CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Title: "Salvation: Forever and Always: Our Love, Our Legacy"
Author: Michelle Heath
Rating: MA for adult situations and language
Summary: Story #8 in the Salvation series. The Five-0 family face challenges that make them all re-evaluate their lives.
Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!
Date Written: September 29, 2011
(The day finally comes to an end for everyone and they are all glad to leave their offices and head home. Kono, who worked a little later than usual helping Chin with the computer set-up, smiles when she walks in the house to find Tony sitting on the sofa with his feet propped up on the coffee table and holding Eric. Tony is watching one of the news channels and is having a conversation with their son.)
"So that's why Mommy's late tonight, little buddy. What's that? . . She's here? Really? . . You're right, there's Mommy. Let's go give her a big kiss."
(But Kono has made it to the sofa and sits down next to Tony and takes the baby from him before getting her welcome home kiss from her husband. Tony's arm goes around his wife's shoulders as she makes silly noises at the baby and a feeling of complete contentment settles over him. He could sit right here with his wife and son from now on and be happy from the rest of his life.)
"You mom said to remind you that she's going out of town next week so your cousin Kelani was watching the baby."
"Yeah, I know. . . Tony?"
"Yeah, K?"
"I know my mom said she wanted to watch Eric when we were working, but I think maybe we should look into finding a regular sitter or day care."
"Your mother's awesome, K."
"I know she is, but it's not fair to her. I mean, my folks like to travel and it's hard for them to do that if they have Eric all the time."
"Okay, but you can be the one to tell your mother, and what do you want to do?"
"Well, Sam and Steve are looking into the day care on base and I was thinking maybe we could, too. Steve said Sam wanted the baby close to her and the day care's only a few minutes away from Flight Ops and your building, as well."
"Did Steve say if he or Sam had discussed that with Libby, yet?"
"C'mon, Tony, you know Libby will have that baby any time she wants. . . I kind of like the idea of Eric being close to one of us. Besides, he'll have a playmate once McBaby gets here."
"Okay, we can go check out the base day care, K; just make sure you have that talk with your mom. I wouldn't hurt my mother-in-law's feelings for anything in the world, and I know you wouldn't, either, but you're going to have to tread very carefully here."
"I'll just tell her exactly what Sam's going to tell Libby; she's more than welcome to have the baby anytime she wants him, but, when she has something to do, he'll be at day care."
(Chin gets home to find that Lana, who had the day off, has dinner just about ready and gets his hand slapped lightly as he reaches into a bowl of salad and pulls a cherry tomato out and pops it into his mouth.)
"Hey!"
"Don't you dare stand there and pick things out of the salad bowl, Chin Ho Kelly! That is beyond rude!"
"You just have a phobia about germs."
"Hello? I'm a nurse, so, yeah I have a BIG phobia about germs. You didn't even wash your hands before you stuck one down in that bowl of salad!"
"Sorry. How was your day?"
"I cleaned the house, did laundry, went grocery shopping, came home and cooked dinner."
"That doesn't sound like a lot of fun."
"I work in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Chin. Trust me, everything I did today was a lot more fun than I usually have."
"Yeah, you know, I sometimes forget just how high-pressure your job is sometimes, Lana. I'm sorry, Honey."
"It's okay."
"No, Lana, actually it's not. You don't talk about your work very often and I know that has a lot to do with privacy issues, but, you know, I am your husband, and I'm always here for you if you ever to want to talk; about anything."
"I know that. Same goes for you, too. How was your day?"
"Started off with a bang. Steve and Danny entertained me and Kono with one of their famous arguments first thing this morning, and then the Governor called Steve up to her office to let him know there's going to be a special celebration for the survivors of the U.S.S. Arizona next month and the Vice-President, Secretary of Defense, the National Security Advisor, and numerous U.S. Senators and Representatives will be there, so we're working with Sam and Tony and the Secret Service on security."
"Wow. That list of dignitaries is going to attract some serious whackos."
"No kidding, but I think we've got a good handle on things so far. In fact, the only problem we might have is with the lead agent for the Secret Service; he's a real piece of work."
"Steve will straighten him out. Tell me more about the argument between Steve and Danny; what was it about?"
"Gracie and 'smooching'."
"She's only nine, Chin! What was she doing kissing a boy?"
"She wasn't kissing a boy."
"You just said. ."
"I just said they were arguing about Gracie and 'smooching'. Now I know how Steve and Danny get started. Let's start over."
(And, by the time Chin explains things to Lana, she's laughing. Chin pitches in with the clean up after dinner and they are soon sitting on the sofa waiting for a movie to begin with a bottle of wine. Chin noticed that Lana got quiet during dinner and he knows there's something on her mind.)
"Hey, you okay?"
"I'm good. I was just thinking. . . How would you feel about our having a baby?"
"I think it would be. . Lana, are you pregnant?"
"No, no, not yet, anyway. I know we talked about this before we got married, and decided to wait a while before trying, but, I don't know. . . Maybe it's because of little Eric and, in just a few months, Sam's and Steve's baby's going to be here, and . . . You know what? I think I'm just caught up in 'baby fever'."
"Lana, if you want to go ahead and start trying to have a baby, we can. We don't have to wait. I've gotta admit that I get this feeling when I'm holding Eric. . ."
"You've got 'baby fever', too."
(Danny gets a big surprise when he gets home from work; Grace is sitting at the kitchen bar doing her homework while Caroline, a mysterious smile on her face, is making dinner. Giving both his daughter and his wife a kiss on the cheek, Danny sits down on the bar stool next to Grace.)
"Hey, Monkey, what are you doing here?"
"I asked Mommy if I could come over tonight and talk with you, Danno, and Mom picked me up on her way home from the base."
"Okay. What do you want to talk about?"
"Boys, kissing, and sugar."
