I know it hurts
It’s hard to breathe sometimes
These nights are long
You’ve lost the will to fight

Steve recognized the location the cipher led them to. It was the cemetery he thought his mother was buried in when he was a kid. His father used to take him there and after he found his mother was alive he thought the coffin was simply empty but he was wrong and late. Whatever was on the coffin, Daiyu Mel had already taken it. She did leave them some sort of present behind though-

“that’s Matilda” said Steve, closing his eyes. In the coffin laid Matilda Oswald, shot in the head. It seemed like Daiyu had shit her after Matilda helped her with cracking the cipher and getting the location. Steve couldn’t even stand to look at the downfall of the kid. She was lost do incredibly unfairly.
“whatever was here, Daiyu already took it.” Said toby, walking near him.
“I have no idea what it could have been. I always thought it was empty.”
“your mother must have hidden something in there.”
“like what?”
“got it!” one of the inters walked near Steve and Toby with a computer in his hands and started playing the camera footage “according to the time code this happened about less than am hour ago. It looks like there was money in there.”
“that’s a lot of cash.”
“hold on- can you ran a facial on this guy?” he pointed to one I’d Daiyu’s man. The young agent try and a few seconds later there was a hit.
“Roland Wu. He's got a bunch of priors. Did two separate bids at Halawa.
“Okay, let's run a trace on his phone. We need to figure out where they're headed.”
“Commander.” Toby motioned for him to get away from everyone else “are you sure you are in a position to go haunting?”
“are you suggesting I stay doing nothing? Matilda is gone, your leak is gone. So you either help me now, or you let me do this alone. Whatever it is you got 2 seconds to make your choice”

“Sir!” called the young agent “we got a hit. They are on Berth 55, Honolulu Harbor.

♤
HANOLULU HARBOR

On the way to the Harbor Steve called his team to come and help him. Kono, Junior and Grover were there in a matter of minutes, meanwhile chin had stayed back in case Danny and Amelia woke up. When they reached the harbor they didn’t see anyone at first but soon bullets fell on them like rain. They each hid behind anything the could find, containers, poles or the large barrels. Daiyu's men were hiding in corners popping up when they least expected it.

“GUYS LISTEN!” called Steve “no one else gets hurt today. You hear me? Be careful, be alarmed. Let’s go!” Steve got out of his hiding space first, shooting at whoever he could see with his rifle. Then hid behind another container. While the team was handling the minions, Steve searched for Daiyu, she had to be here somewhere. He was careful as he moved around the Harbor. He heard a small explosion coming from behind him, he looked up and saw toby up in one of the containers. He had shot an oil tank near Daiyu’s men, making it explode, taking out more of them. Steve gave him a light nod and then continued looking for Daiyu. He almost got his a few times but eventually he saw her tall figure running towards a ship. He followed her, yelling for her to stop. She turned around unexpectedly, taking a shot at him. Steve ducked down lady minute so he wouldn’t get hit, stumbling on his own legs and falling down. A few seconds later Kono was next to him, helping him up.

“just to be sure. When you said no one else is getting hurt today you meant yourself too, right?”
Steve let out deep breaths and looked at the direction Daiyu had ran to “she’s getting away!”
“I’m right behind your boss!”

Steve started running again, when he realized he was never gonna get like this he climbed up on one of the containers and jumped from one to the other until he was standing above her with gun aimed at her head “IT'S OVER" he yelled and took a shot close to her, forcing her to look at him. “put your gun down or I’ll shoot you in the head"
“and if he doesn’t, I will!” Kono was on top of the container across from Steve, holding her gun high. Daiyu was trapped and there has nothing more she could do other then give up.
“All this. All this, for what, for what... money?” he yelled down at her “you killed my kid for money?” he asked, his voice breaking.
“For killing my husband.”
“Your husband didn't give us any choice.”
“Wo Fat had every right to that inheritance. After all, he was Doris' son, too.”
“No, he wasn't. He wasn't. He was her charity case. If he was her son, if he was her blood, he would never have ordered the execution of my father.”
“Go on then. Pull the trigger.”

Steve's finger stroked the trigger, every inch in his body wanted to pull it and take the shot. Let her rot in death, kill her the same way he killed Wo Fat but something was holding him back, something was messing up his thoughts. Kono stared at him, waiting for him to react but he stood still until Toby, showed up from behind Daiyu, putting hid gun on her neck.

“no more mind games” he said. “you’re coming with us.”

Steve lowered his weapon. Jumped of the container and walked near Daiyu “let me tell you something. Give it a couple of days and you’re gonna wish I had pulled the trigger.”
“ah, commander we’re not that in CIA.” Joked Tony while handcuffing her.
“no.” shrugged Steve “but she'll get a visit from Amelia very soon and when she does there is nothing that will hold her back from making you pay for what you did to her.” He got closer to her, looking in her eyes “trust me. You’re gonna wish you were dead.”

♤

Danny and Amelia were on the same hospital room and they were both still asleep. Chin was standing in one if the corners in the room, waiting them both while also checking at his watch every five minutes, waiting for everyone else to get back. Suddenly the door to the room opened wide and Steve came in, he stopped on his tracks when he saw both his friends there laying like dead bodies. Chin approached him quickly, squishing his shoulders “they're good Steve" he said “doctor said they'll both wake up soon enough.”
Steve turned around and hugged chin tightly. Letting out a deep sigh. Chin patted his back; their troubles were over.
“I’ll go get some coffee. You want some?”
“no, I am fine but the guys are out there too. Maybe they want something.”
“hey Steve. Look at me, they’ll be fine. You can take a breath now.”
“I’ll take a breath when they wake up.”

Chin nodded and left him alone in the room. He closed the door and Steve started pacing back and forth, he would go next to Danny, then next to Amelia, the back to Danny. He sat on a chair in the middle. Looking back and forth at them, his nerves were killing him and then he heard it, her hand slipping on the sheets, light noises slipping from her lips. He moved his chair closer to her, leaning his body near hers and the moment he placed his hand on hers she sat up with a start. Breathing loudly and quickly. Steve put his hand on her face, ditching her to look at him and his other on her shoulder “shhh, shhh, hey look at me, look at me Ams, it’s me. I’m right here, look at me.”

He moved a few strands of hair behind her ear, looking in her eyes. She looked around the room like a lost kid- “where’s Danny- Danny, is he ok?”
Steve sat on the edge if the bed, cupping her face. “he’s right there, look at me. He hasn’t gone anywhere.”
“he's good?” she asked. Steve saw her eyes getting red and watery as she tilted her head and he nodded, smiling.
“he hasn’t woken up yet but he'll be ok. Ok?”

She moved her head up and down while tears streamed down her eyes and threw herself on him, hugging him. He rubbed the back of her head, kissed her neck and let her hide on him. She lowered her hand to his and held it, put it over her stomach. Her cries became louder as she apologized to him repeatedly like it was her fault.

“no no no no.” he pulled back so he could see her face “it’s not your fault-Hey! Listen to me- don’t blame yourself- you saved Danny, you saved yourself, that’s all that matters.”
“it hurt so much Steve, you don’t understand- I couldn’t keep her safe-" he kept moving her hair behind her ear, listening to her meaningless mumbles, she was obviously still in shock. He hated seeing her like that but he was grateful she was alive “Matilda- did you get Her? She was there!"

He feared this question. He looked away, gathering his thoughts in a sentence but there was only so much he could actually say to make it sound better.
“Daiyu killed her after she cracked the cipher for her. She's dead Amelia.”
He wiped her tears away while she looked bluntly at him “and Daiyu?”
“CIA has her locked up. It’s over, we can begin again, no nightmares, no ghosts, no fear.”
She sniffed her nose, rubbed it a little too, then bowed her head and looked at her stomach “it still hurts.”
Steve stood up and out his hand behind her neck “lay down, please. You got hit pretty bad.”
“you should see the other guy.” Steve was surprised she could crack a joke despite the circumstances. He smiled at her strength, it never seized to amaze him. He helped her lay down again and sat back on his chair, never leaving her hand.
“I did. You did a really good job Ams.”
“she couldn’t have done it without me.” That was Danny. His voice came out rough since he just woke up but they both recognized it and turned to him. “don’t I get someone holding my hand or something?”

Amelia laughed through the tears and motioned for Steve to get to Danny. He did but only so he'd stop whining.
“how you doing pal?”
“I’ve been better.”
“you look fine to me.”
“of course, I do- even if my hand was cut off, I’d still look fine to you. You are an insane man.”
Steve scoffed “would you look at that? He's up for two seconds he’s already annoying me.” He drew his chair in the middle of the room so he could be near to both of them.
“what are you sitting so far away from? How will I hold your hand now babe?” asked Danny “I almost died show some respect to the wounded.”
The door to the room opened and little grace came in, running like a cat at her father's bed side. Danny groaned as she thresher body on him but he sorts of enjoyed it too “hi monkey! Aren’t you supposed to be on vacation?”

“Steve called us and told us what happened. We came back as soon as we could.” Explained Rachel, sitting a little farther away from them. Danny looked up at her with a smile, and rubbed his daughter back.
“were you worried kiddo?”
“yes!”
“well look at me! I’m fine! Give me two days, we can run a marathon together”
Steve narrowed his eyes “I wouldn’t suggest that.”
“no one asked your opinion.”
“how about my opinion?” asked the doctor coming in. He smiled at both of his patients “I got good news for both of you. It looks like you'll both be able to leave tomorrow as long as you take good care of yourselves and no marathons.”
“why you gotta ruin it for me doc?”
“You were both lucky! Mr. Williams, the shot was almost fetal for you. Ms. Wesley, there was an inner bleeding in your stomach, which is why we had to get you to surgery.” He paused, biting his lip “I’m sorry for your loss.”

She cleared her throat and Steve moved next to her, holding her hand again “it’s alright” she said.
“well should I tell everyone else to come in for a few minutes?”
“don’t let them in if they don’t have any balloons with them.” Said Danny.
The doctor laughed “trust me they got enough balloons for you both.”
And they sure did. Kono, Adam, chin, Grover, junior, they all came in holding balloons and chocolates and all sort of candy for both of them. Amelia got emotional when she saw them all, it was moments like this that she felt insanely happy to have a family like that. They were her ohana.

But the doctor told them to leave just a few moments later because Danny and Amelia needed rest.  He said that only one could stay and of course the one that volunteered first was Steve. When everyone got ready to leave Steve followed them out to say goodnight and get some food for himself. For a while Danny and Amelia were alone in the room and silence fell like a veil between them. Danny tilted his head, so he could look at her. Amelia stared at her hands.
“you know I was only joking before…” he said, smiling “you're the one that saved us, not me.”
“well I’m not one to selfishly take credit but you’re right I did.” She joked.
Danny cleared his throat “I’m sorry about what happened.”
“it’s ok. We'll try again.”
“you will?” he asked excited
“perhaps. Probably.” She shook her head “I don’t know.”
“I think you should" he turned to the ceiling, clicking his lips and stretching his cheeks. “listen, I’m sorry couldn’t do more to help-"
“don’t do that Danny. Don’t blame yourself.” She finally looked at him “giving the fight was my choice and even if you asked me if I’d do it again, I would. A thousand times to make sure you are safe.”
“did you mean what you said?”
“hm?”
“when we both there, you said some things about me and your father-"
“you heard that?”
“I did.”

Amelia looked away again, at her fingers. She breathed in a deep breath and cleared her throat like she was about to make a speech. “you know when my parents died… after the mourning and the chaos, just a few years later I realized that what I missed was not their touch or their voice or even their company…” she made a pause, thinking about her next words “It was having a parent figure. Someone to look up to. That’s what I missed most and you know I was always moving around, I lived a few years Kono and her parents, a few year’s with Chin’s but it was never the same. They are great people, I just never felt that connection.” She let out a tiny scoff “add a few years more and I suddenly come across this New Jersey detective that hates the sea, hates swimming, hates anything that normal people love-" Danny was already laughing by then “but has this unbreakable bond with his daughter. The way you’d look at her or talk about her… I was jealous Danny. And that’s perhaps the first time I realized exactly how much I missed having a parent figure.” She shrugged her shoulders “so yeah I meant it.”

“you know…” he licked his lips “If I could stand up tight now I would come and hug you.”
“good thing you cant stand up then.”
He laughed “yeah..” he smiled “I love you Amy.”
“I love you too danno.”

♤

A few hours later Amelia had fallen asleep but she would wake up during the night multiple times because of the nightmares or the pain. She found it out that no matter the time, Steve was always there in the same position on his chair, watching at her.
“you should go home.” She told him under her breath
“I’m fine right here” he replied
“Steve you need to sleep.”
“so do you.”
“your loud breathing is not really helping.”
“oh so now this is my problem?”
“I mean if you wanna help you are not doing a good job.” She opened her eyes looking directly at his. He had that grin on his face, like something good had happened.
“glad to see you haven’t lost your sarcasm.”
“I live on sarcasm.”
“I imagine it’s more like breathing to you.”
“that’s what living on sarcasm means, genius.” They both laughed. He caressed her shoulder gently. “seriously though you gotta go home at some point.”
“let me worry about that, ok? You should go back to sleep.”
“I can’t” she admitted. She slid her arm under her head, getting more comfortable. With her other hand she reached for his finger, intervening hers with his. “we should go on vacation.” She blurted out.
Steve raised his eyebrows “Ams its 4am we can discuss this tomorrow.”
“no" she shook her head “no, I wanna leave tomorrow.”
“you wanna leave tomorrow?”
“yes!”
“and go where?”
“anywhere. 3 months just you and me.”
“three months?”
“or more"
“Ame-“

“please. You don’t understand, I really need it. No overthinking it, no avoiding. We have been avoiding it for years and I don’t wanna do that anymore.” She raised her head, balanced it on her arm, so her eyes would be on the same level with Steve “it's gonna be like a honeymoon.”
“we are not marry yet" he laughed
“Oh come on Steve! We've been doing everything backwards ever since we met. We are gonna go on out honeymoon now and we'll be back on February, just in time for the wedding.”
“you really want this?”
“I do! And I know I’m the one that usually calls it off but I need it. I mean if you don't come with me I’ll just go alone"
“please say yes!” mumbled Danny from his side of the room.
“you know I keep forgetting he's here.” She said, half joking.
“I heard that-" he complained “much like I’ve heard all your conversations every five minutes. This is not summer camp-"
“imagine three months without Danny.”
“I heard that.”
“where do you wanna go?” he asked smiling.
“somewhere far far away”
He leaned and kissed her, his lips melting on hers and she knew she had convinced him.
“disgusting.”
“would you shut up man?” said Steve.
“so what do you say?” asked Amelia
Steve smiled “I say, why not.”

Hi guys. The final two chapters will be posted on Sunday 22 or Monday 23. Once again I wanna say thank you to everyone that has stick through this trilogy. Comment your thoughts and see you one last time by the end if the week with many fun surprises.