"TAKE MY BREATH AWAY"

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

Title: "Take My Breath Away"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult situations and language

Summary: Continuation of the "Salvation" series by popular demand

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!

Date Written: April 20, 2011

A/N: I sincerely apologize to all my readers: an entire paragraph did not post for Chapter 53, and I cannot get it to post after several attempts. Although it does not really alter the overall story line, the chapter makes much more sense with the paragraph in place! It concerned Steve's response to something Sam said about her mother. However, since they took the site down a week or so ago for maintenance, I have been having problems with new chapters posting correctly. They are correct in my document file on my computer, and I have even tried completely re-typing whole chapters to no avail. Again, I apologize. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing my story! Michelle

(Grace catches on very quickly to the mechanics of scuba equipment and gives Steve and Mike as good as she gets when they are sending questions her way in rapid-fire order. Sam and Libby struggle to contain their laughter as the two men are obviously becoming frustrated in their attempts to trip the little girl up; not out of any misguided sense of male superiority, but because scuba diving is serious business and they want to make sure Grace understands exactly how everything should be done for safety's sake. Grace is, of course, not quite strong enough to appropriately tighten all the valves on the air tanks because of her age and size, but she has the theory down pat. Mike allows her to ready one of the tanks and he goes behind her to make sure everything is secured properly before it is used. By the time they have two tanks ready to go, both Steve and Mike are more than a little impressed with how quickly Grace has caught on. Her next words, however, scare both of them.)

"When can I go scuba diving, Grandpa?"

"Er, well, Grace knowing how to prep a scuba tank is one thing. Understanding how to actually use one is a different story. You have to learn all about the pressure at different depths, how the manner in which you breathe affects the amount of air in your tank depending on the tank's capacity, what to do in case of emergency when your down there, and a lot of other things before you can actually make a dive."

"More math?" (This said in a somewhat whining tone.)

"Yeah, Grace, more math, but, once you learn how, scuba diving is one of the most exciting things ever. There's a whole different world under the surface, and exploring it can be amazing."

"I know that, Uncle Steve. Listening to you and Aunt Sam talk about it is what made me want to learn. How come everything fun has to mean more math?"

"You're only nine, Nugget. Be patient. If you want to be really good at something, you have to learn how to do it properly. In a couple of years you'll be able to get your dive card."

"How old were you when you learned to dive, Aunt Sam?"

"Um, well, you know that I come from a Navy family, Nugget, and Navy families tend to start their children out on all things water-related fairly early in life."

"How old, Aunt Sam?"

"I learned how to dive when I was eight, Gracie, but I couldn't get my first dive card until I was ten."

(A mutinous expression appears on Grace's little face and Sam starts to feel a little uncomfortable, much to the amusement of her husband and parents,)

"And how old were you when you learned to fly, Aunt Sam?"

"Well, see, Gracie, your Grandpa had a friend who was a fighter pilot and he also had his own plane; a twin engine Cessna, so he used to take me up with him."

"Aunt Sam."

"God, Gracie, I know you're not related to my sister by blood, but I swear you're just as single-mindedly stubborn as she is sometimes!"

(This comment, uttered in frustration, elicits snorts and coughs from Steve and even a giggle from Libby. Mike, knowing Sam very well, makes no sound, but struggles to hide the smile threatening to break forth on his face. A glare from Sam, however, quells the other three adults' amusement . . .For the moment.)

"How old were you when you learned to fly, Aunt Sam, and no fudging!"

"I was nine, but I couldn't get my license until I was seventeen which is the youngest you can legally be licensed as a private pilot in the United States."

"Don't let her fool you, Grace, once Ed taught Sam to fly, she was in the pilot's seat every time his plane went up. Grandma and I were very proud of her."

"I knew it! When did you start taking math classes, Aunt Sam, in Kindergarten?"

"Okay, Nugget, enough. If anyone's going to do much diving today, we need to get started."

"You're absolutely right, dear. You and Steve can continue to answer Grace's questions while your father and I do a little underwater exploring."

"You're going diving, Grandma"

"I may be old enough to be your grandmother, Grace, but I'm not that old."

(And that said, Libby and Mike, who both cut very fine figures in their swimsuits, put on their tanks and go over the side. Once they have completely disappeared from view, Grace straightens up from the side of the boat and turns around to give Sam a look that does not bode well for Sam's peace of mind for the next couple of hours. Steve makes an attempt at an E and E op, but Sam grabs his arm and pulls him back down to the deck as Grace crosses her arms in front of her and starts walking toward them.)

A/N: Wanted to try and "lighten" things up a little with this chapter since there's been a great deal of darkness and intensity in the story so far. Hope you all enjoyed, and please let me hear from you. Jat, your idea is about to take center stage! Thanks! Michelle