A/N: Broken record time...thank you all so much for the reviews and follows...I really appreciate them (and you all).
I don't own anything related to Hawaii Five-0 or CBS. No copyright infringement is intended.
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Kono spent the next few days getting to know Bailey. She had already found out that she loved having her tummy rubbed, did not like to sleep in her cage, and was on a mission to chew everything she could find. Danny had figured out that Bailey loved his ties above any and all chew toy known to man, and if she couldn't get his ties, would chew on his hand, or ankle, or pant leg, or… If he didn't know better, he would have sworn that Steve put her up to demolishing every tie that he owned.
Kono was starting to show some signs of life, although Danny wasn't sure whether it was because she now had someone to care for in Bailey, or whether it was because the pregnancy was becoming more real, or whether it was because she was finally healing. She was eating more regularly, and she and whichever teammate was staying with her had gotten into a routine of walking Bailey in the mornings and the evenings.
Steve had stopped by one evening and gotten the full brunt of Bailey doing her best to try to protect Kono. Steve had hugged her, and had immediately found a small ball of tan fluff attached to his pant leg, her teeth in the cuff. Kono nearly collapsed with laughter. Steve was only mildly amused, to say the least.
They moved towards the couch, where Bailey had apparently and immediately forgiven Steve and promptly took her place on his lap. She rolled over, exposing her plump puppy tummy for him to rub. Kono got up to get a couple of glasses of iced tea, leaving Steve alone with the puppy. Once he was sure that no one was watching, he started rubbing her tummy, smiling as her back leg started twitching.
"You know, if you keep that up, someone might mistake you for an old softy."
Steve met the smirking gaze of his partner with one eyebrow raised. "I'm not old, thank you very much." Danny had been taking a nap, but woke up at the sound of the doorbell. He couldn't help but tease Steve, as he didn't often get the chance.
Kono grinned at the two and sat down, handing them both glasses and pulling a water bottle out of her pocket. "Steve…Danny…I wanted to thank both of you."
Steve looked a little uncomfortable at the idea of praise. He simply did what he felt was right, regardless of any accolades due to him. "For what?"
Kono turned so that she was facing her friends. "Where do I start? I know I've said it before, but I have to say it again. Thank you for being here for me these last few weeks. I don't know what I would have done without the two of you, and Chin. Thank you for making sure that I could…say goodbye to Adam safely. Thank you also for arranging my leave. I'm not sure when I'll be cleared to come back, and then I know some things will have to change…I'll have to be a little more careful."
Steve reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Take all the time you need, sweetheart. Everyone understands. And don't worry about work – you're still a vital part of Five-0. We know that we'll need to modify a few assignments, but there's no way we're going to keep you out of things. Okay?"
Kono smiled and nodded as Bailey climbed onto her lap and curled up into a little ball. She laid her head on her paws and fell asleep. Steve let out a breath he hardly knew he was holding, and Danny could hardly contain his grin. It was so good to finally see Kono smile again. They, along with Chin, worried about her more than they let on, from her physical safety to her emotional well-being. From Steve's perspective, after all of the mistakes he had made in his past, he just couldn't help himself from wanting to make sure she was safe.
He leaned over to hug Kono good-bye, careful not to disturb Bailey. "I need to stop by the office for a few minutes to check on a couple of things. You guys look comfortable. I'll just let myself out, okay?" He paused for a moment, before placing a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm proud of you, Kono."
Kono found her thoughts drifting to Adam, where they inevitably went most nights. She noticed that more often than not, she thought of the simple times that she and Adam were able to spend together. Those thoughts no longer filled her with agony over what she had lost, but rather, a sense of thankfulness that she had Adam in her life for as long as she had. She stretched out on the couch with Bailey pressed against her side and drifted off into a restless sleep.
Danny was loathe to disturb her, so he quietly moved into the kitchen to start dinner. Lately, she had told him that she just couldn't get enough pineapple, so while he still was moderately horrified by the fruit, he made sure there was always a bowl cut up in the refrigerator.
He had gone to the grocery store earlier, and knew that the chicken skewers were ready for her little patio grill. Kono would be pleased to see that hers would also contain a charred version of her favorite fruit.
Kono smiled as she watched Adam glide through the water on his board. She never tired of watching him surf. He was more than his looks, but even she admitted that she was a very lucky woman in that regards.
She finished lagging behind him and paddled out to catch up, laughing as he sat on his board and pretended to glare at his watch. He reached for her hand as she finally caught up to him. "Show off." She was smiling though, and couldn't help but squeal as he pulled her from her board and slipped into the water, wrapping his arms around her tightly. He had her arms pinned so that she was at his mercy. "What was that, Kalakaua?"
She giggled as he held her close, his body pressed tightly against her. He tortured her by leaning for a kiss and then pulling away at the last second. Finally, when she couldn't take much more, he leaned in and captured her mouth in a mind-numbing kiss that left them both breathless.
Breaking away, he felt a rush of love as he looked at Kono, her cheeks flushed and her lips kiss-swollen. He grabbed her hand and led her back to her board. They both climbed back on and sat, watching the swells and waiting for a good set of waves.
The two surfed together for the next hour before finally calling it a day. As they approached the shore on their final wave, Adam was livid when a tourist dropped in on Kono's wave. She was skilled enough to avoid collision, but he made sure he kept an eye on her until she was back on shore.
He had a quiet word with the young man, who was fully apologetic. Kono just smiled softly to herself as she watched Adam clap the guy on the shoulder before turning and finding her waiting for him.
"What?" He was slightly self-conscious; her eyes never leaving his as she stalked towards him.
"You're a really good guy, Adam Noshimuri. You…or I…could have ripped that kid a new one, but you didn't. You just keep amazing me, every day. I know I can protect myself, but I love you so much for wanting to protect me as well."
He leaned in for kiss, but before he did, he whispered, "I would protect you with my life, Kono." His lips finally met hers, and it was the perfect combination of fire and ice. He groaned as she threaded her fingers through his hair, her touch sending his nerves into a frenzy.
They pulled apart after a too-brief kiss, knowing they needed to give themselves time to clean up before their dinner reservations. "We should get going. Some of us need more time to get ready." Adam grinned as Kono smacked his shoulder.
"Just what are you implying, mister?" Kono smirked, knowing they both shared the blame for how long it took them. Sometimes…they got distracted.
Adam playfully swatted her rear end as they headed for the car. "I'm just saying…being distracted is not a bad thing." He quickly stole another kiss before opening her door. "Drive safely…I'll see you in an hour."
Kono nodded, her fingers lightly resting on her lips, as she savored the feeling of his kiss. "I will. I love you, Adam."
Adam's smile was soft and showed completely through his face. "I love you, too. So much."
Danny poked his head into the living room, wiping the marinade from his hands. He listened for sounds that would signal that Kono was awake. Hearing none, peered over the back of the couch to check on his friend and grinned. Kono was on her side, still asleep on the couch with Bailey curled up next to the tiny baby bump that she had just started sporting.
At the sound of footsteps, Bailey lifted her head to see who was in the room. Seeing Danny, her tail started wagging furiously. He shook his head before coming around to pick her up from the couch. He carried her into the guest room while he changed. He set her on the bed and laughed as she immediately started chewing on the towel that he had left there. She would ignore his ties if there was a towel around, thank goodness.
"Yep, your favorite chew toy is here. You know, your mommy bought you all of those really great toys, and yet you'd rather chew on my stuff. I guess you just have good taste; is that it, you little fur ball?"
He was rewarded for his name calling by an indignant little bark from the middle of the bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed and was immediately attacked by Bailey, who tugged energetically on the bottom of his shirt. He carefully lay down on his back, laughing as she climbed up on his chest to lick him mercilessly on his chin and cheeks. Every time he tried to pull her away, she managed to scramble back and lick him again. Their wrestling match grew frenzied as her licks escalated to yips and growls, causing Danny to finally give up. Sensing victory, Bailey settled next to his side, occasionally licking Danny's fingers as he tried to pet her.
"You know what, Bailey? Your mom is starting to feel better, which means that pretty soon, I'm going to go back to my house. When I go, you're going to have to take care of her, okay? Make sure that if her eyes leak, you lick her face and make her smile. Don't eat her food, 'cause she needs to eat her own, okay? It's up to you, girl. So, can I count on you?"
Bailey gave a little woof in affirmation. "Good girl. Who's a good girl?"
Bailey barked at the doorway and Danny knew that he had been busted. He turned to see Kono smirking. Apparently she had just woken up and had come to see what the commotion was all about. "Big bad Danny, with a puppy wrapped around his finger. Better not let Grace find out."
Danny turned to the puppy that was now chewing on his belt. "Do you hear that? Do you hear how she treats me? Rude, I tell you." He turned to smile as Kono made her way to sit on the edge of the bed. "So, how much of that did you hear?"
Kono reached out to squeeze his hand. "Enough to adore you for caring."
Danny wrapped his arm around her for a quick hug, placing a kiss on top of her head. "So, did you have a good nap?"
Kono reached for Bailey and cuddled her to her chest. "It was okay. I had that dream again, the one that I told you about."
Danny gave her a sympathetic smile. "The surfing one?" At her nod, he asked, "So, are you okay?"
She shook her head slowly. "It's not great, but it's getting a little easier with time. This may sound weird, but I'm glad that I can remember him without crying all the time. It was getting so difficult for a while…I didn't want to have to compartmentalize him away somewhere where he would be safe, but I'd never get to think of him."
Danny took a moment to wrap his head around what she had just said. "Strangely enough, that makes sense. Babe, the nature of our job is to compartmentalize things that are too tough to talk about. It's how we survive. I'm happy that you can remember the good times and the bad…all of the things that made you and Adam who you were, both together and apart. "
Kono seemed lost in thought. "Danny, do you ever wish that…that…you weren't stuck here? That you didn't have to baby-sit me? I'm taking you away from your daughter, and that's not fair…all because I can't...or shouldn't be left alone."
Danny looked a little angry and a lot stunned. Was that how she saw herself? "Where the hell did that come from? Of course I'm glad to be here. Kono, I hate that I never took time to get to know Adam like you did…I mean, not 'like' like you did, but you know what I mean. I don't know if I can explain this or not, but helping you makes me feel like I actually got to know him a little better. Plus, you're family to me. There is no way I...or any of us...would let you go through this alone. You'd have done the same for any of us...so why is it so hard to accept that we wanted to do this for you?"
Kono threw her arms around him in a tight hug, and all Danny could do was hug her back. He understood that this was one of those speed bumps that happened in the course of grieving. Without warning, Danny suddenly started shaking, causing Kono to pull back, afraid that he had broken down.
She followed his gaze, however, to where Bailey was tugging on the side hem of his shirt, a little annoyed that her favorite human toy was being hugged by someone else. Kono picked her up and looked directly into her eyes. "Get over it, missy. I can hug him if I want to."
Danny smirked. "Yep, she loves me. I can tell." He took her from Kono and held her up to his face. "Don't you, Bailey. You love your Uncle Danny, don't you?" He had barely finished that sentence when Bailey rewarded him with a tiny wet sneeze. Danny glared as he wiped his face, having caught it full force. "Seriously, furball…did you have to do that?"
Kono could not contain her laughter. "I'm going to go with yes. I'd say she's got the fine art of tension breaking down, wouldn't you?"
Danny rolled his eyes and stood up from the bed, holding a hand for Kono to join him. "So, dinner?"
Kono giggled and followed him into the kitchen. She got the paper plates and glasses down from the cabinet and set the table. Danny brought the platter with the kabobs over while Kono popped the cap off of a Longboard and set it by his plate.
They spent the remainder of the evening enjoying dinner before moving out to the couch to watch a movie. They settled on The Princess Bride, which according to Danny, had 'the right mix of action and girl-stuff'.
Kono laughed as Danny thumbed away a tear at the end of the movie. He tried to convince her that he had something in his eye, but she wasn't buying it. They reluctantly stood up to head for bed, once the credits finished rolling and the room was plunged into darkness. There was enough light from the hallway for Kono to meet Danny's gaze and she hugged him tightly for a moment. "I know I'm like a broken record, but I wish there was something more I could do or say. I just…"
Danny squeezed her a little tighter. "Babe, seeing you happier is thanks enough. I know that there's still a ways to go before you reach the 'better' stage, but as long as you keep trying, that's all that matters, right?"
Kono broke apart to pick up Bailey from her makeshift bed on the couch. "You know, I keep thinking of what you said to me when I was in the hospital, about concentrating on one minute, then one hour, then one day."
At his surprised look, she replied, "Believe it or not, I did hear you. I may not have been ready to listen, but I did hear you. I think that this time…right now…is my one day. I've managed to make it through enough minutes and hours at a time to live from day to day. I know I keep saying it, but I have you to thank for that." She kissed him on the cheek before heading to her room for the night.
Danny made his way through the living room, turning off lights and making sure that the doors were locked. He really felt like Kono had turned a corner. Maybe now, she would be able to focus on and enjoy the rest of her pregnancy. He knew that she would regret it if she spent the remaining months in a fog. He made a note to talk to Steve tomorrow about using his place for a team get-together, but he thought that maybe it was time to bring Grace on board. She had presents to pass out, and if there was anyone who could get Kono out of her head for a little while, it was his whirlwind of a daughter.
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