CHAPTER EIGHT
Title: "Salvation: Forever and Always: Elusive Dreams"
Author: Michelle Heath
Rating: MA for adult situations and language
Summary: Story #9 in the Salvation series. The bonds of family bring the Five-0 ohana even closer.
Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!
Date Written: July 8, 2012
(While Sam and Caroline have their little heart-to-heart, Steve has been watching Danny through the glass wall of his office. Danny, who absolutely hates paperwork with a passion, is cheerfully sorting reports at the smart table and seems to have a perpetual smile on his face. Deciding to see just how good a mood Danny's in, Steve picks up an exceptionally thick file off his desk, walks out to the smart table, and drops the thing right in the middle of what Danny's doing.)
"Hey, this needs to be sorted."
"No problem."
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
"Wow."
"What?"
"You hate doing this, Danny. I was sure you'd want to kick my six for dropping that file in the middle of all this."
"Somehow, Steven, I don't hate anything today."
"Really. Exactly what did you do last night?"
"Took my beautiful wife out to dinner."
"And?"
"Really?"
"Yes, really. What else?"
"You, Steven McGarrett, are a bigger busybody than any woman I've ever known."
"Danny!"
"What?"
"C'mon, you said it yourself. If your wife's not happy, my wife's not happy. I just want to make sure my wife is going to be happy."
"Trust me, Sam's going to be very happy."
"You might as well tell me, Danny, 'cause you know that Caroline's already told Sam by now and I'll find out as soon as I make a phone call."
"I took Caroline to dinner at The Royal Hawaiian, had them set-up a table just for us out on the patio, and left the key to one of the suites in an envelope on Caroline's plate."
"You . . Good job, Buddy! I assume, from your current disposition, that all went well."
"Exceedingly well, Steven."
"So, you two aren't fighting anymore about, you know, . . sex?"
"Excuse me?"
"Caroline told Sam you two were fighting about sex."
"No. We were absolutely NOT fighting about sex! We were fighting because. . ."
"Because?"
(Danny's expression gets serious and he allows a somewhat heavy sigh to escape him as he glances toward the floor for a few seconds. When he lifts his eyes, Steve is a little surprised to see a tiny flicker of anger.)
"We were fighting because Caroline has become so obsessed with getting pregnant that she's decided we should . . . She's resorted to a damned calendar!"
"Yeah, Sam had already figured that out. I think she's going to have a little sisterly talk with Caroline about it."
"That's . . Good. Maybe she can get through to Caroline, because I seem to be having a little problem in that area right now."
"I don't know, Danny, sounds like you got through to her fairly well last night."
"We can't stay at The Royal Hawaiian every night, Steve. Besides, I'm convinced the main reason Caroline isn't pregnant already is because she's so stressed out about conceiving, or not, as the case may be. Until she stops thinking about getting pregnant twenty-four/seven, it's not going to happen."
"Maybe she finally got the message last night."
"I'd like to think so, but Caroline can be tenacious when something's really important to her and getting pregnant is at the top of her 'Must Do' list right now."
"Why is it so important that she get pregnant right now?"
"Emily."
"Emily?"
"Yeah, Emily. Sam and Caroline have pretty much done everything together, or fairly close together, since they were little girls. Sam's had a baby, so . . ."
"So Caroline doesn't want to feel . . Left behind?"
"Yeah, or, at least, I think that's part of it."
"Danny, this is the real world, we're all supposed to be grown ups here. Surely Caroline isn't trying to, I don't know. . Compete with Sam? I mean, having a baby is a pretty damned big deal; it's a life-changing event!"
"Preaching to the choir here, Boy Genius, and I don't think she's really trying to compete with Sam. She just wants to have a baby and she doesn't want to wait."
"I just can't quite wrap my mind around the whole concept of Caroline wanting to have a baby just because Sam did."
"That's not the main reason Caroline wants to have a baby, not even close, but it is part of it. Gotta be 'cause I can't think of another plausible reason for Caroline to go off the deep-end like she has."
"I think you should sit down and have a heart-to-heart with our in-laws."
"I was thinking the same thing but I don't want Caroline to know about it. Then, again, if I do talk to Libby and Mike and Caroline finds out about it, I'm screwed."
"You can't keep living like you have been for the past few months, Danny, so you need to do something. The way I see it, you're screwed either way. What you have to decide is which is the lesser of the two evils."
(And then Danny does something that totally surprises Steve. The expression on his face changes to one of a combination of fear and worry and it takes him a minute before he can bring himself to share what's on his mind.)
"I've been through one divorce and it was one of the most painful experiences of my entire life. I do NOT want to go through another one."
"Whoa, Danny, you're not seriously considering divorcing Caroline, are you?"
"No, but I do not want to live the rest of my life in misery, either, Steve. Something's gotta give and soon."
"Yeah, Danny, I get that, but, . . . Talk to Libby and Mike and then talk to Caroline again. Just don't throw in the towel before you've tried everything, and I am being selfish right now. I know it will be hard on both of you if you and Caroline split up, but it will be pretty damned hard on Sam, too. Not too mention, Libby and Mike, and everyone else, especially Gracie."
