A/N: Oh, that Wenwalke! I can't leave you in suspense, now can I? Have another chapter today as a special treat! :)
Rachel whipped around and saw Joan up to her shoulders in the water, her little hands flailing into the water around her. Rachel began running before she even thought about it. She could see Steve McGarrett's arms churning up the water and he was just yards away from Joan. Flippa had started running into the water from his place on the shoreline, and Danny had flown across the sand into the water and was almost there as well. The others were just starting to react.
Joan suddenly slipped under the waves just as Steve reached them. Steve dove down and came up with both children, Joan spluttering and coughing and Charlie still. Danny had reached them by then and grabbed Joan out of Steve's hands while Steve got the little boy to the shore, and performed rescue breaths on him. He immediately started coughing and spitting up water. Steve rolled him to his side so he could spit it up and not choke. One of his swim muscles was flat.
Danny was carefully checking Joan over and speaking softly to her to calm her down, all while keeping a careful eye on Steve and Charlie. Everyone from both the water and the beach had gathered around them. Rachel had tried to run to Charlie, but Chin Ho reached out and grabbed her arm. He brought her close enough that she could see every movement the child made, but he kept her from interfering with any of the rescuers.
"Steve's got him, Rachel. Let him make sure he's stabilized. He's okay. Steve got to him in time. The EMT's will check him over." Chin kept soothing Rachel, who could see that although Charlie was sobbing, he was, in fact, all right.
Kono had called the EMT's at the first cry for help. They arrived and checked both children over carefully and then reassured the adults that Steve had gotten to them so fast that they were just fine. Joan was trying to tell them what happened.
"Him muskel popded, Unca S'eve! Then he unda da wata. I twied to get him, but I not weach. I scweamded so somebody come hep us!"
"You did the right thing Kitten! You were really brave going in deeper to try and reach him, but you really scared us." Danny said, exchanging a relieved look first with Steve, then with Rachel.
"You sure did, sweetie! God, I just moved a little deeper to grab the ball that got away from the other kids. I only left you guys for a second, but that's all it took." Steve was really shook up.
"Hey, brah! Nobody could have gotten to them faster than you! I think my legs were just starting to move and you already had them both out of the water!" Chin was still awed by how fast Steve had been able to get to them.
With the resilience of children, Joan and Charlie were soon playing a game of tag on the beach. They had both been changed out of their swimsuits, Steve and Rachel stating that they were going to keep the kids on dry land for the rest of the day. The adults were still pretty shaken, but all the children seemed to have completely forgotten the incident.
Rachel joined Steve, Grace, Charles and Joan on the beach where they were making a huge sandcastle. She listened to Steve instructing the children about "proper fortification," "defensive positioning," and "accurate sightlines" with a smile on her face. The two little girls got bored and wandered off after a little bit, but Charles was absolutely enthralled. He positively beamed when Steve assured him that he had dug the best moat that Steve had ever seen.
Rachel left her little boy in Steve's capable hands and headed for the lanai. She poured herself a large glass of lemonade and sat down in one of the chairs. Kono was the only other person on the deck at the time. She smiled brightly at Rachel.
"Wow! That was just a relief that nothing worse happened. I've been around the water all my life, and I thought we had a good system for watching the kids, but things like that can happen so fast. It only takes a second. I have a feeling that from now on those two littles aren't going to be able to get in the water without Danny and Steve having a grip on them."
Danny had just arrived on the lanai and heard what Kono had been saying.
"Hey, Kono! Actually, Rach, I have a better idea. I think on the weekends when it's not too busy, you should let me pick up Charlie and we'll have Steve give both he and Joanie swimming lessons. He's already started with Joan, and I think that helped her out there today. I think Charlie needs more confidence in the water. What do you think?" He looked at her, a little worried about her reaction.
"Danny, that's a great idea. After all, we're living on an island for goodness sake. I think you're right and it would be wonderful for Charles' confidence if he could feel more sure of himself in the water. You'll talk to Steve about it for us?"
"Absolutely, babe." And Danny headed off to find his partner.
Kono looked after Danny a minute and then looked hesitatingly at Rachel. She seemed to make up her mind, and commented.
"Rachel, I really have to say thank you. I never thought that Steve would be able to hang onto Joanie. I thought that he would throw in the towel after a while because it would be too hard, and he would think he was doing what was right for her by letting her go, just like his dad did. He never would have been able to keep her without your help!"
"Well, Kono, we are just one, big happy Ohana, aren't we?" Rachel smiled quietly to herself, leaned back and sipped on her lemonade, letting her nerves settle back down. Being a part of this Ohana was much more excitement than she was used to, but she wouldn't change it for anything.
