Abandoned building of Waikiki

Kono opened her eyes at the sound of her team. Her eyes were bleary a frightened as she looked next to her on the floor, at the body of the man that had once been her dad. She saw Danny checking him over and confirming he was in fact dead. It wasn't until Chin practically yelled her name in her face that she realised he was making such a fuss over her. Particularly her abdomen. Kono looked down at the pool of growing blood. That's when she came out of shock and felt the excruciating pain in her stomach, where Chin was applying pressure to a bullet wound she had received. Kono cried in pain as Chin tried his best to stop the bleed and sooth her at the same time. Kono felt the blackness consume her as her weak and fragile body relaxed.

Flashback

"Kono sweetie, wake up you have school" Leia pressed as Kono's eyes flickered open.

"Can't I stay at home with you mommy, just this once?" Kono replied groggily

"My baby, do you feel okay?"

"I had bad dreams, daddy came back mommy"

"Daddy's not coming back, were safe Kono"

"Can I stay home?"

"Just this once sleepy head"

Hospital

Kono could swear she could hear her mother's voice, but she couldn't see her. It was so soothing to Kono, she just wanted her mother to hold her and tell her it would be okay, like when she was little.

"Kono, darling it's your mom. I really need you to open your eyes, we all do. Everyone's here. Chin Ho, Steve and Danny, and Adam. Were all really worried about you. Especially Adam, he's a mess if I'm honest. I've never seen him look so broken. If you open your eyes, you'll fix us all." Leia pleaded as she sat by her daughter squeezing her hand.

Chin Ho sat on Kono's other side, holding her hand and supporting her mom. Steve and Danny hovered at the end of the bed, whilst Adam stood by the window, bags under his bloodshot eyes where he had broken down at the sight of his girlfriend lying in the bed looking so vulnerable.

Kono could hear the voices around her. She so badly wanted to open her eyes but they felt so heavy. She heard Chin tell her to squeeze his hand. She could feel two people grasping her hands tightly; she tried to squeeze both gently.

"Did you feel that?" Leia asked pleadingly and she looked at her nephew, hoping she wasn't dreaming.

"Yes, I did," Chin replied, "Kono squeeze again" Chin begged

Kono used all her strength to squeeze her cousin and mothers hand. Her eyes flickering open as she did so. Her eyes felt tired but she could make out her mother and cousin who were looking at her intently.

"Aww baby, oh my god I'm so glad you're okay." Leia cried as tears streamed down her face. Steve rested a hand on her shoulder to support her.

"Good to see you cuz" Chin said as he kissed her on her head.

Steve and Danny both said how relieved they were that their team mate was okay.

After a nurse came to check Kono over, she left the team to begin there scolding.

"I can't tell you how glad I am that you are okay cuz, but what the hell were you thinking trying to get involved in the case. Were you not thinking, your snooping led Kale to follow you back to your place, if you had just stayed with auntie" Chin exclaimed, his anger steaming from worry over powering him.

Kono looked down in shame, her fingers tugging in the fraying blanket as her brown eyes filled with tears. She didn't even try to stop them from falling. She hated to disappoint Chin, but the look on his face told her she had.

Chin immediately felt guilty for shouting as he saw Kono fall into her mom arms, sobbing softly.

"Kono, I.." Chin choked up with a mix of emotions, grasping his cousin's hand.

Steve and Danny looked on at the scene in front of them. Leia held Kono in her arms, as Chin rested his head against Kono's, rubbing her arm gently.

Kono looked up at Steve and Danny. "Guys I'm sorry" she choked out.

"Hey kid, you made a mistake, we get it. But you can never do anything like that again; we've never been so scared before Kono. When Chin shot Kale and we then heard his gun go off, we thought we had lost you." Danny said sadly.

"Thank god I lived!" Kono said trying to sound light.

The group smiled weakly, knowing full well Kono was trying to cover her fear.

At hearing his girlfriend play down the situation Adam turned to face her. "Thank god you lived? Really Kono!" Adam exclaimed as he approached the bed where Kono lay. "You have two broken ribs, a deep gash to your head, and had to have a shard of glass removed from your stomach then stitched up. We were told you might have gained a serious head injury because Kale smashed your head again various walls, or internal bleeding from the kicking you injured!" Adam said in serious tone.

Kono sunk down in the bed, embarrassment creeping up her cheeks. Kono looked in Adams tired eyes and saw the fear in them as he wiped away tears.

"I think maybe we should head off" Steve said

"Yeah we will come see you tomorrow Kono" Danny said as he squeezed her ankle.

"I'll drop you home Auntie." Chin said, realising Kono and Adam needed some time alone.

Leia agreed and placed a kiss to her daughters head. She walked round to Adam and pulled him into her arms. "She needs you Adam, more than she will admit. Please look after her." Leia whispered in his ear. Adam nodded and shook Chins hand and watched them leave.

Adam walked to the bed and lay next to Kono. He pulled her into his arms, letting her rest her head on his chest and stroking her hair gently.

"You gonna explain why you didn't tell me any of what was going on?" Adam asked gently, not wanting to make Kono cry, but also knowing she was stubborn and needed some prodding.

"I didn't want you to see me weak." Kono muttered.

"I'm your boyfriend. We share the most intimate moments yet you never told me about Kale." Adam stated

Kono stiffened in Adams arms before relaxing and looking up at her boyfriend.

"It took me a long time to trust men Adam. Kale hurt me; ex-boyfriends screwed me over. Chin was the only man I ever trusted with anything, and then we met and you became someone could trust. You're my bestfriend and boyfriend and I was scared of what you would thonk of me if you knew how scared I was of being vulnerable. Everything that happened to me made me stubborn and tough because I felt I always had to protect myself. Then when we started dating, I realised I had to let you protect me sometimes, but I didn't know how to." Kono sobbed.

Adam pulled Kono close. "Baby, I promise you I will never hurt you. I will love and protect you always, but you have to tell me when you're scared or vulnerable. You have to let me in if you want me to protect you." Adam said as he rocked Kono gently.

Shortly after Kono fell into a peaceful sleep, safe in her man's arms.