Sorry, y'all! I know it's been a while and this is short one. For that, I'm sorry. Life and school are hectic.

Thank you Diana for your undying love, patience, and good advice. You are the queen of on time updating and I am so… not. Anyway, thanks so much. Love all the reviews!

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He was right. Surprise, surprise. Mary was so predictable it was almost funny. After she had gone upstairs, he had gone out on the lanai to look over the case files. His excuse was that it was a nice day and he wanted to keep an eye on Kono. In reality, he was more watching Kono sleep than he was thinking about the case.

Mary had opened the windows in her bedroom to air it out (like she always did) and he heard her call her friends. He heard her laughing and wasn't surprised when she came downstairs and found him. She was wearing a cover up over a bikini and carrying a beach bag.

"I'm going to the beach with some friends and we'll probably go clubbing tonight. Then we'll do brunch and more beach stuff or maybe shopping tomorrow. Like I said, I probably won't be around that much." She spoke quietly so as not to disturb Kono.

"Sounds good. We'll be here," Steve answered.

Mary looked over at Kono, taking in the bandages on her chest with surprising tranquility. "How is she doing?" she asked Steve.

"Okay. The gunshot wound is healing up well and her reaction to the concussion is expected. It's weird to see her so out of it, though."

"Yeah I bet," Mary said, looking down at him. She squeezed his shoulder. "Take care of her. I'll be back eventually and will try not to be too loud."

"Thanks, Mer."

"No problem. See ya later." He nodded and she went to leave.

As she stepped inside the house, she turned to look back. Steve had sat forward in the Adirondack chair and was sitting with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped before him. He was staring intently, with obvious worry and affection, at Kono.

She started to wonder if maybe everyone's wondering about their feelings were so inaccurate after all.

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He had to admit that he was actually just watching Kono. Really, he had set aside the papers and was just staring at her. Maybe it was because there was something very comforting about the steady rise and fall of her chest. Maybe it was something else.

His mind flitted through all the strange moments since she was shot where he was pretty sure he had thought of her as something far more important than a colleague.

Ok, so yeah, maybe, just maybe, there was something there. Maybe that was why people seemed to be picking up on the idea of a relationship between the two of them.

Well, actually he wasn't sure about that. A relationship? Apart from the fact that he was pretty sure both of them sucked at relationships (although probably mostly him), it would be totally unprofessional of them. And he was always a professional.

Yeah. Right.

He sat up. That little Danny voice in the back of his head was way too realistic. The sarcasm dripping, the typical grumbling about Steve's "professional tactics". Too weird.

He shook his head needing to get this train of thought to go away.

He was surprised by a quiet moan coming from the hammock. He silently grabbed the case file and pretended to be reading it when she turned to look at him.

"Hey," she moaned quietly, still half asleep.

Why did it sound so inappropriate to him? "Hey," said back quietly. "Feel better?"

"Yeah, actually."

"Do you need anything?"

"No, I'll get up and get it myself."

He stood, walking over to push her back into the hammock. "No, you stay here. What do you need?"

She smiled and laid back. "A glass of water and the book I threw in my bag."

He smiled at her, rubbing her shoulder lightly and unconsciously playing with her hair. "Back in a second," he said before turning away to go in the house.

She sighed contentedly. Who knew that Steve could be like this? So kind, so caring. It was nice. She wished that she could see this side more often. All the time in fact. And preferably aimed to her.

Not some other girl.

Oh, had she actually thought that? She usually stopped those things before they got there. It was becoming increasingly challenging though. Everywhere she turned he seemed to pop up, doing something that brought up those thoughts, those feelings.

She let her eyes slip closed and focused on the light breeze and the sound of the ocean. It was her favorite thing in the world and she let all her cares and worries slip out.

She heard him step out onto the lanai again and resisted the urge to smile. He walked towards her and then paused.

She opened one eye slightly to look at him. "I'm awake, you know."

He smiled. "Sorry. Thought you might have fell asleep again. Didn't want to disturb you."

"Oh… so you weren't checking me out?" she teased.

Where had that come from? Kono! she thought to herself. Think before you speak!

He stiffened and twitched as he set down her water and the book on the little table next to her.

"Uhh… what?"

"Sorry… I'm just teasing you," she attempted to joke.

It fell flat.

He looked at her warily. Sure, his gaze said.

Now the question was, where did they go from here?