Disclaimer: I don't own Hawai'i 5-0 or any of the characters. All the places I mention are actual places on Oahu that you can go to. I don't own or profit from Red either.

Today is the day of the Annual Coral Prince Surfing Competition. Kono had been excited ever since she got the call 1 month ago by Ian himself, inviting her to the competition. She had been so happy too hear from her second dad. It had been some months since they had spoken to each other. To be truthful, it was mostly because of her though. Since starting with 5-0, she didn't have as much free time or a set schedule anymore. She enjoyed the erratic nature of her job. One day she's driving her car, staking out a neighborhood or business. The next day she could be having a foot race with a suspect down a pier. It was never boring. For that, she was glad.

She usually managed to get out surfing every morning before heading to work. Grabbing some of the best of the surf before all they tourists came in and started crowding the waves. This morning, however, she didn't. She wanted to save up her energy for the competition.

Her and Ian had paddled out together. Kono had missed this. Being part of the Coral Prince team. She looked back to the beach to see all of her former teammates and smiled at the fond memories that came across her mind. She wanted to be back on the team. Longed for it but knew it wasn't a possibility. Thank goodness Ian was there when she blew out her knee and helped her on the road to recovery. But, she had accepted her reality a while ago. It had been hard but she had done it. They turned and paddled out together for a bit before she stopped and allowed Ian to keep paddling out. He caught the next wave in while she and the rest of the team cheered. She cheered and whooped until she saw him fly backwards off the board. "Ian!" Kono yelled. She swam hard towards him. She knew she wouldn't reach him but felt she had to try. She saw the Lifeguard jet ski pick up Ian but continued her paddling til she reached the shore. She ran to his side but no one could have saved him. The bullet went straight into his heart. She felt a wave of fear run over her immediately followed by a wave of grief. She suddenly felt heavy and lost. So very lost. She called the team down as a personal favour to her. They informed her that she didn't need to use a personal favour. She could just ask. Especially if it means a lot to her.

When the guys got there, they saw Kono crouched down over the body. When she stood up, they could see the grief on her face. When she finally started walking towards the guys, she tried to set her face into a blank expression but it didn't win out against the grief. They split off with their different assignments and got to work. Danny had a very entertaining encounter with one of the surfers who had come for the competition which caused Steve to smirk before they headed into the office. Once all the guys got back to the office, they started discussing the shot that had ended Ian's life when Kono walked in. Steve told Kono to take the day, go home and relax. Kono protested but trudged towards the door. She wanted to stay but knew that a fight with Steve would be useless, especially when the other guys were on his side. She didn't have the energy for the fight. She walked down to her car and sat inside. She saw Steve and Chin exit the offices to head up to Pupukea Ridge. When Kono was sure they were gone, she got out of her car and headed back into the offices. She saw Danny standing at the tech table through the glass doors. She hoped that he was so deep into in that he didn't notice she was sneaking back in. He heard her and allowed his eyes to track her without lifting his hands from the table. He smiled and continued his work. She was definitely a cop. Committed to the case regardless of the fact they would all give her a pass. Well, Danny had gotten as far as he could possibly go without more information. He glanced over to her office to see her sitting looking into her hand. When he got closer, he cold see that she was staring at the St. Michael's pendant he had given her. He smiled before knocking on the door and pushing it open. She hurriedly tried to wipe away the stray tears. Danny felt for the young woman. He knew what it was like to lose someone outside of your family that was so close that they felt like they were your family. He had felt that way when he lost Grace. So Danny could truly empathize with her. He had a short chat with her to let her know that someone on the team was on her side. Kono knew that they were all on her side but she was still glad to hear it. Though the chat with Danny made her feel slightly better, she knew it would just take time for her to heal.

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Kono decided to get out and do something for the case on her part which is how she ended up at Waimea Bay. So though she was looking for him, it was still a shock to see Ben again. He still looked as handsome as ever, just with shorter hair. That only partially distracted her from her reason for coming down there. She still needed to ask him the questions. At least get some sort of start to the case on her part. She had to contribute something. Her talk with Ben did turn up a few different things though. It appeared that Ian had become like Ben's father as he did Kono's. After finding that Ian had mostly been worried about the money, Ben had distanced himself from both Ian and his dad.

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Back at HQ, the guys were digging into their lead with the Kapu, a local group who helped to look out and protect Ko'olauloa from the haoles. Chin had narrowed it down to 2 different Kapu members: Diego Stone & Levi Parker. Steve and Chin both agreed that they should go through the head of the Kapu, Kawika. Though Danny saw it as silly and unnecessary, he complied. Kawika agreed to help and deliver the ex-members to Steve and Danny. Levi and Diego were unceremoniously dumped in front of them for a fairly useless interview.

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Kono had stayed all day with Ben in Tent City, talking about their lives after she blew out her knee and they both parted ways from the major circuit. Ben talked about the fallout between him and Ian over the wetlands being polluted. She talked about her decision to become a cop as well as some of the antics that they had been up to because of her new boss. They both had a laugh at some of those stories. He asked her back to his personal tent. He pulled out the pic of them on one of the best and worst days of their lives: the day she blew out her knee while also being the day that he had won the surf competition. She had offhandedly mentioned that he had got all the girls. He responded flippantly that he did but he had never gotten the girl he really wanted. In the back of her mind, Kono knew it was a line. But in the raw forefront of her mind right now, with all the emotions she was feeling she needed an anchor. And Ben was that anchor. Essentially, someone to tell her it was all going to be okay. And here was this guy. Someone familiar and comfortable and warm. And right now, she needed comfort. So when he looked down into her eyes, she could see the intent. She knew what was coming. She wasn't sure who moved first but they met in an almost desperate kiss. Ben looking to kiss the girl he had always longed to kiss; Kono just looking to feel something other than the overwhelming grief she had been feeling for the past few days. She wrapped her arm around his waist and used her other hand to cling to his neck, keeping him close. They heard creams and immediately broke apart. Ben rushed outside followed closely by Kono. They saw some of the tents on fire, others destroyed. Kono managed to save Kaila by grabbing her out of the path of a motorcycle. The second driver, she caught with a back kick to the face. Kono took the partial plate back to 5-0 HQ.

They discovered that the bikes used for the havoc wrought on Tent City belonged to a rental touring company called Katonk Jeep & Bike RRentals. It seemed that their friends Diego and Levi worked there. So it was pretty funny to see their faces when Steve and Danny pulled up in the Camaro. It was funnier when they thought they could outdrive them up the hill. And, though it was mildly funny to see their faces when Danny and Steve had their guns pointed at them, it was hilarious to see their collective looks of fear when Kawika stepped out of his truck. They both sang like canaries. They found out that Randall Barrett, the driver of Carlton Bass, was the shooter. Once they chased down Randall through a pointless car chase, he spilled the beans that he was actually hired by Carlton Bass for a private job to take out Ian Adams. When Carlton was confronted, it was revealed that he was not in fact Ben's biological father but that Ian was. Though Carlton wanted to buy the land and build a resort on it, Ian wanted to buy the land and preserve it; later handing it down to Ben who he had left all of his money and holdings to, including Coral Prince and all of its subsidiaries.

The guys had offered to go with Kono to the sea burial service for Ian, she thanked them but informed them that it wasn't necessary. Also, this was a ceremony for the Coral Prince families past and present. Once they got back to the shore and back into clothes, they said their goodbyes to the group. Before they separated to go to their respective cars, Ben stoppe Kono with a hand on her arm.

"Hey, before you leave, I wanna ask you a question," Ben started, "uummm, so, how are you feeling?"

"I'm still healing but i'm Sure i'll Be okay," Kono replied, "how are you feeling?"

"I dunno. Ian dying, my dad tried to kill him. Finding out my dad isn't my biological dad AND that he left me everything that he owns? It's a lot to take in. I'm sure that in the future, I'll be okay with all of this. But right now it's a lot to deal with. The only calm I've really felt through this entire thing has been when I'm with you," Ben explained. Kono smiled at his last sentence.

"That's so sweet Ben," Kono said.

"With that being said, I wonder if you would like to go out on a date with me?"

"I'm flattered Ben. But I'm not in the right headspace to date at the moment. Also, not that i didn't enjoy the kiss but with all the past feelings coupled with the grief..."

"It was a mistake," Ben said dejectedly.

"No! Not a mistake. It's something I've always wanted. Just...right now is not the best time."

Ben smiled and ducked his head, "Yeah, I get it. Well, can't blame a guy. I mean, have you seen you? No worries then. Call me if you ever wanna see where this could go."

kono smiled, "Thanks for understanding Ben." They mutually went in for a hug.

"You're worth it Kono. See you around."

"See you around Ben. Bye!" They both hopped in their respective cars and drove off.

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Steve let her have the rest of the day and tomorrow if she needed it. They wrote up her reports and Chin forged her signature. The next morning, Kono woke up to the 'Ding!' Of her message notification. She groaned before reaching out her hand to her nigh table. She felt around a few times before her hand landed on the offending item. She slowly pulled it towards her. When she opened her eyes, all she could see was hair. She huffed out a breath and dropped her phone. Moving her hair out of her face, she picked her phone up and looked at the screen. She smiled when she saw Danny's name on the screen.

Hey babe, hope you're feeling a little bit better. I'll be by in 1 hour. If you're not dressed, I'm taking you in whatever you're wearing.

-Danny

Kono rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom. She showered and washed her hair, emerging from the bathroom wrapped in a towel around her body and a cloud of steam. She headed back to her bedroom and straight to her dresser. She pulled out a pair of knee length jeans shorts, a turquoise-blue scoop neck top and a matching turquoise-blue pair of Keds. She looked in the mirror and frowned at her hair. What am I doing with this today? She thought to herself. She looked down to her vanity and smiled. She picked up the hair and with a flower attached and put her hair into a low side ponytail, letting her hair dry naturally.

5 minutes later, there was a knock on Kono's front door. She checked the clock on her phone; precisely 1 hour from when he said he would be here. She checked herself once more in her mirror. She grabbed her cell phone, lip gloss, drivers license and debit card, tucking them all into her back jeans pockets. She grabbed her keys and headed to her front door. Just as Danny lifted his hand to knock again, Kono opened the door. Danny paused with his hand in the air. Their eyes met before his lowered to take in her outfit. He let out a low, appreciative whistle. While he was checking her out, she was checking him out as well. He was wearing a long pair of jeans, a sea green T-shirt and a white pair of sneakers.

"Well, you look like your very much ready for the day I have planned. You look perfect," Danny met her eyes again and smiled. He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her slightly closer. He leaned up slightly to kiss her on her cheek. She smiled as she pulled back. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah. Let's get on with this even filled day you have planned for us. By the way, you look nice as well," Kono replied. They went down the steps of her small front porch and started heading down the path to the cars. Danny split, heading to his car. She had just gotten the keys into her door to unlock it when she heard Danny's voice.

"Hey, where are you going?" Danny questioned.

"To my car," she stated.

Danny walked back to Kono and grabbed her hand. "Nuh-uh. This is a proper date. You're coming in my car with me. I came and picked you up at the door and am now escorting you to my car. Watch as I'm a total gentleman and open the car door for you as well. Now, if you would please get in so we can start this date off nice and proper and if it turns out well, I might even let you kiss me at the end." Kono had been smiling at his mini speech, following the instructions as they came up. But when he uttered the last part of the statement, she let out a huge laugh. He walked around the front of the car to the drivers side and got in.

"You'll let me kiss you?" Kono looked at him with her eyebrow raised.

"If the date goes well and I feel the moment is right then yes," Danny said completely straight-faced while he started up the Camaro.

"Yeah right," Kono smirked. She rolled down the window and stuck her arm out. Enjoying the breeze and the sun as they hit her face. She had no idea where they were going but she simply enjoyed the ride for what it was. Danny had turned on the radio to whatever channel caught his ear. He looked over at Kono to see a soft smile on her face. He smiled as well. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even know they had arrived at their location until the car stopped. She looked out the front window to see that they were at the Regal Theates Dole Cannery Stadium 18 & IMAX. Kono smiled up at Danny when he opened the car door and held out his hand. She took it and stepped out of the car. He closed the door and hit a button that locked the doors. They had never let go of each other's hands. They walked into the doorway, Danny of course holding open the door for her and guiding her in by the small of her back. They headed to the ticket counter. Kono was taking it all in while Danny purchased the tickets. He grabbed her hand again and pulled her lightly towards the consession stand.

"So, how do you movie?" Danny asked.

"What?!" Kono asked incredulously.

"How do you movie? It's something me and my sisters made up when we and our friends went out to the movies. It means what kinda snacks do you like. Do you go for fruity, chocolate, salty or some strange combination?"

"Oh, uummm," Kono started looking at the vast selection of treats in front of her. Her eyes slowly wondered over the selection, taking it all in. She stepped up to the attendant behind the counter, "Okay, I'll get the chocolate covered almonds, Sour Patch Kids, Dots, Twizzlers, a small popcorn-"

"Make that a large popcorn," Danny chimed in. Kono turned to look at him, "What, I really like popcorn."

"A large popcorn and a large Sprite. And a small bottle of water," Kono finished as she looked at her small arsenal of sugary goodness. "Do you have a box or a tray?" She asked the attendant. He produced a red tray from behind him and placed it on the counter. Kono loaded her haul onto the tray, turning sideways to look at Danny.

"Are you singlehandedly trying to give yourself diabetes?"

Kono looked down at the tray and back up to him, "You said pick what I want and this is what I usually get."

"Jeez," Danny shook his head and stepped up to the counter. He looked down into the display case at the selection, "can I get jelly beans, a bag of Reese's Pieces, a large Mountain Dew and a small bottle of water as well."

"Your total today is $48.75," the consession stand attendant stated. Danny handed over the cash while Kono added his snacks to the pile on the tray. Danny put the waters in his pockets and carried the 2 sodas in his hands, holding the tickets in his fingers slightly away from the drinks so as not to get them wet while Kono held the tray.

"Lead the way," Kono motioned with the tray as she fell into step behind Danny. She had to admit, this was a great angle to watch him from. The jeans outlined his ass perfectly. So intent was she in admiring his ass and following it that she almost collided with his back when he stopped to give their tickets to the attendant so that they could point them in the right direction. The box of Dots slid from the momentum and landed on the floor in between Danny's feet. Danny looked down at the noise and back at Kono. She looked down to the box on the floor, looked back up at him before quickly looking away, her cheeks turning slightly rosy.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"What had you so distracted?"

"Nothing," she answered a bit too quickly.

He looked at her face, studying her. She looked back at him again before quickly looking away again. He smiled as came upon a reason, "We're you checking out my ass?"

"What'? No! I wasn't just checking out your ass!"

"You were weren't you?"

"No! I swear I wasn't looking at your butt!"

He stepped closer to her and leaned in to her ear, "Don't worry, sometimes I check out your ass as well." Kono's mouth hung open before turning into a huge grin. She stepped in line with him as they walked to the theater. Once inside, they scoped out their seats, picking ones that were mostly in the middle of the theater right in the center of the row. The theater was relatively empty as it was a weekday as well as in the middle of the morning. They settled down into their seats, placing the tray in the middle and splitting up their snacks onto their sides of the tray, putting the popcorn in the middle. They both started snacking on the popcorn. Being mindful to take turns. Danny was tossing pieces in the air and catching them in his mouth, killing time before the movies and during the opening credits. He was testing himself to see how high he could get it. Kono observed this before trying herself. They started a mini competition to see who could go the highest. They were fairly on par, going shot for shot with each other. They continued until the opening credits started.

"You gonna tell me what we're watching?" Kono whispered, though didn't really have to as not many people were there to really bother with their talking. Danny stayed silent and simply smiled at her. "Fine then, be that way," Kono said then stuck her tongue out at him. Kono popped open the Sour Patch Kids and the chocolate covered almonds, pouring them next to each other on the tray. Danny went back to the popcorn, shoving handfuls into his mouth as Kono grabbed a few Kids and placed them in her mouth. 'Red' came up on the screen. Danny could see Kono straighten up and lean forward on her chair, "I've been wanting to see this but haven't found the time. I'm so excited!" She said as the opening scene started. They sat in companionable silence, snacking on their treats and taking sips from their sodas. Kono commented on the efficiency of Dame Helen Mirren's character as a sniper. While they weren't quite sure of Bruce Willis' character was a bit too standoffish for their taste, they could both agree that Mary-Louise Parkers' character was a bit naive about the amount of danger she was in throughout the movie. They both smiled at the relationship between Dame Helen's character and Brian Cox's character. Kono commented how sweet it was that they still carried a torch for each other after so many years. Danny was always a sucker for a love lost and found story but didn't dare tell Kono that at this moment in time. While Morgan Freeman was an unexpected surprise, Julian McMahon was great in his portrayal at the bad guy you love to hate. The extra scene with them running through Moldova was a welcome moment of comedic relief at the end. They both got a giggle at John Malkovich in a dress and pigtails as he was wheeled across a field. The lights came back up as the movie ended. They collected their trash and placed it in the empty popcorn container. What didn't fit in the container they put on the tray, placing their stuff in the garbage and putting the tray above it. Kono had tucked the Twizzlers in her back pocket and was eating them as they headed out of the theater. Kono started heading to the front door before Danny stopped her by calling out. nd back towards the car, side by side.

"Hey babe, where are you doing?"

"I thought we were goetting back into the car and heading home."

"Oh no, no, no! I planned for this to be a more fun day than just a movie. If you think that's all there is then you underestimate me. Plus, I wanna cheer you up. After the few hard days that you've had, I want to try and take your mind off of that. And if I can't do that, then at least I can inject some fun into your life right now. I know it wouldn't be a quick fix but it can't hurt. Ready for part 2?" Kono nodded her head, a slight smile on her face, "Alright, let's go!" He held out his hand to her. She grabbed his hand and fell into step with him.

They took a few turns until they were in front of Tiki's Family Fun Center. They walked inside to speak with the desk attendant. Danny spoke to the young woman behind the counter, paying for 2 rounds of mini golf and 2 rounds of laser tag. She told them it would be a bit of time before they could play laser tag as they had a birthday party schedule to play, pointing them out as they were in the café eating pizza at the moment. An idea struck Danny. He told Kono that he would be right back. He payed for the rounds of mini golf for each of them and walked over to the birthday party. He walked up to the mom in charge of the party. He introduced himself and explained his intentions to her. Kono could see Danny animatedly talking with his hands, pointing to himself and then to her. She waved at him and the mom waved back. The mom walked over to the birthday boy and started talking to him, pointing to Danny and then to Kono. She could see the birthday boy nodding vigorously. The mom walked back over to Danny and spoke to him again. Danny jogged back over to Kono. The little boy was getting the attention of his friends; speaking excitedly then pointing over to where Kono and Danny were standing. The entire group of boys looked excited, turning to look at Kono and Danny.

"Hey, so I just arranged for us to play that birthday party in laser tag. I explained that we were cops and were already going to be playing laser tag. I simply asked if they would mind if they could all team up and play against us instead of each other."

Kono smiled at him as she wrapped one of his hands in her, "I think that is a great idea Danny. I swear, even though you're a dad, you still act like a kid sometimes." She leaned down slightly and kissed him on the cheek. They could see the boys gathering their plates, napkins and juice boxes and taking them to the trash. The group of boys hastily made their way to the bathroom, probably to wash their hands. They came back out and looked around for the mom in charge. She was standing slightly off to the side but out of the flow of foot traffic. Once they had all gotten back into a group, the mom lead them over to where Kono and Danny were standing. They turned to face the group. The mom spoke first.

"Hey guys, so this is Kono and Danny," they waved at the mention of their names, "you guys ready to try your luck against them?"

"We're gonna crush them!" One boy cheered.

"They can't beat all of us!" Another boasted.

"Let's kick their butts!" The birthday boy, Keoko yelled.

"Yeah!" All the boys chimed in together.

"Bring it on! We can take all yous guys, right babe?" Danny said, joining in the taunting with the boys.

"I dunno Danny, they look pretty tough," Kono said, faking doubt.

"They don't look so tough to me," Danny defied as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Then let's get'em!" Kono declared. All the kids as well as Kono and Danny headed to the laser tag room to get their pic taken and get suited up. The boys grabbed the blue guns while Danny and Kono each grabbed a red gun. They played Rock-Paper-Scissors to determine who went into the course first. Danny pulled out scissors while Keoko threw out rock. Him and his friends let out a cheer at their friend winning the round. They all took off and scattered in the laser tag maze. Kono and Danny counted to ten slowly before they took off into the maze as well. They nodded to each other before separating and searching out the birthday party. Though Danny and Kono had police skills on their sides, the kids were small and could tuck into smaller spaces. The first strike came from one of the boys as they snuck up on Kono from behind and shot her in the back. She whipped around to fire a few shots as the kid zipped sideways and hid behind a statue. Kono Slowly walked towards the statue and turned the corner, meaning to surprise the kid to find he wasn't there. She wondered momentarily where he had gone when a noise behind her caught her attention. She whipped around and fired at a kid who was taking aim at her.

"Hey!" The kid exclaimed. Kono grinned and waved at the kid. The kid aimed again to take another shot when Kono shot him 2 times in quick succession. "Not fair!" He whined and sulked around a corner. Kono continued her slow search through the neon glow in the dark area, searching for more little boys to take down, keeping herself close to the walls instead of out in the open like she did when she entered.

Danny on the other hand was having much more success on his part. As he was shorter and therefore closer to the ground, it was easier for him to find some of the kids who were huddled in corners. His having a daughter helped as well as she like to play hide-n-seek when they were back in Jersey and still continued it today when they went to the park close to his apartment. He was finding some of the boys in more of the harder to reach corners mostly because he had heard them giggle when he was near. A few had popped out and managed to surprise him but he was keeping his own against them, tagging them before they were out of range.

A few more minutes had passed with both Kono and Danny barely seeing or hearing a kid anywhere. They had managed to somehow find their way to each other in a slightly open space.

"Hey, how you doing out there?" Kono asked Danny.

"Good, got quite a few of them but some managed to get the drop on me. How you doing out there?" Danny replied.

"Pretty good. Not too many have tagged me. A few thought they were being sneaky but I managed to shoot them. One of them thought he could get me but he made a noise and I got him. He went to go again so I shot him again. That sent him off," Kono grinned at the memory. "It's awfully quiet now."

"Yeah, I haven't seen or heard a kid in the past 30 seconds and there's only 30 remaining."

"It's creepy. It's like they're out there plotting something." They shared a look and immediately went back to back. They slowly circled, eyes darting left and right. Looking and listening for any of the kids. Kono quickly looked up at the clock. 20 seconds left. She wanted to go out and look for them. She caught Danny's eye and indicated to split up. He shook his head and motioned to keep looking out. He had a suspicion that the boys were close and possibly planning an attack. As soon as he finished the though, all the boys came from behind their barriers and out of their hiding spots, attempting to charge and fire on the pair. Kono and Danny both planted their feet and took aim. They easily picked off each kid. When each kid was hit, they stopped in their tracks and looked down at the pads on the front of their chest making different exclaimations of 'Hey', 'No fair' and 'How do they do that?'. Kono and Danny grinned. They took aim and shot at all 6 boys again. The buzzer sounded and everyone's gun became inactive. They all filed out to the first room. They looked at the score board. They had easily beaten the kids, but the kids had held their own fairly well. The boys didn't get as many but they certainly hadn't made it easier for Kono and Danny to get the points.

"No fair! We want a do over!" One of the boys exclaimed.

"That's fair enough," Kono conceded.

"Why don't we try splitting up so it's your team versus my team? At least that way we won't have an unfair advantage," Danny suggested. Kono nodded. She looked around to see some of the boys perking up.

"I'm with Kono!" Keoko immediately yelled, running over and sliding his hand into Kono's. When he did that, she looked down at him and smiled. He smiled and quickly looked away.

"Me too," another boy yell and raced to Kono's other side to grab her other hand. Danny crossed his arms and huffed out a breath. He knew they were only 8 but they didn't really have to cling to her hands so tight. Great, now I"m jealous of an *-year-old, Danny thought to himself. He mentally shook himself as he saw 2 of the boys racing to him and flanking him on either side. They looked up at him before they crossed their arms and adopted the same stance he had. He looked down and them and smiled. When he looked back up to Kono, he smirked and stuck out his tongue. Sure he was acting like a kid but he was playing with kids, he could dismiss it as them rubbing off on him. The last 2 boys looked back and forth between the 2 of them. They crossed each other to head to their choice of team leader.

"Well, this looks like a winning team that I have here," Kono announced. The boys with her cheered.

"You must be blind because I have the winners right over here," Danny rebutted.

"Game on!" Kono challenged. They lined up to get their photos taken again. This time, everyone put on their toughest game face. They donned their vests, picked up their guns and when the buzzer sounded, they entered the maze again. They all scattered in different directions. This round ended up much better with the boys, who were following their team leaders stance though it didn't prove to better their aim any. Still, they all gave it their best with the little boys managing to get the drop on their friends a few times and even had some well timed reaction shots when they were surprised by the other team rounding a corner. Kono and Danny had managed to shoot each other a few times. No one could even judge who scored more because the teams were so far scattered throughout the maze with shots being fired every few seconds. When the buzzer finally sounded, everyone headed back out the maze. They looked up to the score board. Kono's team had won! The boys whopped and hollered. Kono bent down to give them a group hug. They jumped into her arms and squeezed her tight as a group. Danny's team slowly put their equipment away, everyone besides Danny looking a little put out.

"That's what I get for challenging a sniper," Danny said over all the noise.

"What's a sniper?" One of the boys asked.

"A sniper is a person who is trained in long distance shooting through a scope that they use to aim at the target and this is one of the best ones that I know. I have yet to see her miss a single target she's aimed for," Danny replied. All the boys looked at Kono with wide eyes.

"Wwwwooowww!" They all said.

"So you can shoot stuff from really far away?"

"What's the furthest you've ever shot?"

"Can you shoot this kid who's bugging me down the block?"

Kono put her hands out to slow down the questions, "Woah, woah woah guys. One at a time. Yes, I can shoot stuff from far away. Uummm, the furthest shot I've ever made is 500 yards. And no, I will not shoot the kid down the block who is bugging you," she had to laugh at that one.

Danny walked over to Kono and shook her hand, "Good game."

"Same to you," Kono replied. They stated shaking the hands of the other boys as well. They boys picked up quickly and started telling each other good game. Danny and Kono stopped but the boys kept it going, getting a little silly with it. They would put on different accents and bowing, they were saluting each other and saying 'Good game soldier!' 'You too Commander!' This went on for a bit before Danny and Kono herded them out of the room and back to the birthday boy's mom. They all started bombarding her with what they had done in the maze, how Kono's team had won, how Kono and Danny took them all out and that Kono was a sniper. She turned around and mouth a silent thank you to the 2 cops they waved in response. Danny turned back to Kono who was still smiling at the group of boys. He noted that her smile had softened. He interrupted her instead of letting her catch him looking.

"Ready for the next activity, babe?"Kono shook her head a little before turning to Danny and grinning.

"Ready to get your ass kicked again?" She challenged as they headed to the counter to get their clubs and balls,

"Calm down. It's mini golf, not the PGA Tour," Danny rolled his eyes as he responded, handing over the tickets. They picked their balls and putters, heading to the course. It was going smoothly. First Kono would pull ahead, then Danny and they went back and forth. Nearing the end holes though, they got competitive again. They kept trying to distract each other. When the silly tactics didn't work, they started on the dirty tactics. Danny 'assisted' Kono by coming up behind her and running his hands up her hips, letting his fingers skirt lightly under shirt to 'straighten' her hips to allow her shot to be straight. He pulled her hips flush with his to 'properly' correct her form. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "You okay Kono?" He whispered near her ear. She let out a shuddering breath. He smirked, "Go ahead. Take your shot." When Kono took the shot, it was completely wide of the hole. She groaned and pointed the putter at Danny.

"That was all your fault," Kono growled. Danny put his hand up to his chest as if to say Who me? and tried to look innocent. Kono kept looking at him as he stepped up to take his shot. As soon as he turned his back, Kono stepped right next to him while he was looking towards the hole to line up his shot. "Careful Danny," Kono breathed in his ear. Danny startled slightly at her voice right near his ear. She placed her hand on his shoulder, "You wouldn't want to mess up." After saying the word 'up', she lightly dragged the tip of her tongue along the edge of his ear to emphasize the word. She noticed his grip on the putter tighten. She ran her hand down his arm and pressed her body against his side, "Remember, concentrate." Needless to say, his shot was so hard that it bounced back to a foot in front of him.

"That was dirty pool Kalakaua," Danny muttered looking at his ball then looking back at Kono.

Kono shrugged her shoulders as she leaned on the putter, smiling at Danny, "Turn about is fair play."

Danny narrowed his eyes at her. He quickly stalked over to her and grabbed her around her waist, pulling her body flush with his in a fluid motion. He held her gaze with such intensity that she didn't dare look away. "That's how you're gonna play then," he whispered a few inches from her lips. His eyes quickly looked down to see her gulp. Her tongue darted out and licked her top lip. He looked back up into her eyes, pupils dilating slightly more. She still hadnn't answered or seemingly moved other than breathing harder. He had a predatory grin on his lips at her physical response. His eyes darted down to her lips again before looking into her eyes. Seeing nothing to tell him to stop, he closed the distance between him, sealing his lips to hers. He lingered there for a few seconds before pulling back and looking into her eyes, checking to make sure it was what she wanted. He didn't feel her pull away and when she opened her eyes, he saw the same desire in his eyes reflected in hers. He went back in for another kiss. She immediately responded, slanting her head to deepen the kiss. He swept his tongue along the crease of her lips, asking for entrance. She opened her mouth in acceptance, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and dropping the putter in the process. They were just testing each other out, tongues playing with each other in their first official meeting. As their tongues did a cautious dance, Danny felt Kono breath against his cheek. He smiled and pulled back from the kiss, resting their foreheads together. Kono took in a steady breath and then let out a sigh.

"Danny, I have to tell you something."

"What is it babe?"

Kono looked hesitant. She pulled her upper body back but didn't leave his arms. She took a deep breath and blurted, "I kissed Ben."

"Okay," Danny said simply, not taking his eyes off of her face, waiting for her to continue and get to the rest of the story.

"Okay? You're not mad?" Kono looked at Danny incredulously.

"Why would I be mad? Kono, we're new," he indicated between them. "Whatever we have here is still in its infancy stage. I'm not saying that I'm over here dating a bunch of different women or anything but this is only our second official date. You are allowed to date whoever you want and explore whatever feelings that you are having whether they be towards me or someone else. I'm not some little boy who easily gets jealous over others wanting what I want. You're an attractive, intelligent woman who can easily kick most peoples butts, has a wicked right hook, a crack shot with a sniper rifle. The list goes on and on. If I can have even a slight chance in my lifetime to date you, I will take it. If we work, we work. If we don't then no harm no foul. But I think the fact that you're here telling me about this says a lot about you and your feelings towards me."

Kono Wales shocked. She had expected there to be yelling or him turning away from her. She wasn't prepared for this reaction. She had dated guys in the past at the same time and when she told them that she was dating more than one person at the same time, a few had blew up at her so she had expected the same thing from Danny. But he was nothing like that. He was standing here, calm as ever. Kono thought about his last statement. She had told him about her kissing anothe guy. She didn't even need to. There was no reason for her to tell him so why did she? She rattled around her head for an explanation. Had she actually felt...guilty? And if she was guilty, then that would mean that she truly did care for Danny. He could see the moment that she made the connection for herself but he would wait for her to admit her feelings to herself and to him. "Well, that was easier and not at all what I expected."

"What were you expecting?"

"I dunno, for you to get mad and yell." She hung her head, partially ashamed at herself for guessing how he would respond.

"Like I said, I'm not some little boy who easily gets jealous. There was a period in my life where I was like that but I've grown beyond that place now," he lifted her chin so her eyes would meet his. "Hey, you have nothing to be ashamed about here. You were basing this off of past experience and I can't fault you for that. Now come on, we've still got one more hole to play before I completely cream you." He opened up his arms so she could go and hit her ball. She gave him a small smile. She swooped in for a quick kiss.

"Thanks Danny." She walked by and up to her ball. She sunk her putt and waited for him. They easily played the next hole and yes, Danny actually won. Which was a fair trade off seeing as she had won at laser tag. They handed in their clubs and balls. Danny guided Kono towards the exit of Tiki's, keeping his hand on the small of her back. Once they got back to the car, he opened the door before going around to his side. He started up the car and carefully drove out of the parking lot. As soon as they were safe on the roads, he reached over and grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers. She looked down to the hand and back up to him smiling. She brought his hand up to her mouth and kissed his hand before wrapping her other hand around the outside of his. He smiled at her before concentrating on the road again, enjoying the drive and the company on the way back to her house.

They pulled up to her house 40 minutes later. He pulled out the keys and jogged around to her side of the car. She waited for him to open the door and took the offered hand to help her up. He closed the car door. He grabbed her hand again and walked her to the front door. She put her keys in the lock, leaving them hanging there while she turned towards him.

"Thanks again Danny. The date was great and just the fun I needed to bring me out of my funk," Kono said. She looked away from him and worried her lip. Danny pulled her in for a hug. When he pulled back, he searched her face before he went in for a kiss. Feeling no resistance from her, he closed the distance til their lips met again. The kiss wasn't intense, just a thank you and good bye kiss; not meant to start or imply anything more. She pulled back smiling, "Good bye Danny."

"Good bye Kono," he replied. She turned her key in the door and walked into her house. He headed back to his car, hopped in and drove back to his apartment.