CHAPTER TWO
Title: "Salvation Series: It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood"
Author: Michelle Heath
Rating: MA for adult situations and language
Summary: Story #10 in the Salvation series. This one is pure fun, folks!
Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!
Date Written: May 28, 2013
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, I guess my idea wasn't so good after all as only one person has responded with ideas. I do apologize. I had received several p/ms requesting that I write something light, funny, and fluffy for the Five-0 ohana since my other entries in this series had been dark and dramatic. I also wanted to give all of you the opportunity for some major input into this story as that had been requested, as well. Since there has been little interest in this particular story, I will, of course, incorporate the suggestions I have received from one reader, and then try to wrap this up quickly as it doesn't seem to be what you all want to read. Again, I am sorry for this. Michelle
Kono and Tony Montgomery:
(Kono, having been up most of the night with little Eric, who apparently has a stomach virus, drags herself into the kitchen looking extremely tired. Tony is already dressed in his Khaki uniform and standing in front of the coffee maker impatiently drumming the fingers of one hand on the counter. A quick spurt of anger flits through Kono as she correctly interprets her husband's body language, (he can't wait to get out of the house), because not once did he offer to help her with their son during the long night. However, Kono knows that Tony has a couple of important meetings at the base today, and he's just a teensy bit nervous because one of the meetings deals with funding for some of the SEALs' training programs. Briefly closing her eyes and counting to ten, Kono puts a wan smile on her beautiful face and steps fully into the kitchen.)
"Hey."
"Hey. Eric asleep?"
"Finally. Bless his little heart; our son was one sick young man last night."
"Yeah, must have caught something. Just how long does it take this thing to make coffee, K? I've been standing here for a good two minutes."
"You know perfectly well how long it takes, Tony. What's your hurry anyway? You told me last night you didn't have to be at the base until 0700 and it's only 0603 now."
"And I need to review some files to prepare for this budget meeting, Kono. I told you that, too."
"Tony, it's only a fifteen minute drive to the base from here. If you haven't reviewed those files before now you're a little behind the game."
"Didn't say I hadn't reviewed the files, Kono; just like to be as prepared as possible. You know as well as I do that the higher ups won't hesitate to cut our budget if they don't get the answers they want."
"This is your bi-annual budget review, Tony; they're not going to cut anything from your budget. They know how important the SEAL teams are to national security. . . Aren't you the least bit worried about Eric?"
"What kind of question is that? Of course I'm worried about our son."
"Really? 'Cause you didn't get up one time during the night while I sat in the bathroom and held him while he was throwing up, poor little thing."
"You had things under control, Kono; besides, I needed to be well-rested for these meetings today."
"It doesn't matter whether I had things under control or not, Tony! Eric was crying and asking for you! I even brought him into our bedroom between the almost non-stop throwing up he was doing and you didn't even twitch!"
"I heard him. I didn't respond because I knew I'd be up all night if I did."
"You heard our son, your son, crying for you and YOU. DIDN'T. BOTHER. TO. GET. UP?!"
"Like I said, I needed to get some rest."
"Oh, you . . .You . . . Get out!"
" 'Cuse me?"
"You heard me! G ET. OUT! If some damned budget meeting is more important than our child, go to the damned base. NOW!"
(Tony has turned to face his very angry wife and, a dark frown on his handsome face, stares at her for just a moment before calmly retrieving his briefcase and cover from one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Tony walks by Kono on his way out the door and stops to drop a perfunctory kiss on her cheek before heading outside, getting into his truck, and driving away. Kono is exhausted, worried about Eric, and furious with Tony, and she drops down into a chair, puts her head in her hands and indulges herself in a good old-fashioned, cleansing cry. . .)
Lana and Chin Kelly:
(The alarm has gone off three, separate times and Chin STILL refuses to get up. Lana has tried everything, short of firing Chin's Glock right next to his ear, but he simply won't budge. She, on the other hand, got right up as soon as the alarm went off the first time, has showered and dressed, had breakfast, and is ready to leave for the hospital. Obviously, Chin has hit the button to allow him ten extra minutes of sleep a couple of times. If he doesn't get up within the next two minutes, he's going to be late for work and then he'll be really cranky. Of course, Lana could simply ignore him and go on to work, but then he'll be mad at her for not making sure he was up. Well, she's damned if she does and damned if she doesn't, so she tries, one last time, to get her stubborn husband up and into the shower.)
"Chin Ho Kelly, if you don't get up, right this very minute, you're going to be late for work!"
"Um hmmm."
"CHIN! Are you listening to me? GET. UP!"
"In a minute."
"NOW!"
"Mmmmm."
"What is wrong with you? You weren't up late last night and you didn't have a trying day yesterday, so . . . Are you sick?"
(Lana puts her hand on Chin's forehead to check and see if he has any temperature and he angrily pushes her hand away and turns over; mumbling.)
"Leave me alone, Lana!"
"Well, you certainly don't have a temperature. Did you eat something last night that disagreed with you?"
"Go away!"
"I will not! Why are you refusing to get up and get ready for work? Has Steve called some meeting you're trying to avoid?"
"No! Now, go away!"
"Fine! I'm going. Just don't blame me when Steve rips into you for being late! Have a nice day!"
(Her anger high, Lana slams the door to their bedroom and marches out to her Jeep. She is still angry several minutes later when she tries to figure out what's wrong with her husband and can come up with no plausible answer.)
Libby and Mike Thrasher:
(Libby is standing in the kitchen pouring herself a cup of coffee when her handsome husband steps into the house from the back deck after having finished a morning run on the beach. Libby smiles as she gives Mike a quick once-over. Although the man is a grandfather, he's looking mighty good to her! Just as Mike gives her a quick kiss and she turns to pour some coffee for him, both their cellular phones begin to ring. Sam's and Caroline's caller i.d.s pop up and both parents smile as they answer.)
"Good morning, Sam!"
"Hey, Dad. Would you please explain to me why you men think it's perfectly all right to teach your children things which are totally unacceptable?"
"Caroline, what are you up to this morning?"
"Danny is acting like a total idiot, Mom."
"Just what has Steve taught Emily to do, Sam?"
"Throw oatmeal; at her mother!"
"Now, Caroline, I'm sure you're exaggerating. What did Danny do?"
"He ignored me!"
"Sam, Emily is only a year-and-a half old, I'm sure she didn't deliberately throw oatmeal at you."
"Oh, yes she did, and Steve taught her to do it!"
"What do you mean Danny ignored you?
"I had to fly training exercises all night and, when I finally got home this morning, he . . ."
"He what?"
"Well, he . . . Ignored me!"
"Caroline, you're going to have to be a little more specific, dear."
"Fine! He got in the shower and, when I started to join him, he wouldn't let me in!"
(Libby and Mike are both trying their best not to laugh at their daughters' indignant attitudes, but before they can address their children, the call waiting beeps on both their phones.)
"Hold on a minute, Caroline, Lana's calling. . . . Lana, how are you this morning?"
"Hang on, Sam . . . Kono, what are you up to this fine morning?"
"Hoping you can explain to me why my husband is acting like a cold, unfeeling, fool, Mike. I mean, is this some sort of secret SEAL thing I don't know about?"
"My husband is an idiot, Libby! He's refusing to get up and get ready for work and he's going to be late!"
"Um, I'm going to need more intel, Kono. Just exactly what is it Tony's done?"
"Well, dear, Chin is an adult. If he chooses to get up and get ready for work, there's not much you can do about it."
"Yeah, but he's going to get all mad at me because I didn't make him get up!"
"Eric was up most of the night with some kind of stomach bug and I was up with him. Not once did Tony bother to check on either of us; even when Eric was crying for his Daddy!"
"Hold on a second, Lana, I have Caroline on the other line. . . Caroline? Am I to understand that you came in from flying all night and you wanted to, er, 'play' and Danny didn't?"
"Yeah, Mom, that's about the size of it. Except . . It wasn't."
"Caroline!"
"Tony has a lot on his mind right now, Kono. I happen to know that there's someone at the D.O.J. who's trying to cut the SEALs' budget and Tony's presentation to the committee today is very important. Just a second . . . Sam, I'm sure Emily figured out that she could throw oatmeal with her spoon all by herself and Steve just thought it was funny when she happened to throw it at you."
"I had just come in from flying all night, Dad! I didn't think it was funny at all, and Steve should not have laughed; that's just encouraging her!"
(But before Mike can say another word, the Thrasher's house phone rings and Mike quickly tells Sam to hang on and grabs it without bothering to look at the caller I.D.)
"Hello?"
"Just wanted to give you a 'heads up', Mike. Sam's probably going to be calling you to vent."
"You're a little late, Son; she's on one side of my cellular phone and Kono's on the other. And, from what I can tell from the snatches of conversation I've overheard, Libby's got both Caroline and Lana on her cellular. Are all you boys misbehaving this morning?"
(But Sam has overheard her father and yells so loudly both he and Steve can hear her.)
"You're warning my father about me now, Steve?"
"Tell her I was just . ."
(But Mike Thrasher has had enough and, holding both phones in his hands slightly away from his body, whistles loudly enough for Libby and everyone on their phones to hear him. When all the chattering ceases, Mike raises his voice so as to be heard by those on the three phones.)
"All right, that's it! Family meeting at our house tonight, 1800 hours! Rosa will be here to take care of the children so all of you 'adults' can sit down and talk about your issues with one another calmly, or have a spirited discussion, or, Hell, I don't care if you have a 'free-for-all'! Enough is enough!"