Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

Disclaimer: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me

Rating: T (for romance)

Pairing: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

Author's Note: Steve and Julia make a connection. I promise, there is much more romance coming for those who are fans (and who think, like I do, that H50 needs a lot more romance and shirtless Steve scenes!). We find out something very personal about Julia and Steve's response surprises himself. Enjoy! Updated chapter.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Steve asked, setting Julia's briefcase gently on his desk.

"Water would be great, thanks." Julia walked past Steve and looked around his office. An office was usually a personal statement of how someone saw himself professionally. Julia's office, with its books, papers, and projects, mirrored her professional image of an instructor, researcher, and writer. She kept very few personal belongings in her office out of habit. But Steve's office was a different story. She looked at the flags, the coins displayed behind his desk, the commendations, and the ship models. Steve was clearly proud of his history with the Navy, but as she looked around the room, she felt an overwhelming sense of honor, of expectations, and responsibility.

"The Arizona?" she asked, as she bent down to look more carefully at one of the ship models next to a folded American flag.

"Yes. That's my grandfather's flag. He was an ensign on the Arizona when the Japanese attacked. He's still entombed there," Steve answered, looking at the encased flag with a nod of respect.

Julia turned to face Steve, her eyes soft with understanding. "I'm sorry, Commander," she said quietly.

Steve cleared his throat and stepped behind the desk and turned on the desk lamp. He flipped open his laptop and typed in his password, then held the chair out for Julia, "We're informal here. Please call me Steve." Julia put down the case file on Steve's desk and sat in the leather chair. It smelled like him, she thought. Like a fresh, crisp breeze with just a hint of muskiness, a masculine scent that reminded her… She forced herself to refocus on the case, and slipped open her briefcase to pull out her ubiquitous yellow pad and a favorite pen.

Steve walked over to the mini-fridge and pulled out a bottled water, placing it on the desk for her. "My laptop has access to most of the databases you requested. I'll see about getting access to the IRS files, but we'd need to put in a specific request. They won't grant us unlimited access, even with the Governor's support."

"I know. They're persnickety that way. They aren't overly keen on letting just anyone pick through Jessica Alba's tax returns," Julia smiled.

"It's a good thing. Otherwise I'd never get Danny to focus on the case," Steve chuckled softly. "Is there anything else you need? You mentioned something about herbal tea."

Julia laughed lightly. "I'm fine, thank you. I was just kidding before about the tea, though I do drink it by the gallon at times. I get a little punchy after being inundated with undergraduates all day, particularly around midterms," she sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Good, I think Danny would kill me if I brought herbal tea into the office, although I have green tea in the fridge. Feel free to help yourself," Steve nodded to Julia with his characteristic half smile.

Julia caught his eye and returned the smile. "Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you," she hesitated a moment, "a personal question?"

"Sure," Steve stepped back briefly toward his desk, looking at Julia who was already sitting in the midst of one of his most personal spaces.

"What's with the fish?" she asked, smiling and gesturing at the odd-looking bronze fish statue on the edge of Steve's desk.

"Oh that. It was my dad's. I don't really know where he got it from, but he always kept it on his desk at HPD. I think he got it from one of his fishing buddies, way back when."

Julia nodded pleasantly, "He's retired now?"

Steve paused a moment, quietly forcing the small lump in his throat to disappear. He stared into Julia's eyes with a steely, focused look. His back straightened unconsciously as Steve fell back into his years of training to avoid feeling the grief that still haunted him. "No. He was killed a little over a year ago."

Julia looked at Steve, at the emotions fighting behind the placid, professional face. She had stumbled upon something she hadn't intended to uncover, but yet was undeniably drawn toward it like a moth to a flame. She spoke hesitantly, softly. "I'm so sorry." She could see the pain he was in, despite how well he nearly hid it.

"In a strange way, it's because of my dad that I'm here. I agreed to lead up Five-0 so I could hunt down his killer and bring him to justice."

"And did you?" Julia asked gently.

"Yes," Steve said in a deliberate manner. He thought of Victor Hesse and Kouji Noshimuri dead, and of Wo Fat in prison. The intense and the all-consuming of his search for his parents' murderers was now over. But was his search for justice truly finished? His body tensed at the thought that perhaps Wo Fat was working at the behest of someone even more powerful. He couldn't be sure that he had, indeed, brought the killers to justice. He might never be sure.

Julia watched Steve carefully. She bit her lip, and started speaking so softly it was almost a whisper. "It doesn't change anything though, does it? He's still gone."

Steve looked at Julia in surprise, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to keep the depth of his grief buried. "How," he cleared his throat briefly, "how do you…"

Julia stood and walked to the front of Steve's desk. She could still smell his scent. His presence in the room was overpowering, making it nearly impossible for her to stay away from him. Looking in his eyes, the pain she saw there mirrored her own. Unable to maintain his intense gaze, she looked down and turned toward the window. Somehow, she found her voice again.

"My mother was a bond trader for an investment bank in New York," she started. Smiling for a brief moment, she continued, "She was so bright and talented. She loved her work. As much as she loved us and was always there for us, she loved her work…" her voice faded and became a little hoarse. She shivered in spite of the warmth of the late day sun coming through the window, and rubbed her forearms absently. Julia paused, her eyes beginning to well. She stopped to compose herself, then continued in a quiet, steady voice.

"She worked on the 97th floor of Two World Trade."

Steve's stomach fell as he thought about that day, and the horror and grief he felt watching the Twin Towers collapse after the cowardly terrorist attacks. He walked up behind Julia and placed his hand softly on her shoulder. No wonder she understood. He thought of the strength and courage it must have taken her to live through an unbelievable loss. He stood there behind her, keenly aware of her pain as she fought to keep her emotions in check, not knowing what to say to her or what to do. Julia stared straight ahead, willing the tears to stay back. She'd already shared too much, asked too much, gotten too personal. She couldn't cry now. Not here, and not in front of Steve. She continued to look outside the window as she slowed her breath and tried to clear her mind of the sadness, grief, and guilt she felt every day over her mother's death.

Julia turned to face Steve, his hand slipping gently off her shoulder. "No matter what happens to the killers, regardless of whether justice is met or not, it's still a loss." She looked up into his face, the sadness of her eyes matched now by the determinedness and strength he'd seen earlier, her voice still soft with emotion, "They say that time heals all wounds, but it doesn't. It doesn't get better. You just… you just get used to it, that's all."

They stood there in the waning afternoon light, their eyes locked in a newfound respect for each other, neither wanting to turn away. Julia held her breath. She could feel the heat of his body painfully close to hers, yet still distant and apart. Her heart was beating so loudly she was sure he could hear it. Everything seemed magnified as they both became keenly aware of the powerful attraction pulling at them. Her cheeks flushed as his hand reached over to take hers, his thumb gently, absently stroking the top of her hand. Her eyes closed slightly as she let herself briefly give in to the sensations rushing through her body. She shivered and pulled away, stepping back from Steve and quickly removing her hand from his.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled as she returned to his chair behind his desk. "I should get, uh, started." She looked at him briefly, embarrassed by the emotions she rarely shared with anyone, let alone a stranger. Opening the file, she began to type furiously on the keyboard.