A/N: Surprise! Two chapters at once. More coming this week. Four more to go. A couple are going to be on the shorter side, but at least you'll get some satisfaction from seeing them not completely forget about each other like the show depicts. Also, I added a wee bit to Kono's whole storyline, and I'm making stuff up, and I really have no idea how the FBI/FBI task forces work, so forgive me.

8x02 Na La 'Ilio

"Or was there a reason you called me over here? 'Cause I have a lot of things to do," Danny asked.

"Thank you," Steve said, "Kono called me this morning. Her case has gone federal. The FBI wants her to stick around, see it through to the end."

"So, what does that mean? When is she coming back?" Danny asked. Steve took a second before answering.

"Not any time soon. Possibly not ever," he said. He turned around and looked into Danny's eyes, knowing his partner was going to see right through him.

"You don't want her to leave," Danny stated. Steve shook his head. "You're still in love with her," he said. Steve didn't contradict him. "Oh, buddy," Danny said, looking at his friend sadly. Steve was heartbroken, and he was trying his hardest not to show it.

"Eddie, chow time, buddy," Steve said, looking away.

Earlier that day…

"Kono," Steve said, answering the phone with a smile on his face. He hadn't heard from her in a while, since she'd told him to let her go.

"Hey Steve," she said. There was a serious tone in her voice that made his smile fall.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'm not coming home," she said. There was a long pause. "The FBI is taking over the case, but they want to start a task force focused specifically on this case and possibly others when this one is over. They want me to run it," she said. He didn't know what to say, and even if he did, he wasn't sure he could say anything. There was a growing lump in his throat that he couldn't explain. He could hear the apology in her voice. He squeezed his eyes closed, blinking back the unexpected tears. He was glad he was alone, suddenly. "Steve?" she asked, her voice quiet and gentle.

"That's great, Kono," he said, fighting every instinct in his body that was telling him to demand she come back to him.

"Yeah," she said. The silence that hung between them conveyed the words they couldn't say out loud.

"Keep in touch then. Let us know when you come home to visit. And let us know if we can help you with anything. You know I'd do anything for you," he told her. He'd really meant to say that Five-0 would do anything for her, but somehow, it didn't come out like that.

"I know. Thanks, Steve," she said, "Talk to you soon."

"Yeah, of course," he said, hanging up. In the silence of his truck, he set the phone down and felt a sob wrack his body.

"I love you," he whispered.

Nearly 2,600 miles away, Kono hung up too. She gritted her teeth together, fighting the unexpected tears. She would always love Steve McGarrett. But she had work to do, and she had always put her career over him. Today could be no different.