CHAPTER TWO

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 6, 2012

(After they bring the boat back into the marina and take care of cleaning up, dumping and refilling water and air tanks and secure everything, which doesn't take all that long with so many people to get everything done, the large groups splits up and they all head to their respective residences after a full day of sailing and diving. Danny keeps sending tiny little smiles and smoldering looks in his wife's direction all the way home and Caroline is just short of going up in flames by the time they reach their house. Her reaction is fueling Danny's response and they nearly trip all over each other in their haste to get out of the car and into the house. Once Danny has slammed the door and thrown the dead bolt, he turns to find his wife's slender hands frantically working on the buttons of his polo shirt and her mouth fused to his in a seriously hot kiss. No one can accuse Danny Williams of being stupid and he gets on the same page as his wife very, very quickly. He nearly rips the sleeveless gray tee shirt from Caroline's body in his haste and it hasn't even hit the floor before his nimble fingers have the strings on her top untied. He has to stop momentarily while she snatches his shirt over his head and sends it sailing toward the den; her hands immediately going to the waistband of his swim trunks and shoving them down. They have moved, perhaps, three feet into the house from the door and don't seem to be in any particular hurry to get to their bedroom. Both of them are breathing hard and a fine sheen of sweat covers their skin as Caroline tears her mouth from Danny's.)

"Hurry, Danny!"

"Doing the best I can, Gorgeous!"

"We have to hurry! Tonight is the best time for me to conceive!"

(And just like that, Danny stops tugging on the ties on either side of her bikini bottoms and takes a step back feeling like a bucket of ice water has been thrown over him. The expression on his face is mildly angry and Caroline, who is so caught up in the "heat of the moment" doesn't immediately realize that Danny is no longer participating. When she does, and sees the expression on his face, she experiences a moment of uncertainty.

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"Are you for real?"

"What is the problem, Danny?"

"The problem, Caroline, is that I want to make love with you and you want to have sex."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me!"

"Are you saying you don't want to have sex with me?"

"Not if the only reason we're doing it is because a damned calendar says we should!"

"You . . you don't want me to get pregnant?"

"Did I say that?"

"You might as well have!"

"Damn it, Caroline!"

(Their voices have been getting louder and louder as the argument has progressed and Caroline reaches down and angrily jerks her discarded tee shirt over her head to cover her bare breasts as rage floods through her. Danny also yanks his polo shirt on and reties the string on his swim trunks before stalking toward their bedroom.)

"Don't you dare walk away from me, Danny Williams!"

"I'm not walking away from you, Caroline; I'm walking away from this argument!"

"What are you doing?"

"I'm getting my pillow because I'm going to sleep in the guest room tonight!"

"You're what?"

"I'm. Sleeping. In. The. Damned. Guestroom!"

"Fine! I don't particularly want you anywhere near me right now, anyway!"

(Caroline heads into their bedroom as Danny heads into the guestroom and the walls of the house literally shake as both doors are slammed simultaneously. . . .

Steve leans in the doorway between his and Sam's bedroom and the nursery with his arms crossed over his chest and smiles at the scene before him; feelings of complete contentment and love flooding through him. Sam is sitting in the rocking chair in a lacy, white nightgown nursing their daughter with a sweet smile on her beautiful face as she gazes down at the baby. Emily's little fist is resting on the top of her mother's breast as she nurses and emits contented little sounds of pleasure, and all is right with Steve McGarrett's world at the moment. Once Emily has finished nursing, Sam gently puts the baby against her should and gently pats her back until she emits an extremely loud burp. Delighted laughter bubbles out of Sam as she moves the baby from her shoulder and heads to the changing table with her. Steve intercepts her and carefully takes his daughter from Sam's arms telling Sam he'll take care of changing Emily's diaper.)

"I've got this, Beautiful."

"Only because it's not a 'poopy' diaper, Sailor."

"Hey, I change those, too."

"Yeah, but you make all kinds of strange faces when you do. Big, bad Navy SEAL, my ass."

"May I remind you, Commander, that 'poopy' diapers, as you call them, are extremely dangerous things? I mean, just think about it. . If we could find a way to load F-A-18's with those things instead of Stingers, we could probably wipe out half the population of the planet with one shot."

"You're awful! Emily, your Daddy is being perfectly awful right now."

"Daddy's not being awful, is he, Baby Girl?"

(And, bless her little heart, Emily looks up at her father with eyes that are exactly the same color as his, offers him a sweet smile, and gurgles happily as she waves her little arms and legs. Steve returns his daughter's smile until Sam's laughter and the scent of what Emily just did in her freshly changed diaper reaches his nose and he frowns darkly.)

"Now, why'd you go and do that, Baby Girl?"

"Face it, Steve, you're outnumbered and you are so not going to win!"

"Really, Sam?"

"Yep. I'm going get all comfy and cozy in bed while you change her diaper again."

"You're going to leave me in here by myself?"

"Yep. You scared?"

"Do I look scared, Sam?"

"Well, you don't look too happy, Steve. Tell you what, you get Emily cleaned up and rock her to sleep and you might find a very pleasant surprise waiting for you."

(And, instantly, the dark frown on Steve's face changes to a brilliant smile that lights up his entire face and he quickly sets about changing the baby's diaper while Sam, her soft laughter floating behind her, heads into their bedroom. Emily is just about asleep when Steve hears Sam's cellular phone ring and glances at the clock noting that it's a little after ten p.m. Emily chooses that particular moment to sigh contentedly and Steve's attention is again focused on his precious child as he continues to gently rock her to sleep.)

"Hey, Caroline."

"Sa. . Sam. Danny and I had a hor. . horrible fi. . fight!"

"Whoa, Honey, slow down. You and Danny had a fight?"

"Ye. . Yes!"

"About what?"

"Oh, God,. . I'm so embar. . embarrassed!"

"Caroline, one, stop crying because I can barely understand you, and, two, what did you and Danny fight about?"

"Sex! All right? We had a fight about sex!"