I just realized I haven't posted notes with my other chapters, so I am going to with this one. I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, that you think it's better than the first one. Thanks to Riter's Fury for encouragement and my older siblings, Samantha and Peter! Happy reading, I really hope you guys like the story! : )

Chapter 7: Steve's a Rock

Pekeleilei Road, White Truck

Steve was intently listening in on the conversation Kono was having with Sang Min. Thus far, he hadn't learned anything useful, nothing was mentioned about Victor Hesse nor were any words said that could have stood for code. He glanced at his team, Chin was sitting in a chair working with buttons that controlled sound waves' frequencies, Danny looked as if he would prefer to be in bed, napping, and Alexandra appeared to be very exhausted. Steve hadn't noticed earlier, but she had dark circles beneath her eyes and every few minutes she would stretch and yawn. He wondered if she was tired because something was keeping her up at night, like waiting for whoever was trying to kill her, or if she spent long nights talking to that Derek Falconer guy. He grimaced at the thought of Alexandra giggling lightly and blushing whenever Falconer would say something.

Are you jealous? A small voice in his head piped up.

On the computers, Steve observed that Kono was being forced to take off her dress. Sang Min was probably making sure she wasn't wearing a wire.

"I think it's time we helped," Chin suggested with a hint of worry in his voice. Steve understood, Chin and Kono were family and no matter how much experience a cop had, anxiety would always prevail at one point or another.

Steve nodded, taking his gun out of its holster and making sure it was loaded, just as a precaution. He glanced at the screen and Kono was putting her dress back on, but now Sang Min was touching her… hair?

"What's he doing?" Danny asked nobody in particular.

Steve saw Alexandra take a closer look at the thermal images and say, "Kono's a surfer, right?"

"Yeah, you met her at the beach," Chin replied loading his shotgun. "You don't think?"

"Sand," Steve said catching on to what Alexandra had been thinking.

Kono had been compromised because Sang Min felt sand in her hair. He was questioning why Kono, a supposed poverty stricken maid, had time to go to the beach.

"What?" Danny queried, still unaware of what everyone concluded.

"She's been made," Steve explained shortly, thrusting the doors of the truck's trailer open and running quickly to the driver's seat. There was no safe way in to the warehouse, so Steve was going to rely on the last resort… driving the truck through the walls of the warehouse.

He put the key in the ignition, turned it and the engine roared to life. Before he was able to step on the gas pedal, the passenger door flew open and Danny heaved himself onto the seat.

"What the hell are you doing?" the blonde detective shouted at Steve.

"Just take your gun off safety!"

"What the hell are you doing? Steve?" Danny kept shouting as the truck began moving, picking up speed with every inch.

When Danny finally caught on to what Steve was planning, a string of curses and remarks about the Navy SEALS's idiocracy followed. However, it was interrupted by the earsplitting sound of the massive semi colliding with the warehouse.

Steve slammed his foot on the breaks and when the vehicle screeched to a stop he jumped out of the driver's seat.

"I had it all under control!" Kono greeted with a smile on her face as Chin and Alexandra tried to catch up to Steve, but both were stumbling.

Steve began his manhunt; he was going to find where Sang Min trotted off too and he wouldn't flinch if he had to beat the answers out of the Snakehead facilitator. He saw two men jumping through an enormous hole made in the wall during the collision and quickly was after them.

"McGarrett!" he heard Alexandra's voice and then the deafening ring of three gunshots following her scream.

A Tongan man, which Steve failed to notice, fell from somewhere above, probably a catwalk, but he had no time to thank Alexandra. He needed to catch Sang Min, he needed to know where the man who killed his father was. This was personal and Steve wouldn't stop until he found Victor Hesse and finished what Hesse started.

Five-0 Headquarters

Alexandra's head was pounding from the day she experienced. As a spy, she's encountered psychotic agents, operatives driven by avarice and people who wanted to have world domination in their hands (rather outlandish, but true), but never, never, had Alexandra met someone who drove a truck through a wall of a warehouse like Steve did. She also never saw anyone drive a squad car onto the deck of a freighter ship, like Steve did, but she guessed there was a first time for everything. She reviewed the day in her mind and couldn't deny that she was satisfied with the way the day was ending.

Steve caught Hesse, or killed him, more exactly. Alexandra knew he had his peace now, he would be able to sleep a little better tonight because he found justice for his dad. Something Jack McGarrett deserved, undoubtedly.

Alexandra let her body sink into the soft chair she had in the quarters Steve assigned to her and she quickly immersed herself in one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books which she kept in her purse. Her entire body felt as if someone had pounded it with a mallet for hours on end. A light knock on the glass door made Alexandra glance up, it was Chin.

"Hey Chin," she greeted cheerfully closing her book and placing it on her small, wooden desk.

"Hey," he replied in the same manner. "We're all grabbing a beer somewhere, you in?"

Alexandra would have killed to go out for drinks (despite not liking alcohol, she enjoyed the social aspect of the event), but with Vlotkovsky after her and a psychopath paying for anything Vlotkovsky would need, she thought it would be best to stay in.

"It sounds fun, but I think I might have to take a rain check," Alexandra smiled.

Chin laughed, "Come on, you don't have some clandestine meeting or something do you?"

Alexandra feigned a laugh, "No, no. Of course not, I'm a …nurse."

If only you knew, she thought regretfully.

"Then come on!" Chin egged on and then leaned in closer. "You know, Steve was really hoping you'd come."

Alexandra blushed at the sound of Steve's name. How she wished she could just pretend Francois didn't want her dead and celebrate the team's first case with Steve.

"If you don't go, Keiki, I might get Danny and we'll drag you to the bar," Chin threatened jokingly.

Alexandra laughed and was able to see Steve sitting from his office through the glass of her quarters. The sight of him took her breath away, she didn't know why, but no man ever drew her in like Steve did. It wasn't just the way he carried himself, tough and to the point, understanding and funny; it was that his looks were unlike any other man's. He had short dark hair, slightly curling at the ends with his square jaw and grey-blue eyes; his torso was toned to the max and the tattoos on each arm emphasized the muscles on his arms. Alexandra's heart began to beat a little faster as she thought of him.

"I'll go, just give me a sec," Alexandra finally agreed, standing up and walking out of the small office with Chin.

She knocked on Steve's door, saw him look up and nod his head, allowing her to come in.

As Alexandra closed the door behind herself she looked at Steve, "I thought we should talk."

"That may have to happen," he replied. "Want to sit down?"

Alexandra sat down in one of the chairs, feeling a déjà vu like feeling as she did so. The last time she sat down in these chairs, she nearly popped a blood vessel. Where did she even begin to tell him everything? How did she tell him that she needed his help and how she felt?

"I want to say sorry," she began, unable to look him in the eyes because of embarrassment.

Steve sighed, "Me too."

She whipped her head up and stared skeptically at him. He was sorry? He was actually saying sorry? From the time she met Steve, it was pretty obvious that saying sorry was something he struggled with. This was coming as quite the shock to her.

"I never gave you the chance to tell me yourself and I was just angry," he admitted. "I don't know, I just wanted to know you trusted me."

"I do," Alexandra assured. "Steve, I had no idea someone was after me until, officially, today. If I didn't say anything it's because- it's because I …don't know how to tell you that I'm… afraid. I- I was the girl who wasn't supposed to cry over her problems and just keep them to myself-"

"But, Alexandra," Steve stopped her. "Someone is trying to kill you! I don't care what people made you think back then, but you're apart of this team and that means I look out for you!"

She looked in Steve's eyes and didn't know if she could stop herself from letting out the tears that, all those years, have been saved for another day. The sweeping feelings of sadness and relief were overwhelming her and she didn't know how to control it. She didn't want to cry, not now, not in Steve's office.

"I-I," she stammered. "That's why I came back."

There. She said it, she finally told someone she needed their help instead of cursing her life for her misfortunes.

"What?" Steve asked, clearly trying to make sure he heard her correctly.

"I came back to the warehouse because I don't have anyone else to turn to. Derek, the guy who you met this morning, came here to tell me, in person, what he knew and told me that I was being stupid, for storming out of your office," Alexandra explained as a smile grew on Steve's face. "I need you, Steve, I can't fight this on my own."

When he wasn't saying anything Alexandra continued on.

"Steven, I'd really like to hear some feedback on this," she bit her lip.

"I'm touched," he finally responded. "You chose me over your boyfriend, Derek."

Alexandra felt her face turn into an expression of horror. She and Derek? Never! He was the agent who trained her, a team member, practically family!

"Derek?" she questioned sardonically. "If Derek was my boyfriend, then the pope broke his vow of temperance!"

"He's been working with you for years and hasn't tried anything?" Steve questioned inquiringly .

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's supposed to mean that working around someone like you, can be very, difficult."

"Difficult?"

"It can be hard to focus around you, sometimes," Steve explained, hinting that he thought she was… pretty?

Alexandra felt as if her cheeks were ablaze, but it didn't stop her from replying, "Like I said, if Derek and I were dating, then the pope broke his vow of temperance."

Steve grinned at her, stood up to walk around his desk and offered her his hand, "Speaking of breaking vows of temperance, I think the team wants to go out for drinks."

She took his hand, but let go as soon as she was on her feet. One small, anomaly still bothered her… the assassin. She would endanger anyone who went out with her, not to mention herself.

"What if Vlotkovsky tries to take care of me at the bar?"

"He hasn't tried anything today," Steve pointed out. "He isn't going to touch you when you're around us. If he did, it would attract attention, too many people, witnesses, and then he'd have me to deal with."

Alexandra wished she hadn't let her hand slip out of his earlier, she wished she could just embrace him and let him make her feel like this, safe and … pretty… all the time.

Disgusting Basement

"What are you doing?" the Irish man, Declan's, voice questioned as he entered the disgusting basement and walked towards the dark haired woman who was his wife and his grade 'a' psycho stepfather in law.

Odette, as the woman was named, stood up and smiled, revealing what gruesome thing she had done. On the floor lay the dead ex Russian operative, David. There was a single bullet wound on his forehead and deep red drops of blood raced down his face.

"Why, Odette?" he asked, wishing his wife knew what she was doing.

She was consumed by the garbage that her stepfather, Jacques, had fed her during their long conversations together. Declan only stayed because he hoped to get Odette away from Jacques, but now, for Declan, it was too late to get away because he knew their plans and he could possibly be the last hope Alexandra had. David knew their plans also, that's why he was trying to give back their money and disappear. David knew that Odette was going to kill her best friend for a lost cause, for a bitter, old man's lost cause.

"He was trying to back out," Jacques sneered, then letting out a little laugh.

"He would've disappeared!" Declan screamed, unable to control the rage he felt at how distorted the man's moral compass was.

Jacques turned towards Declan and stared him down. The CIA analyst felt all emotion, aside from fear, seep out of him. The Frenchman had a way of making people feel empty inside, as if he were the predator and you were the prey. Declan tried to control his breathing, Odette has kept Jacques from killing him so far, but it had become apparent that Odette wanted different things, different, vile things…

Lulu's Bar

Alexandra sat in a booth surrounded by the task force members as they all ate a slice from the large pizza which they ordered and drank beverages of their choice. Danny was telling them a funny story about something his daughter, Grace, had done to his younger brother a few years ago. It involved putting a cell phone into kitty litter, dirty kitty litter.

"Alright!" Kono said excitedly. "Truth time!"

Chin groaned at his cousin's suggestion and everyone looked at him for an explanation.

"What's truth time?" Danny asked taking a sip of his beer.

"Kono likes to do this thing with new acquaintances where we all ask each other questions and everyone has to answer them, honestly," Chin explained.

"Yeah, and if I think you're lying, I'll make sure to find out the truth!" the native Hawaiian woman added.

"Okay," Steve nodded. "Bring it."

"Okay, something easy at first," Kono remarked. "What's everyone's favorite color? Mines orange."

"Red," Chin quickly interjected as he took a bite of his pizza.

"I know that, I'm asking them, coz'," Kono jested, pretend punching Chin.

Alexandra laughed at the exchange and looked at Danny who said, "Yellow."

Steve began chuckling to himself when Danny answered and the detective looked at him with an annoyed expression.

"What is so hilarious about that?"

"Yellows your favorite color?"

"Yes, yellow is my favorite color!" Danny answered with impatience. "Why is the color of my choice so funny to you?"

"Because yellows like a calm color, you're just so uptight," Steve replied causing everyone to start laughing.

"Oh yeah? Well what's your favorite color, Steven?"

"Blue," the SEAL replied turning his head towards Alexandra. "Yours?"

Alexandra smiled, "Green."

The team continued with fun questions like these and everyone took turns answering, as honestly as they could. Around ten minutes later, though, the questions became a little more serious and everyone kept opening up. Alexandra didn't know how to answer some of them like, "As a kid, what's the one thing you remember the most about your parents,".

Well, my mom died and then my dad went to prison and was stabbed, she wanted to say, but something restrained her. She wasn't ready to share that, not yet.

Finally Chin asked a question regarding what everyone wanted to be when they were in high school and Alexandra couldn't hold it in anymore. She was glad that Steve knew, but everyone was supposed to be bonding and they didn't know what she really did.

"Wait!" she interrupted. "I have a question, if you don't mind?"

She sent an apologetic look towards Chin who smiled.

"Go for it, Keiki," he assured.

"Has anyone ever been put in a place where they weren't supposed to tell the truth?" she asked.

"I think she wants to tell us something," Steve hinted that he knew where she was headed.

"Do you?" Kono asked letting out a chuckle.

"Yes. I'm not exactly a nurse," she revealed, speaking as slowly as she could.

Danny scoffed, "I'm really a bookworm!"

"Funny, but not quite," Alexandra replied, slightly smiling at his remark. "I've been working for the CIA for six years and being apart of this, with you guys, I can't lie anymore."

Danny, Chin and Kono all stared at her as if she was someone else and she wanted to sink into her seat and disappear.

"You knew this?" Danny asked Steve, more calmly than Alexandra expected,

"Yeah," Steve answered.

"Do you know if all the hype about Area 51 is true?" Kono asked making the blonde agent arch a brow.

"No," Alexandra answered slowly. "But I don't really have access to those types of secrets."

"Were you the one who sparked the Libyan revolution?" Chin questioned.

Alexandra gave him a mysterious smirk, "I can't tell you that."

With that she felt that her conscience had been cleared. She was able to breathe… a little easier, at least. She saw Steve looking at her with the cutest grin on his face that made her heart beat a little faster. She wished that she could ask him to put his arm around her and just rest her head on his chest, forget about everything bad in the world and think of only the two of them. He would be her rock, the person who kept her on her feet and assured her everything would be fine, the man who loved her unconditionally. She could only wish though, for men like Steve didn't like girls like her...

I wasn't going to do the last part, but I just couldn't help myself! Blame the psychological id for that!