A/N: Thank you for reading and favoring and especially for commenting on this fic. I appreciate your kind words and support. This is going to be the last installment in this fic. I hope you'll like how this ends. I'm planning to write more if I can. McKono, obviously, despite everything. Sorry for my recent lateness… I feel really bad about it.

Please tell me what you think.

"What?!" Steve's and Kono's shocked cries stop Chin's very detailed and careful assessment and leave the three of them just standing there above the victim, looking at Danny with amazement.

"Don't look at me like that" he says resentfully after nobody speaks for a few tensed seconds "he met our benevolent leader, and inquired after your health today. It's quite clear that you broke up with him. At least clear to me…" he looks at Steve with sheer disappointment "apparently this thick headed SEAL beside me had no clue whatsoever. I can't believe they let you run a detective task force." He shakes his head "it's ridiculous."

They all turn towards her. The tension is almost palpable. "What?!" she makes a small step backwards, when the three of them watch her with intent. She curses Danny silently, sending a worried look towards Chin, and trying to avoid Steve's eyes as much as possible. She has no idea what she'll find there, and although she's a brave and fearless ass kicking cop in normal days, if she sees nothing there, an indifference, a mere polite interest, she fears she might actually die. "Five weeks ago" she mumbles when still nobody says anything and it looks like if she won't respond to Danny's question they might never get to the matter at hand. The dead body which is lying under their feet, that is.

"Why?" he asks again and his question makes her nervous suddenly. Because I'm fucking in love with your partner over here, she wants to shout at him. Your infuriating, handsome, sexy and thick headed partner who might be dating my cousin, that's why. "Because he wasn't right for me." She rephrases, but unfortunately, it's hardly enough to make the blonde pain in her neck shut up.

"Wasn't right for you?" he looks at her with contempt.

"No" she starts to lose her patience "he wasn't. He was too… too…"

"Too handsome? Too nice? Too gentle and caring and with a good personality and a good job? What the hell is the matter with you?" he shouts at her, making all the cops on the scene look at them curiously. "It's all your fault" he turns towards Steve, making both Steve and Kono look at him in alarm.

"My fault?" Steve tries to regain his composure "how the hell is it my fault?" he looks at Kono quickly. Interesting, she has this strange velvety color on her cheeks, god, she's so beautiful, standing there flushed and unsure.

"You've introduced them. You were supposed to find a suitable guy for her, someone she'd like. You made a mess out of it, like I always knew you would."

"Hey man" he smiles broadly, clapping his hands in pure satisfaction "what can I tell you? We all make mistakes…"

"Why are you so satisfied all of a sudden?" he looks at him sharply, and suddenly he can see Chin and Kono watching him with interest.

"I'm not" he tries to deny it, but fails miserably when he can't erase the smug smile off his face.

"You are" Danny frowns "you look like you just won the lottery. Are you having mood swings again? Because if you are, this is very disturbing."

"I'm not having mood swings" he coughs a little, trying to wear a professional expression on his face, and regain control on the situation, he moves towards the dead body on the ground "Chin, go on." Fuck, he's still smiling "what else do we have here?"

When Chin crouches on the ground beside him, and shows them the multiple entry wounds on the victim's chest it all sounds extremely efficient and matter-of-factly, but Kono is still standing there flustered, and Danny is behind him sticking metaphorical daggers into his back but mysteriously, Steve's smile just won't go away.

He just has to get her alone so he could talk to her. But before he knows it, Chin volunteers her to go with him to the lab and Danny is pulling him to the car to pay a visit to the victim's partner. He sends a disappointed look towards her when she disappears into the van. It's fine, he tells himself. He'll talk to her later.

"It's not about you, you know." Danny informs him when they're in the car.

"I have no idea what you're talking about" he looks at the rearview mirror, seeing Chin and Kono sitting in the van and Kono shaking her head desperately, moving her hands in protest in front of Chin. "I really don't" he smiles towards Danny reassuringly and earns a resentful snort in response.

He can't get her alone when they're back in HQ, because actually they can't even get back to HQ. They find their target at home, but when they knock on the door, identifying themselves as Five-0 they hear suspicious noises coming from inside. They knock again, and threaten to break in when a single shot comes through the front door, and almost hits Danny's thigh.

"What the fu…?" Danny cries, as they both make a dive over the porch railing and onto the ground. There are two more shots coming their way forcing them to remain covered.

Steve's phone rings right after that. When he swipes it open its Kono, with new findings from the lab.

"Charlie has a partial print" She informs them without waiting "it was on the victim's lip of all places. Can you imagine? Probably they were torturing him or something; Max is still completing the autopsy so we can't really…"

"Babe, listen" Steve says, smiling despite of the grim situation when he hears her voice and the enthusiastic way she's talking about the case "we have a situation here…"

"You're smiling again" Danny looks at him with contempt, slapping him on chest "what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Anyway, we have a name. It's Sebastian Chi. He's a real scumbag. Gun to hire. Done time in a federal prison for attempted murder and aggravated assault before he got out, cutting a deal with the district attorney. A real darling, I'm sending a picture now."

"Great" Steve mumbles towards the phone.

"That's not all" she says, and he can hear the smug smile in her voice, and it makes him smile even more, only… he really tries to hide it this time, because Danny is sitting very close to him, and his gun is loaded. "The guy you went to see is his brother in law. I think we should assume that…" There's a new burst of shots just at that precise moment that cuts through her words and they have to lower their heads again, and try to get as close to the wooden porch as possible. One of the bullets grazes the wood beside Steve's left shoulder "what the hell was that?" She asks in alarm.

"Emmm…"

"Are you getting shot at?" she asks levelly, but he can hear that she's running, crying over the phone to Chin.

"Yes we are." He admits, just before another burst flies over his head.

"Steve" she says urgently, "they have other associates with quite an impressive rap sheet. We're on our way, and I'm calling the SWAT team. Don't do anything careless."

"We won't" he promises.

"Steve" she says with obvious disbelief "I'm warning you. Wait for backup, don't do anything stupid."

"I won't" He exclaims "I just promised."

"Right" she snorts "I want to hear it from Danny."

"He won't." Danny says to the phone as Steve rolls his eyes "if he will, I'll shoot him myself."

"Good" she says with a disturbing amount of satisfaction.

He can always trust his team. Twenty minutes later he sees Chin and Kono hunched behind the van in the north east corner of the house. The SWAT team camps on the other side of the big lawn. They're approach is heavier, obviously, but at least they have a place to open a command and control center.

Chin and Kono make their way carefully around the van, he sees her signaling to Chin silently, and then the older detective runs around her and makes a short sprint, before crashing next to Danny. Before they have the time to assess if his advancement was detected from within the house, Kono is making the same drill, this time under a rain of automatic fire.

"You okay?" he glances at her sideways, feeling inexplicably more relaxed now that she's there beside him.

"I'm fine" she nods, cocking her gun.

"Jeez" they hear Danny grunts from next to Steve "you're just as crazy as he is…"

They see three SWAT commander forming a three men tactical approach team and moving towards one of the windows, trying to get a visual and at least have a head count of hostiles.

They all follow their progress in silence. The men move efficiently, and quickly. Until one of them trips over a thin concealed trip line that is spread across the perimeter, and the shooting starts all over again.

"They can't make it" Chin says "we're closer. We're the only ones who have a chance in looking into the house."

"Affirmative" Steve nods. He raises his head slowly, when there's a short pause in the shooting, and the silence is all around them. "We'll breach from the right" he whispers, as he settle back on the ground.

They move around him, checking their clips and preparing for a shootout.

He signals to Chin and Danny. They are on his left, they will cover Kono and him as they move towards the right side of the house, where he hopes the corner will put them in the shooters' blind spot.

"Ready" Chin signals. "Ready" Danny does the same. "Ready" Kono whispers, tucking her gun in its holster, preparing to move.

"Wait" Steve whispers, grabbing her arm. Apparently he's not ready yet "we need to talk."

"Now?" she looks at him like he's crazy.

"Good time as any." He shrugs, tucking his gun in the holster too, and positions himself next to her "Why did you breakup with James?"

"I…" she looks at him in amazement. He must be joking. Danny and Chin from the other side have the same expression on their faces.

"I thought you liked him" he insists.

"I did. I just… I…" she can't believe he does it now. She has a lot to talk to him about herself, she totally does, but foolishly she thought the lunatics who shoot at them in the last half an hour should take precedence over her love life. "He was too indecisive." She informs him drily, because it looks like he'll never move unless she says something.

"Leave her alone, we're in the middle of a shootout." Danny hisses towards him, elbowing him with anger.

"She's a woman, she can multitask." He deadpans.

"Look" she huffs, starting to get impatient "I know he is your SEAL buddy and all, but something is wrong with him. He couldn't make up his mind and form even a single opinion. I mean, for god's sakes, the guy didn't even have a favorite gun!"

"I knew it!" he cries too loudly, and of course it exposes their location, so the next burst of shots is much more accurate. They all drop lower, and cling to the wooden wall again "I knew it" he whispers, a broad smile on his face. He almost claps his hands with happiness; this day is getting better and better.

"Can we get moving, now?" Danny kicks him in the leg "now that you got what you want and you're all smug and cheerful?"

"Yeah yeah" he nods enthusiastically "Chin, Danny cover us, Kono you're on me."

Danny and Chin shoot towards the house. They coordinate beautifully, shooting the windows, the door, making constant changes in the shooting pattern and surprising the hostiles. The SWAT team adds high fire power from the other side, and despite an insistent backfire, they are able to pin the shooters down so no shot hits Kono and Steve.

They crash against the right corner and signal to Danny and Chin that they are safe, trying to catch their breath.

"So he's out of the picture?" he looks at her curiously. She looks at him in alarm, is he still having the same conversation? Did he not notice they are under fire?

Danny and Chin are looking at them from the previous spot they were occupying, seeing Kono's shocked expression as Steve continue to talk to her casually.

"What are you doing?" Danny cries when he sees Chin tucking his gun away, and starting to prepare for a dash towards his cousin and her commander.

"I'm getting over there" he explains with a determined look in his eyes "If Steve thinks for a second he's continuing this conversation with her when I'm not around, he's out of his fucking mind."

They crash beside them and she's furious.

"You've got some nerve you know?" she hisses, poking him in the chest. There are shots all around them. Chin and Danny's dash was discovered and now their position is compromised. Again. "You brought on that date the first two legged creature you laid your eyes on, he wasn't even your friend. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if you don't even know his last name." she pokes him again, painfully, when his expression changes and proves her last assumption to be right. "Jeez, Steve, now you have the nerve to be offended that I broke up with him?" She pulls out her gun, and makes a few shots towards the house. The other guys join her and for a few minutes they are engaged in a fierce shootout.

"Offended?" he cries in protest, shooting at one of the windows, breaking the glass "of course I'm not offended." They crash against the wall again, to replace their clips "I'm only asking because now that you're not… I mean… now that you're actually… I just…"

"What?" she cries in frustration.

"I want you to be with me. I want you to be my…"

"What?!" all three of them cry together. Another shooting burst above their heads is their only answer.

He takes another position, moving behind a garbage can a few yards from the house, stands up and returns fire. She joins him there, and so does Chin and Danny, firing together in perfect coordination.

"How can you say it to me?" she screams above the noise of automatic fire.

"I love you." He screams back "I think I always have, I just didn't know it."

"Didn't know…?" she can feel her face burning up, she's absolutely furious. She tries to take her anger out on the bastards in the house, shooting her heart out. "Your timing sucks!" she waves her gun towards him, and from behind her he can see Chin and Danny nod in agreement.

"Look, I know we're in the middle of a case" he shouts, making a quick roll in the dust, changing his position and replacing a clip at the same time.

"Show off" she mumbles, even though she has to admit, she loves it when he does those crazy stunts. And a little turned on too if she's being completely honest.

"I didn't say anything because I thought you were with him, and you looked happy" he speaks very fast, looking at her in burning blue eyes as the bullets still flying above them "but this morning when you told Danny it's over, and that you're free, I thought it's about time to… I really love you, more than I've ever… Kono…"

She crouches on the ground in front of him, and he sends her a bright big smile that makes her palms sweat and her heart beat faster. He sends a tentative hand and touches her cheek softly, moving his head towards her, like he's about to kiss her… "Wait" she gasps when his lips are already hovering above hers "did you forget? You have a girlfriend."

"What?" he looks at her utterly confused.

"You do" Chin says, sending him a murderous glare "I know her. We're actually related."

He looks at them, confused. Like he's trying hard to understand what they're all saying. "Oh" his eyes light up suddenly "you mean Lilly!" Again, he is too loud and they earn another shower of shots from the house, and they all have to crowd together against each other. She turns around, and takes a better position, returning fire again. She feels it's must safer to shoot at the house than being so close to him with her gun loaded at this point. Before she knows it, he's there next to her shooting as well. "You got it all wrong." He cries above the shooting "it was all her idea. She said it's the only way to get you… well… interested."

"What?" she looks at him with surprise.

"She said, you need something to push you. You need to feel like you have a competition. I told her it's a bad idea, that I don't want to do it but…" he shakes his head in remorse "I was desperate. James was so… you know… and you took him home with you, and I thought… I took my chances. It was a low tactic, I admit it. But I wanted you so bad; I was willing to risk everything."

She looks at him softly. Starting to realize what he's talking about. The shots are still all around them, so he has to pull her down and hold her against him.

"So you're not together?" she whispers. Danny and Chin drop on the ground in front of them when she asks this.

He only shakes his head no, smiling at her.

"And on that first date… you didn't…"

"She saw I'm upset about you and James, so she made me some coffee and we spent the whole night on her couch talking… about you."

"About me?" she smiles, and the blush cover her dimpled face.

"Yeah" he laughs at her obvious pleasure "I was so pathetic, she felt obligated to help me out." He grabs her, and puts his arm around her shoulders, his other hand lifting her chin gently so he could look into her eyes "I tried to tell you so many times. I couldn't bear lying to you like that" he whispers urgently "but Lilly said it would work, and you know me, when I see a target I get there with everything I got and I…"

"I love you too." She smiles in his arms.

He just kisses her.

The shooting is getting louder as the SWAT team finally takes the opportunity and uses the long preoccupation the shooters had with the Five-0 team on the right corner of the house to storm the building from the other side. They're still kissing as the breach is in full force; Chin and Danny stand and watch the house when sounds of explosions and shouts are heard all around. They kiss, and hold each other, and when they have to stop to take some air, it's all over and everything is quiet again.

"So I'll take it as a yes?" he smiles at her, stroking the hair away from her beautiful face.

"It's a yes" she nods "I only wish you didn't give her that necklace we bought together" She smiles sheepishly "but I guess that's my faults."

"You mean this necklace?" he sends a hand to one of the many pockets in his cargo pants and produces the familiar box from their shopping expedition. She opens it hesitatingly, looking curiously at his smiling blue eyes. It's the necklace. The precious, beautiful necklace he chose.

"But…" she looks at him in bewilderment.

"I never wanted to give it to her" he explains "I chose it for you, and when I saw how much you liked it, I knew I got it right. I just needed to find the right time."

"Thank you" she whispers, when he leans in to kiss her again but Chin's distinct cough makes them remember there are other people around them. They both look up at Chin. Oh shit.

"No way" he notifies them "no way in hell. She's my baby cousin Steve, you're going to stay away from her or I'll break your face."

"Chin" he stands up in alarm "if you think for a second that I'll ever hurt…" but Danny, from the other side of Chin's shoulder sends him a knowing look, indicating to him to shut up.

"Chin" Kono, unaware of the silent communication between her boyfriend and his partners, jumps in front of her cousin with her finger pointing at him threateningly "I'm a big girl. I can make my own choices. I choose Steve, and there's nothing you or anyone can do about it."

"I'm not allowing it" he informs her, turning his back and walking fast towards the SWAT team that is starting to gather the shooters and to escort them to the van.

"You have no say in this" they hear her shout furiously, running after him.

"Is he going to pretend he's against it for the rest of our lives now?" he looks worriedly at Danny "because, I'm planning to keep her."

"I think it's just for now" Danny sighs, clapping his shoulder as they walk towards the house "just to help keep her interest up. Eventually you'll meet her mother and she'll be the one with the lifelong objections against you."

"You can't be sure" he smiles smugly at him "Maybe her mother will love me." Danny only raises an eyebrow at him. Yeah, the guy has a point.