Ya all rember Detectives Ikaika Paulo and Tiko Apo from chapter 1, right. Well, they're back for this final chapter. Enjoy...
Kono can't help but smirk, then gestures to her bruise covered face, which included a swolen eye and crusted-over split lip, "Well, clearly I can't hide how I'm doing." She said, then pauses. "But it's nothing some comfort food, an ice pack, and a little sleep won't fix." She adds, with a familiar twinkle in her eye as she tries to lighten the mood. "Now, let's eat. You guys have brought enough food to feed the whole bullpen."
The rest of the evening is spent with a familar and comforting feeling of Ohana, the guys filling Kono in on their case of trying to find the Mayor's missing granddaughter Abby Webster, then nothing else was said about the previous two days. They talked about anything and everything non-work related until finally Kono pushed all three men out her front door, telling them she was fine and they could go home.
THE NEXT DAY...
'The tourists weren't going to be happy today.' Kono thought to herself as she dodged the rain drops getting to the Employee Entrance door at HPD. Actually, they were more like rain plops, as the rain built up on the large leaves of the trees that lined the walkway, then said leaves would suddenly tip under the weight of the water they bore, sending a nice plop of water onto someone's head or down their back. Hopefully the rain would stop soon, the sun would come out, and therefore the tourists would come out. The island's economy depended heavily on it, and Kono's personal economy right now depended on her continuing to take work from HPD while she awaited IA's decision.
She walked into HPD's bullpen, heading for her desk with her head down to help conceal the buises. 'Her temporary desk', she reminded herself. Or at least she hopes it is just temporary. It still felt weird to not be going into Five-0's HQ. She missed it. She missed having her own office, working with the guys. All of it, she just missed it all.
Setting her coffee cup down, she heard a noise. Sighing heavily at the thought that thunder could be added to the conditions just outside the window, she pushed the button to start her computer.
There it was again, that same noise. But this time Kono realized it was not coming from outside, or weather related at all. She turned, searching for the sourse and found Detective Tiko Apo behind his desk, rising to his feet as he brough his hands together again. And then again, and then again.
Clapping. His hands were now in a regular clapping rhythm as he stared at her. And then another detective joined in. And then another.
"I'm not sure if this is about your good work in helping bust a prostitution ring, or if it's because they're glad you're back safe. But either one works for me, Officer Kalakaua." Sargeant Duke Lukela said as he now stood beside her with a genuine and warm smile on his face.
Kono turned to face the older native Hawaiian, even though she knew she was blushing slightly. "Mahalo, Sarg." She said as he backed away to turn and leave with an afirming nod.
"Maybe Apo is just glad you aren't wearing those boots again." Detective Ikaika Paulo said from behind Kono. "Afraid you might plant one of 'em on his chair again." He added with a smirk.
'Oh, I'd like to plant one of 'em somewhere, alright.' Kono thought to herself as she crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive stance and leveled him with a glare. She knew that anything she could say to him would be taken the wrong way. That's just the way Paulo's mind worked. 'Silence is the flower' she remembered Wo Fat saying. Well, at least the man got one thing right.
"Ya know, I wouldn't mind seeing those boo-" Paulo began. But that's as far as he got.
The next thing he knew he was face down on Kono's desk with his nose awkwardly squished against a stapler, his arm twisted behind him.
The tinkering noise of pencils hitting the floor from the spilled holder on her desk caused several heads to turn. But no one moved.
Kono leaning over Paulo and whispered something in his ear. He'd imagined parts of this scenario, specifically this last part; just not for this reason.
"Am I interrupting something?" Detective Caroline Walton asked as she approached Kono's desk.
"Oh hi, Caroline." Kono said, looking up to smile at the detective without releasing her grip on Paulo. "No, you're not interrupting at all. What can I do for you."
"Just dropping off a copy of my report, in case you had anything to add." Walton replied, as she set the papers down and continued to eye Paulo.
"Hey, Cuz." Both women heard as they looked up to see Chin coming over, followed by Danny and Steve. Chin paused and crossed his arms over his chest before speaking, "Everything alright here, Cuz?"
"Mhmm." She mumbled with a smile, yet still without releasing her grip on Paulo, who was beginning to squirm. And who could blame the guy, after all, most of the bullpen was staring at him, and was... was that an eraser he felt wedged between his ear and the desk top?
"Ah, Officer Kalakaua." Max said as he now appraoched as well.
'What the hell? Does Kalakaua need to hold a freakin' reunion right this minute?' Paulo seethed to himself as he again tried to squirm out of the woman's grip without success.
"What can I do for you, Dr. Bergman?" Kono asked Max, but got no reply. "Dr. Bergman?" She repeated, noticing he was not looking at her or responding.
"Oh, uh, sorry," Max mumbled as he tore his gaze away from the man with his arm pinned behind his back in obvious discomfort. "I, uh, have something for you from Vice Agent Eppes."
Kono just smiled, "You could have just called. I would have stopped by."
"No." Max replied wrather suddenly. "I mean, I, uh. I don't like telephones." He stated, "Anyway, these are for you." Max said, pulling the boots out of a bag and holding them up. "Agent Eppes said that the case is closed so they are not needed for evidence, besides they have all the CSI photos if needed, and their props department does not want them back. So, he said you could have them,..." He paused at seeing the look on her face, "... or that you could decide what to do with them." He half asked.
Kono sighed heavily and unconsciously tightened her grip on Paulo before taking a deep breath, "No thank you, Dr. Bergman." She said as politely as she could muster, hating the very idea that her colleagues were even hearing this.
"Um, alright." Max said, not sure what to do with the boots he still held.
"Anybody want 'em?" Kono half offered and half joked.
In the brief silent pause that took place, several mind was working at once.
For Chin, he wondered if Malea would wear them. He was sure she would, if he asked her to. But the idea of his cousin knowing he would be giving them to his now-again girlfriend, well, posed a problem.
For Danny, he still wished things had worked out between him and Rachel, because he would definitely love to see her wear them for him. In fact, hmm, he was sure she had a pair similar to those once. Damn, one more thing of his Step-Stan was now enjoying.
For Steve, his mind went to Catherine. She would be back on dry land in just a few short weeks and damn those long legs of hers would do those boots justice. Yeah, she might be willing to wear them for him. Or, she would put him in a choke hold for suggesting it. He wasn't sure which.
"I'll take 'em." Walton said before any of the men could complete their thoughts. "My husband is gonna love these." She gushed, eyeing the boots Max held out for her to take, then walked away to put them in her locker as the ME also deparated.
"So, what brings you guys here?" Kono asked the guys.
They all silently looked at her, then began looking at each other. It was Danny who finally spoke first... with accompanying hand getures, of course. "Before we answer that, you uh, mind telling us what's up with your new paper weight here." He said gesturing to Paulo, who was still leaning across her desk.
Kono looked down at Paulo. "Oh, this guy."
"Yes, Kono. That guy." Steve confirmed.
The men were all curious, but none of them wanted to imply that she needed help in dealing with anything, so they all made out as if only curious in the matter.
"Paulo!" Came the booming voice of Sargeant Lukela as he searched for the detective. "What the-" He paused as he approched Kono's desk. "Will you quit slacking off." He barked.
Kono released Paulo's arm before taking a step back and crossing her arms over her chest, again. He quickly stood up and began rubbing at his sore shoulder. Then at the dent on his face left behind from the stapler as he sulked off after the Sarg. "I wasn't slacking off." He attempted to say to the Lukela's back.
'I'm gonna keep my mouth shut. I'm gonna keep my mouth shut.' Chin began to repeat to himself as he watched the Detective walk away pulling something small and blue out of his ear. Was that an eraser?
"So, what brings you guys here?" Kono repeated as if nothing unusual had happened.
"We just finished a press conference with the Governor and the Mayor, and thought we'd swing by to fill you in on Abby Webster." Steve explained as he tried to ignore what had just taken place.
"Turns out, you were right." Danny continued. "She was abducted, but ended up staying for the demented thrill."
"All the attention she recieved, and the clothes Stevie bought her. Made her feel grown up and special, just like you said." Chin added.
"But she's gonna get the help she needs now, thanks to you, Walton, and Miena. You three did good work, Kono." Steve concluded.
"That's good. Hopefully she will come out of this a stronger person." Kono said.
"Kalakaua!" came a call from the other side of the bullpen.
Kono nodded in confirmation, then turned back to the guys, "I've gotta go, guys."
"Okay, we'll see you for beers tomorrow night." Steve said.
"Grace is back and looking forward to her surfing lesson this weekend." Danny added.
"Don't forget this Sunday's brunch for Auntie Paulina's birthday." Chin said.
Kono watched as the guys departed, wishing more than anyting that she were going with them. She missed working with them so much. But she couldn't dwell on that now, she had work to do, so she made her way across the bullpen to where she was introduced to Captain Vincent Fryer.
THE END
HF-0, HF-0, HF-0, HF-0, HF-0, HF-0, HF-0, HF-0, HF-0, HF-0
You all didn't think I was gonna let Detective Ikiaka Paulo get away with treating Kono like that, did ya? Of course not.
Was Kono being introduced to Captain Fryer necessary, or did that take place after he had broken into her home? That's for you to decide.
Since it rather peeved me that Steve and Danny appeared to have ignored Kono in early S2, I made sure it wasn't that way here.
Obviously Bori-Lori does not exist in my world, therefore she did not exist in my story either.
What did Kono whisper into Paulo's ear? 1) "Oh, I'd like to plant my boot somewhere, alright." like she'd thought 2) Something sleezy and seducitve, just to tease him 3) Something angry and vindictive 4) Something else entirely Well, again, that's for you to decide.
Thanks for reading and please leave a review before you go.