CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
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 13, 2012
(Sam and Steve are at the hospital when Caroline and Danny get back, and Rachel has already returned, as well. Grace is sitting up in the bed and "holding court" with her mother, her grandparents, and her aunt and uncle dutifully playing her loyal subjects and the little girl couldn't be any happier. Apparently, Steve joined in on the diving discussion Grace and Mike were having when he and Sam arrived, and now he's decided to play devil's advocate. Mike had been giving Grace some "what if" scenarios in order to help her learn what she should do in an emergency situation, and Steve has given her one that is a classic "no win" scenario. Even Mike raised an eyebrow at his son-in-law when Steve threw the problem on the table, and Grace is giving her uncle a frown that looks exactly like one of his. Much to everyone's surprise, Steve in particular, Grace rises to the challenge.)
"That's not fair, Uncle Steve! There's no possible way that you could get out of that situation!"
"And that, Gracie, is the answer. Part of being a good diver is knowing when not to dive. I'm glad to see you've been paying attention."
"Hmmph. 'Can't fool me, Uncle Steve; you were trying to cheat!"
"No I wasn't; I'm merely trying to make sure that you know what you're doing when you start diving."
(But Steve, like the rest of the adults, is having a hard time keeping a straight face because Grace has caught him red-handed and they all know it. Danny is extremely relieved to see that Grace is feeling better and all seems to be well. What pleases him most, however, is the fact that Caroline is back to being the woman he fell in love with. Sam and Steve don't stay long as they both have to go to work, and Sam tells Caroline that she'll take care of filing an emergency leave request for Caroline when she gets to the base. Promising Grace they'll come back that evening, the two head out. Libby and Mike leave a little later and the lead investigator for the hit-and-run comes by the hospital to speak with both Grace and Rachel. He asks if he can speak with Rachel in the waiting room before he talks with Grace and she agrees leaving Caroline and Danny with Grace. The little girl looks from one to the other with another Steve-like frown on her face and her arms crossed in front of her. Caroline and Danny are confused until Grace finally speaks.)
"You've been fighting again, haven't you?"
"What makes you think that, Sweetie?"
"Because, Mom, you and Danno keep looking at each other and, when you do, you get all red in the face. That means you just kissed and made up 'cause you were fighting. Again."
"You're absolutely right, Grace, Danno and I had another little disagreement, but it's okay now. Promise."
"Danny?"
"Mom's right, Monkey. Everything's fine."
"Okay, but I'm going to have to keep an eye on you two."
(Grace is released from the hospital the next day and everything seems to be back to normal and all remains calm for the next few days. Due to the emergency situation with Grace, and some serious groveling on Sam's part, Adm. Henderson has decided to let the incident with Caroline go for the moment provided she doesn't step out of line again. Sam and Steve and Caroline and Danny are having dinner with Libby and Mike about a week after Grace's accident when the peace they've been enjoying is broken in a major way. . . .
Sam and Caroline are helping Libby in the kitchen while Mike and Steve are doing something outside on the deck and Danny is sitting on a bar stool at the breakfast bar watching the three women work. Danny's cellular phone rings and he answers it saying, "Hi, Rachel", before getting up and walking off a little ways from his wife, sister-in-law and mother-in-law. Sam and Libby think nothing of it because Danny and Rachel talk frequently because of Grace. Caroline, however, sees red. Steve and Mike walk into the kitchen in time to witness what happens as soon as Danny ends the call. . .
Caroline, who looks as if she's about to explode, moves to stand directly in front of Danny with fury on her face, and launches her assault.)
"How dare you! How dare you flirt with Rachel in front of me!"
"Whoa, Caroline, I wasn't flirting with Rachel; we were discussing what time I need to pick Grace up on Saturday. What gave you the idea I was flirting?"
"You've been flirting with her, Danny; for months! All those times you'd go over there to pick up Grace and be gone for hours! Did you think I wouldn't find out?"
"What the Hell are you talking about, Caroline?"
"How could you do this to me?"
(Danny is looking at Caroline like she has two heads and everyone else is looking on in horror. Caroline is becoming more and more agitated and now tears are beginning to slide down her face.)
"Come on, Danny, admit it; Stan's gone a lot so why not take advantage of that fact? Just how long have you been sleeping with Rachel? Answer me!"
"Caroline, Sweetheart, calm down. Something's wrong here, and. ."
"You're damned straight, something's wrong! You've been sleeping with your ex-wife behind my back. No wonder you don't want me to get pregnant! Having a baby with me would make it that much harder for you to get back together with Rachel, wouldn't it!"
(By now, they all know that Caroline is in the middle of some kind of . . . episode, but aren't really sure what to do. Hoping that the rest of the family is on the same page as he is, Danny takes a couple of steps closer to his wife and tries to talk her down.)
"Listen to me, Caroline, I am not sleeping with Rachel, I am not flirting with Rachel, I haven't even thought about Rachel that way in years. I love you. I very much want to have a baby with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"You're lying! You've done nothing but lie to me since the day I met you! I wish to God I'd never laid eyes on you!"
"You don't mean that, Baby. Something's wrong, Caroline, you're sick. Let me take you to the base hospital and get you checked out."
"Go to Hell, Danny! Just . . . Go. To. . ."
(But Caroline never completes her statement because she faints dead away and would hit the floor but for Danny quickly grabbing her up into his arms and then laying her gently on one of the sofas. Mike is already on his cellular phone and calling 911, and Libby and Sam move quickly to see what they can do for Caroline. Once Danny has laid his precious burden on the sofa and stepped back, his eyes meet Steve's and they are filled with fear.)