, put his hands on his hips and stared at her. He ran his hand through his hair and then down his face. She knew he was struggling.

"You have a cast on your arm, your ribs are taped and you have a lot of other injuries to heal from. I know you're strong, but I'm scared Kono. I'm really scared for the first time since my dad died. There's this need to protect you even though I know you hate that. We have to realize just how powerful Wo Fat is. He killed my father Kono. What's to keep him from killing you? I can't lose you."

Kono's eyes were unwavering as she spoke with conviction.

"You won't. We're a team now. The five of us can do this together. Please Steve? Don't send me away now. I still have two weeks to heal some more and by then my stitches will come out and my ribs won't have to be taped. My arm will only have a few weeks left as well."

If he went against her he knew he could lose her trust forever. If he let her stay he might lose her as well. How could he say no? After what she endured he couldn't send her off to sit and twiddle her thumbs. She would feel like a victim all over again. He just prayed he could protect her. He crossed back to the bed and reached for her.

"Okay. Okay, but you have to deal with Chin."

Kono giggled.

"What? I don't think he'd hesitate to put a bullet in me. Do you?"

"I hear you brah. I hear you."

After Kono and the rest of the team had settled for the night in the various rooms on Kono's floor Steve called Joe. He needed someplace for them to hole up the next two weeks. He didn't trust HPD or even the FBI for that matter. Fat seemed to have connections everywhere. Joe would have a place, of that he was sure.

The next day, after a final three-hour strategy meeting with Fryer, a plain black SUV pulled up to the underground garage and Kono, back in street clothes finally, climbed in the back seat as the rest of the team joined her. It had taken over an hour to convince Chin this would be okay and she watched as he scowled at her from his side of the back seat. She was glad for once that Lori was sitting between them.

Everyone seemed to be holding their breath as Steve pulled out of the garage and took an insane route around the city for over an hour checking constantly for tails. They finally turned off into the mountains and about five miles up a small black truck pulled out in front of them. Joe smiled as he took the lead. They exited the rode further up and drove on dirt roads and switchbacks for over half an hour. Kono's ribs were screaming by the time they rolled up to a quaint Hawaiian style home set back against the mountains. They were literally in a rainforest setting and the house was completely hidden. Everyone piled out and followed Joe up the steps.

"There's three bedrooms and a Lanai with a couple of very comfortable lounge chairs. I'm sure you'll be fine. I stocked the refrigerator so you should be okay for the duration. I won't be back to check on you. No sense in taking any risks on being followed. Fryer and I'll see you in twelve days at the rendezvous point. We're going to get him this time."

Steve walked Joe out.

"Thanks Joe. This means a lot."

"It doesn't even come close to what I owe your dad. Steve, if things don't go well with the mission, I need you to know that I'm going to have to leave Hawaii. I can't protect you if I stay here. Once Wo Fat figures out I'm Shelburne he won't rest until he kills me and everyone I care about is at risk. Let's hope we get him this time. I love you like a son Steve and I'm really happy about you and Kono. She's a great girl and she suits you."

He clapped his hand on Steve's shoulder and laughed.

"I'll say one thing. Life with her will never be dull."

Steve grinned back at Kono who was waiting for him on the porch.

"Truer words were never spoken."

The two men embraced and Steve climbed the steps to Kono as Joe drove away. He knew by looking at her face that she wasn't doing well.

"Let's get you inside. It's been a busy day and you need to rest for a while. How are the ribs?"

"Screaming at me. I didn't expect the car ride to be so…eventful."

Steve slipped his arm around her and led her inside. They waved at the rest of the team, who were exploring the house and rummaging through the food choices Joe had made, as they walked down the hallway and found the master bedroom. It had a beautiful four-poster bed in it. Kono lay down and sighed in relief.

"I'll get one of your pills."

"Nope. I'm done with those. All I need is you and your magic hands."

Steve smiled and crossed to join her. Lying on his side, propped up on his elbow, he slowly slid her top up and bent to kiss her softly right at the navel before he gently rubbed his hand across her ribs. It only took a few minutes of staring into each other's eyes before both of them became filled with desire. Steve bent and captured Kono's lips while his fingers traced featherlike strokes across her abdomen and along her sides.

Kono was lost in his lips and his touch until she arched up trying to deepen the kiss. She gasped in pain and Steve stopped instantly, pulling her top back down.

"I hurt you."

"No, you didn't. I hurt myself. It's okay Steve. You're very gentle with me. I can't wait until I'm better. I want to be with you Steve. I need to be with you. I want to wash away the memories of the last couple of weeks and start fresh with you. I need to stop feeling bad about what Mapes was able to do to me and know that I have a future with you that will far exceed anything else in my life, good or bad."

She reached up to stroke his stubbly face and grinned.

"Just so you know. Before our first big night together, you're going to have to shave that face. I don't want rug burns all over my body."

"Good, because I plan to map every inch of you. I'm a stickler for detail, so it will be necessary for me to know every intimate detail of this beautiful body. I love you."

Kono stifled a yawn.

"Love you too."

"Am I boring you Miss Kalakaua, because if I am I can leave…"

"Don't you dare."

Kono pulled his head down to capture his lips this time and they spent the next several minutes exploring each other's mouths. Steve heard Kono sigh contentedly and sink back into the bedding. He snuggled to her side and slipped his arm across her waist. His thumb made lazy circles on the soft skin of her hip where he had once again slipped his hand under her top. A few minutes of that and they were both out for the next several hours. For once the worry of the past days slipped away and they both rested peacefully.

Chin walked down the hall to check on them and leaned against the doorframe smiling at them. His cousin looked safe wrapped in Steve's embrace. He was glad she found such a good man.

Danny and Lori came up behind him and smiled too. Lori whispered what they were all thinking.

"They look good together. Don't they?"