CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Title: "Salvation: Forever and Always: Elusive Dreams – PART III"
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: March 20, 2013
(Libby is pacing back and forth in the suite she and Mike are occupying at Ft. Meyer and, every so often, she steps to the window to look for any sign of Sam and Steve. It has been nearly two hours since their ohana left Sam, Steve, and Emily at the cemetery and Libby is starting to get concerned. Mike, who is on the phone with Tony coordinating everyone's dinner plans, glances at his wife and shakes his head. Once Tony confirms that he's spoken with everyone else, except Sam and Steve, and they're all in agreement on which restaurant they want to go to for dinner, Mike ends the call, tosses his cellular phone on the bed, and steps in front of his wife effectively stopping her pacing.)
"You're going to wear a hole in the carpet, Libby."
"Don't be ridiculous! I'm just worried about Sam."
"Sam is just fine. She's with Steve and Emily and that's exactly who she needs to be with right now."
"It's been two hours, Mike! What on Earth could they be doing for this long?"
"Libby, Sam didn't fly all the way across the country to spend an hour at Anne's and Jonathan's graves and then just walk away. Besides, you heard what she said to Emily as we were leaving. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if all three of them aren't sitting on the ground right now with Steve and Emily listening as Sam tells them all about Anne and Jonathan. They may not be back for a while, so you might as well quit worrying and get dressed for dinner."
"Do you think this trip helped her, Mike?"
"I do."
"Lord, I hope so. I want both our girls to be happy; completely happy without any dark clouds hanging over their heads. . . And, I want more grandchildren."
"I think that's up to our daughters and sons-in-law, Libby."
"Well, of course, it is, Michael. But it wouldn't hurt my feelings one, little bit if one or both of the girls were to find themselves in the 'family way' in the not too distant future."
" 'The family way', Libby. Really?"
"Just wanted to see if you were paying attention, dear. Oh well, I'm not going to make them appear simply by standing at this window and wishing them here. . . . I'm going to take a quick shower and start getting dressed."
"You do that, Libby, and I'll keep an eye out for the children."
"Knew you were worried about her, too."
(As it turns out, Mike is not far from the truth. After Sam started to tell Emily all about her other grandparents, Steve grabbed two of the folding chairs and, after he and Sam both sat down, he leaned back and listened to his wife's voice as she described both her parents in vivid detail as well as many events that took place in her life while she was growing up. For well over an hour, Steve simply listens as Sam's voice and words weave magical spells of a loving family for him and Emily, and, in the process, he learns more about Sam's early years. Sam ends by telling him and Emily how much her biological parents would have loved them if they had lived to know them, and Steve leans forward to gently wipe away Sam's tears with his thumbs before placing a soft kiss on her forehead. When Sam and Steve look around them, they realize that they have been sitting there a lot longer than they thought, and the sun is beginning to fall in the western sky. There is no need for words as Steve lifts his baby girl from her mother's arms and then slides his free arm around Sam's waist as they walk back to the car. After he straightens up from buckling Emily in her car seat, he finds Sam standing very close with a sweet expression on her face. She steps forward and slides her arms around his neck before giving him a sweet kiss which he willingly returns. . .
Libby has just finished brushing her long, red-gold hair when she hears Mike mutter a 'finally' under his breath. Walking to the window, she sees that Sam, Steve, and Emily are back and steps out the door to meet them, reaching for Emily as soon as Steve has her out of the car seat.)
"Are you all right, Sweetheart?"
"I'm . . Better than I've been in a long time, Mom. Thank you for what you said today."
"Does that extend to me, too?"
"Of course, it does, Daddy. Thank you so much for what you did to help Steve pull this off. This afternoon meant a great deal to me."
"You're welcome, Sweetheart. Now, how about your mother and I take Emily while you and Steve head to your suite and get changed? Everyone's agreed they'd like to go to Nick's Riverside Grill in Georgetown for dinner and we've all had a head start on getting ready to go, so you two need to move your sixes."
"Aye, aye, Admiral."
"Don't be impertinent, young lady!"
(Steve deftly hands Mike Emily's bag and steers Sam in the direction of their suite before she can make a smart-assed comment back to her father and, because Steve's got that sexy, little grin on his face that she totally loves, Sam starts giggling like a teenager. Steve finally gives up, grabs her hand, and practically yanks her to the door of their suite while Libby and Mike carry Emily into theirs.)
"See? Told you Sam was all right, Libby."
"Yes, well, while I'm very glad that she seems to be more like her old self, I hope those giggles and that look on Steve's face do not mean that we're all going to be having a late dinner,"
(And that comment makes Mike pause for a moment as the meaning of Libby's words sink into his brain. He just smiles, though, and takes his granddaughter from his wife.)
"Emily, how would you like to have a brother or sister?"
