Darkness.

Cold. Damp. Dark.

Scared.

Burn.

Not again. No not again not again please God no

Burn.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Burn.

Shelburne.

Don't know can't know won't know don't know

Burnburnburnburnburnburn.

Nothing.

Shel-burn-burne.

Don't know don't know I DON'T KNOW

Find him.

Burn.

"What happened to your hand, Kono?"

Chin Ho put his hands on his hips as his cousin looked down at the bloody gauze wrapped around her right hand ruefully. "There was some broken glass on the porch of that house. I tripped on a board while I was checking it out and got this pretty little wound to remember it by. The house was empty, by the way. Didn't look like it was really disturbed, or worth disturbing for that matter. I didn't go any farther than checking the doors and windows."

He took her hand in his and examined it. "Has it stopped bleeding since?"

"Not even a little. I think I'm going to need stitches." Kono sighed. "I'll go to the ER and file my report when I get back."

"I think Malia's on her lunch break. You could try calling her." Kono paled slightly, but he just laughed. "She'd be glad to help you out, it would save you the wait, and I would feel better knowing that you were in good hands."

"What time do you want me back?" she asked slowly.

He glanced at his watch. "We're only on shift for three more hours, so why don't you just take the afternoon off?"

She nodded. "Sure. I'll see you tomorrow, then." And then she was gone.

He finished up the last vestiges of paperwork on his desk and made the necessary phone calls before he took the time to think about his cousin again. She was hiding something, certainly, but he had no idea what it was. Once upon a time, Chin Ho could read his cousin like a book. Now it was like the bulb illuminating her had burned out.

Chin leaned back in his chair and pressed a hand over his eyes. Kono had definitely changed over the last two years, but tripping over a board and slicing her hand like a package of deli meat? That was more than just a change.

That was terrifying.

At least her bad knee hadn't blown out. He would have gone nuts if it had, because it was his job to protect her from injuries. ACL tears, stabbings, gunshots…none of those were supposed to affect Kono on his watch.

She resented him for it. He knew that. He knew that she longed for the freedom they had once enjoyed in Five-0, or even the leeway allotted to her as a regular detective, but the shooting had changed everything. In his family's eyes, he was once again a villain. He knew of the danger she was in and yet did nothing to save her.

Kono had died. Three times.

That he had performed CPR for nearly an hour straight mattered to no one save Kono and Malia. He and the rest of the family understood that he could have stopped things before they got that far. And he didn't. He didn't stop her. He didn't save her from the surgeries, the trauma, the months of rehab.

In some ways, Kono Kalakaua had never come back to life since that day.

"Captain Kelly?" Chin jumped at the quiet voice. Duke Lukela was standing in the doorway to his office, watching him carefully. "Is everything alright?"

"Duke! I'm fine, just lost in thought." He gestured to the chair in front of his desk, which Duke took without further prompting. "What can I do for you, my friend?"

"I just wanted to see what Kono had come across at the house. I heard her radio in at first, but then she went silent."

"Nothing apart from a pile of glass on the porch. She didn't even go inside, since all the doors and windows were locked." Chin furrowed his brow. "Why are you curious about an abandoned house, anyhow?"

"Abandoned? I thought McGarrett was just away," Duke replied. Chin's blood ran cold. "I'm surprised she was able to resist taking a look inside. Heck, I'm even more surprised that you didn't go with her."

"The call was at McGarrett's house?!"

"Well, yes," Duke said slowly. "I remembered the address from the call we got about his old man. We don't get too many calls from that neck of the woods. Didn't you hear the call?"

Chin gaped at the older officer before shaking his head. "I heard it, but I could hardly pay it attention. We've been absolutely swamped today, and when Kono…why didn't she tell me?"

"That I can't tell you." Duke stood up and nodded. "I'd better go, but I suggest you talk to your cousin."

Chin waited only until his door clicked shut before pressing the third speed dial on his phone. Kono's phone went straight to voicemail, and he struggled to control his voice as he asked her to call him immediately. He dialed Malia's number next, and was grumbling under his breath when she picked up. "Hello, Chin."

"Malia! Is Kono still there?"

"She left about five minutes ago. It was a quick job, but that wound was pretty nasty. Where did she happen across a knife, anyhow?"

Chin felt that he would explode. "Knife?!"

"Yes, the knife that cut her hand. Did she have trouble taking down a suspect or something?"

"That cut was from glass, Malia. She tripped and landed on some broken glass." Malia made a scoffing noise. "What?"

"Love, glass makes a very jagged cut. Kono's cut was straight, like a knife would be."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. Chin, what's going on?"

"I have to go. I love you." Before she could say another word, he had hung up on her and slammed his hand onto his desk.

Kono had lied to him. She had lied to him about everything.

Before he could calm down enough to work out a way to track his cousin down and get the truth from her, his phone rang. "This is Kelly," he snarled.

"Captain," Duke said, "you need to get your men out here now. We've got a hostage situation at the Waikiki Sun School."

"Copy that. We're on our way." Chin hung up the phone, grabbed his gun and badge, and left his office without a moment to spare.

Whatever Kono was keeping from him would have to wait.

A/N: You have officially broken my review and alert records for stories on this site. Wow. Thank you all so much.

That being said, I have decided on a tentative schedule for updates: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays. That gives me time to write, you time to read, and everyone time to have a bit of a break between sessions. Expect the next update, in which we go back to Danno, to be in your inbox in about two days' time.

Thanks for your continued support, everyone.