Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Hawaii Five-0 or CBS. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Kono had been dozing in her room for the past hour, but wasn't fully asleep. No matter which way she turned, her stomach protested the change in direction. She hadn't had many days of full blown morning sickness, although she'd had moments where her stomach liked to turn itself inside out.

Without warning, Kono suddenly was struck by the realization that she needed to get to the bathroom, now! Throwing the sheet off, she hurried to the bathroom, where she barely had time to kneel down before her stomach made its presence known in a rather vicious way.

Coughing as the bile burned against the back of her throat, Kono's eyes watered as she sank back against the tub. She really needed her stomach to settle down. Without warning, her eyes flooded with real tears as she fervently wished that Adam was here with her; holding her; helping her feel grounded against the violent spinning inside her head.

She sat for another ten minutes before carefully standing up and making her way to the sink. She didn't want to turn the light on, so she relied on feeling her way around. She swished some water around in her mouth, followed by some mouthwash, hoping it would be enough until morning when she could see what she was doing. Satisfied that her stomach was going to stay put, she finally decided to head back to her room.

She stopped by the kitchen and grabbed a box of crackers and some Sprite. It wasn't much, but she knew she needed to put something down there to help settle things. She knew that she could have woken Chin up, but she really didn't want to disturb him for something as trivial – in her frustrated mind, anyway – as needing her deceased fiancé. As she settled back underneath the sheets, she caught sight of her phone next to her bed.

She sank back against her pillow and blew out a frustrated breath. She shouldn't bug him about something stupid like this. And yet…he told her to call him if she needed anything.

Kono debated for a few minutes before picking up her phone. She really didn't need anything other than to hear a familiar and friendly voice. It was too hard for her to hear Adam's voice in her head, especially when the dark of night loomed large overhead.

Deciding on a compromise, she sent Danny a quick text instead. "Are you awake?" She tried to remember that Danny had told her to, and that texting him was not a sign of weakness, and yet her self-loathing was at an all-time high. Freaking emotions, anyway.

It only took about a minute before her phone lit up with an answering text. "Yeah. You okay?"

Kono was mad at herself for not being stronger, and her hesitation must have showed because her phone lit up again. "Kono? What's wrong?"

Kono bit her bottom lip before replying. "Nothing. Sorry to bug you."

This time, her phone vibrated with the incoming call. She thumbed the answer button and placed the phone by her ear. "Hey."

"What happened, babe? What is it?" Danny's voice was low, and she figured he was trying to keep it down so that he wouldn't wake Grace. That thought just made her feel more like crap, that she was taking her friend away from his daughter, all because she needed to hear a friendly voice? Really?

"Kono? Are you there?" Danny's voice was a little more frantic. He had no idea what was going on, other than she had texted him in the middle of the night, and obviously needed him for something.

Kono's sigh alerted Danny that she was there, giving him the patience to wait her out. It didn't take too long. "I'm sorry, Danny. I tried to be strong, but…"

Danny cut her off. "Hey, hey…none of that. I told you to call me no matter what, right? At least you listen once in a while, unlike my Neanderthal partner."

He felt her smile through the phone, which was his goal. "I just…Chin and I had a really good talk tonight. It made me understand him so much more, and gave me so much respect for what he went through with Malia. But then later, I couldn't eat because my stomach was upset. I had a few bites of yogurt before bed, and I dozed for a while before I ended up getting really sick. I guess I'm just having a pity party. I wish Adam was here with me, making me feel better. I hate that I feel so needy. It's not who I am, damn it."

Danny made a shushing sound through the phone that instantly calmed Kono's nerves. She had to keep reminding herself that emotions came with the pregnancy. She was going to have to get used to the roller coaster ride. "Listen, babe. It makes sense that you need Adam. I mean, he's the baby's father. Of course you'd want him there with you. There's nothing wrong with that, okay?"

Kono nodded and whispered, 'okay'; not realizing just how much she needed to hear that. She wanted to be able to just push her emotions off to the side, but this pregnancy was a huge roadblock in that regard.

"Did you wake Chin up?" Danny thought he already knew the answer, but figured he'd ask anyway.

Kono whispered, not wanting to disturb her cousin. "I didn't want to bother him. I really didn't think it was worth it."

Danny was a bit frustrated that Kono sometimes couldn't see that she was important to them, and that they would do anything for her. It wasn't her fault, though – she probably honestly thought that her grief was hers alone. He took a breath and blew it out softly. "Do you need me to come over?"

Kono's 'no' was a bit louder in his ear. "I'll be okay, Danny. I think I can fall asleep now. My stomach has settled down a little bit."

Danny knew that her nausea was probably partly related to the anxiety of being somewhat on her own tonight. Yeah, Chin was there with her, and he was an absolute rock for her. But it was different than what she was used to, which most likely had her nerves on edge. Combine that with not eating much at dinner – no wonder she was off of her game.

"Why don't you see if you can find a few crackers or something. I'm sure not eating that much didn't help your stomach any." Danny was mentally picturing what was in the cupboards and fridge and had come up with an idea.

Kono smiled…Danny knew her too well. "I have the crackers next to the bed, and I brought some Sprite, too. I also have the ginger candy that you got last week – hopefully it'll all help."

Danny chuckled to himself. "Glad I could help, Rookie. Now get some sleep, okay? But I mean it – you call me if you need anything, all right? It doesn't matter if it's 'worth it' or not – if it matters to you, it's important to me. Or let Chin know…you know he'd be there for you in an instant. Got it?"

Kono's breath hitched. "Got it, Danny. And thank you…for everything."

As she hung up her phone, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Chin stepped into her room. "I was up getting a drink and heard you. Is everything okay?"

Kono bit her bottom lip before shrugging one shoulder. "I'll be okay…just a little bumpy right now, I guess."

Chin walked over to her bed and sat down on the other side. Wrapping one arm around her shoulders, he pulled her into a warm hug. "I'm here, Kono…whatever you need."

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The next morning found Chin and Kono seated at the kitchen table when Steve arrived, followed not too long after by Danny and Grace. Bailey was in her element, dashing in and out of the kitchen in excitement. She loved having new people to play with.

Steve and Chin made short work of setting out their breakfast, and soon, everyone was happily eating the sweet pastries. The men were worshipping their caffeine, while Kono and Grace enjoyed an icy-cold smoothie.

Kono was grateful that the drink seemed to settle her stomach. She thought she tasted ginger, and wondered if Danny had them put some in. Whatever the case, she was glad to have something in her stomach that seemed like it was going to actually stay there.

After breakfast was finished, Kono and Grace took Bailey for a short trip to the beach. The two sat side by side, giggling as Bailey did a run-by – scampering as fast as she could towards the water before running past the girls. She must have repeated the motion at least ten times before she finally tired out.

Kono stood and reached for Bailey's leash. "Come on, silly puppy. It's time to go back home."

Grace stood as well and reached for Kono's hand. She seemed to want to be close to her, which Kono didn't mind one bit. She truly loved Grace, and enjoyed their time spent together. "Hey Grace? When I'm feeling better, do you want to have a weekend just for us? We can rent movies and paint our nails – I may need your help with that, if I can't see my toes that well."

Grace's giggle danced on the air. "I would like that, Auntie Kono. Do you know when?"

Kono got quiet, but squeezed Grace's hand. "I'm honestly not sure. But I promise the minute I'm feeling more like myself, I will call you and then you can tell your dad, okay?"

Grace was beaming at the idea that Kono would schedule something with her without asking her Dad first. There weren't a lot of aunts on Rachel's side, blood relative or not, who went out of their way to spend time with Grace. But Kono was different – she acted like she really liked hanging out with Grace. She made Grace feel wanted and special – and Grace loved her for that.

The two approached the house with wide smiles on their faces, and as Danny caught sight of them coming up the walk, he wanted to capture that image and share it with the world. He had his beautiful daughter, who was the absolute light of his life, along with one of his best friends in Kono, who was finally starting to fully smile again…Danny wished she could see the way she looked right now. Hell, he wished that Adam was alive to see just how radiant Kono was.

It was a bit chaotic as they tried to get Bailey into her crate, and Grace into Danny's car so that she could get to school on time. Both were pouting at the travesty that was not getting to spend the day with Kono.

Kono, for her part, gave them both extra hugs and kisses and promised them more time together soon. Danny had agreed to meet Steve and Chin and Kono at the Ala Moana mall as soon as he dropped Grace off.

They met up at the local bookstore, and started browsing through the pregnancy section. It took everything Steve had in him to not browse through the guns or the military section – but he knew this trip was for Kono.

It didn't take long for Kono to pick out a few books, and for Chin to immediately snatch them from her hands and head towards the register. "Uncle's prerogative." Chin smirked as he dodged her elbow, grateful for his own quick reflexes.

Danny and Steve distracted her long enough for Chin to finish paying and meet them outside the mall entrance. Studying the map kiosk, they realized that the maternity store was just below where they were standing, so they headed for the stairs and made their way downstairs.

It wasn't long before the four were browsing through the trendy maternity store, much to Steve and Chin's discomfort. Danny wasn't fazed in the least, as he held up shirt after shirt in front of Kono. "I'm totally buying this one for you, Kono." He held up a navy blue shirt that said 'Happy to Demonstrate What 'Hits Like a Girl' Really Means', in light blue lettering.

Steve's grin was wide as he held up a shirt of his own. "And I'm getting this one." The one he picked out said 'Badass Mom' in big black letters on an off-white, form-fitting shirt.

Kono couldn't help the giggle that came out of her mouth. She was almost shocked by it, but let herself feel something other than the sadness that had followed her around for the past few weeks. "Thanks, you guys."

When all was said and done, she had a few pairs of pants, some pregnancy bras and underwear, and close to a dozen tops that she could mix and match. She figured that as long as she knew her sizes, she could shop online if she needed anything else.

Danny could see her enthusiasm wane as the shopping trip drew to a close, and was pretty sure he knew what was going on inside of her head. He gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to, you know. You can wait until you are ready."

Kono blinked the sudden moisture from her eyes and shook her head. "What if I'm never ready? I don't want to wait, Danny…I have to do this now."

Danny kissed the side of her head as they all headed towards the parking lot. "Whatever you need us to do, you know we're there, right babe?"

Kono nodded and climbed into the passenger seat of the Camaro while Danny put the packages into the trunk. As long as they had two vehicles, they figured they'd all drive over together. The guys were planning on doing a little upkeep of the yard, out of respect for Adam, while Kono took care of her business inside. They weren't sure what was happening with Adam's house, but they still wanted it to look nice.

Kono had gotten word that she was needed in a meeting with Adam's lawyer, but the last thing she wanted to think of was his will. She really didn't want anything except for Adam to be alive. She had deferred until next week, with the attorney's agreement. All of the guys had agreed to go with her if she wanted them to, and Kono promised to get back to them on that in a few days. She just wasn't sure where her head would be at that point in time.

During the drive to Adam's house, Kono just stared out of the window; the passing scenery allowing her mind to wander. She found herself thinking of Adam, and feeling the physical ache of missing him, deep down in her gut.

She never even heard the car engine shut off, and it wasn't until Danny touched her arm that she realized they were parked in the driveway. She glanced around and noticed Chin and Steve leaning up against the front of Steve's truck…ostensibly waiting for Kono to take the lead.

She took a few deep breaths before opening the door. She hadn't managed more than about four steps, when all three gentlemen had surrounded her. Steve and Chin each took an arm, and Danny was behind her to catch her if she fell. She could almost feel their strength supporting her as she made the trip up the walkway.

Her hands were shaking as she fit the key into the lock, but after a few tries, she managed to get the front door open. None of the men wanted to crowd her – they all knew how fiercely independent Kono was – but they knew that they needed to stay in the vicinity, at least.

"Hey, sweetheart. Chin and Danny and I are going to do a little work in the backyard – make sure things are secure out there. Do you want to come with us, or are you comfortable getting what you need in here?" Steve leaned against the back of the couch so that he could look Kono in the eyes.

He was proud of her resolve, as she lifted her chin; tightening that proverbial string that was holding her upright. "You guys go ahead. I'm just going to get a few things that I want to take back with me."

None of the three moved at first, but faced with Kono's determined expression, they finally headed out the back door and into the yard.

Kono clasped her hands against her legs, hoping to quell the trembling that felt like it was coming from deep down inside of her. Eventually, she doubled over at the waist and was forced to take some deep breaths to clear the dizziness away. Once she felt a little more secure on her feet, she stood up and looked around the living room. She had always loved this part of the house, with its rich leather couch facing the gas fireplace. Adam had insisted that the fireplace stayed when he bought the house, because Kono had mentioned that she loved it when she and Adam had walked through with the realtor.

Smiling fondly at a few of the pictures on the mantle, Kono knew that it was time. It took a few moments before she felt strong enough to venture further into the house, but she was focused on only one room for right now…Adam's bedroom.

On her way there, she stopped to admire a few more photos mounted on the wall, knowing that she wanted a few of them for her place. Adam had loved taking pictures, and the black and white shots of the waves crashing over the volcanic rock were some of her favorite landscape photos.

For as strong as she felt while walking through the hallway, her heart almost broke as she stared into Adam's room. Everything about his room was a snapshot to the last moments he spent in his house. His closet door was open, signaling a rush out the door. His bed was made, although a few of the throw pillows were haphazardly placed – again hinting at a more hurried morning than usual.

Her eyes were drawn to the plush down pillows that rested against the mahogany headboard, and she couldn't help herself. She slowly walked towards the bed and sat down on the edge.

Staring at the picture of the two of them that sat on the end table, she couldn't help herself. She had to get it out. "Adam…God, I miss you so much. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of you and wish you were still alive. I don't know how to do this without you, you know. It physically hurts sometimes when I let myself admit that you're not coming back."

She wiped at her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm honestly not sure I would still be here if it weren't for Danny…and Steve and Chin. But Danny, especially, has been a rock. Losing you was the absolute worst thing that ever could have happened to me… I just wanted to be with you, Adam…I would have done anything to be with you."

She rested a hand against her small baby bump and smiled. "I'm ashamed to say this, but without Danny, I probably wouldn't be here right now. I was in such a dark place, that I couldn't imagine living without you. I really think that he literally kept me alive. He made me eat; he let me cry. He didn't back down, no matter how much I screamed or begged him to let me go. I hate the fact that I completely fell apart, but I know I couldn't have survived this without the three of them looking out for me. "

Like a magnet tugging her, she slowly slumped to the side; her arms wrapped around one of the pillows. She took a deep breath, completely destroyed inside that the pillow still smelled like Adam. Without warning, her tears came, chasing themselves down her cheeks at a pace she could not keep up with. She buried her face into the pillow, hoping to muffle her sobs, but there was no way to keep the current vestiges of grief contained inside of her.

With Adam's scent surrounding her, and her heart shattered into what felt like a million pieces with the pain of missing her fiancé, Kono broke down.

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