CHAPTER THREE

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 7, 2012

(Sam doesn't know whether to laugh or cry at Caroline's tearful outburst, and is totally speechless for a few moments. Deciding that a somewhat serious approach to the problem would be the better part of valor, Sam takes a moment to get in the proper frame of mind, takes a deep breath, and tries again.)

"Okay, Caroline, start at the beginning, please."

"Danny started flirting with me while all of you were diving earlier and he just kept on sending me these little looks and making suggestive comments all day long and, well, by the time we got home, we couldn't keep our hands off one another."

"TMI, Girlfriend. Just tell me what you two were fighting about."

"I'm trying to, Sam!"

(And it's then that Sam realizes that her sister is on the verge of a serious meltdown/crying jag. Casting a glance heavenward as if to ask for patience, Sam forces an understanding note into her voice and tries again.)

"What specific thing were you two fighting about?"

"Oh, my God, Sam, how many more times are you going to make me say this? SEX! We were fighting about sex!"

"Caroline. . . . Okay, were you fighting because one of you wanted to have sex and the other one didn't?"

"No."

"Were you fighting because one of you wanted to have sex somewhere other than your bedroom and the other one didn't?"

"No."

(Sam is getting frustrated with her sister's refusal to elaborate and her tone of voice is getting a little sterner. Steve, who had stepped into the room about the time Sam, who is standing by the window with her back to him, asked what specifically the Williams' were fighting about, is now leaning against their dresser with his arms and ankles crossed and an evil grin starting to spread across his handsome face. Sam loudly heaves a sigh of frustration hoping her sister will hear it and pick up on the fact that she's not giving Sam much to work with.)

"Caroline, you called me crying because you and Danny had a fight. I know you said you were fighting about, um, sex, but you've got to give me more details or I can't help you. On second thought, DON'T give me more details! I DO NOT want to know anything about . . Damn!"

"Are you making fun of me, Sam?"

"No, Caroline, I absolutely am NOT making fun of you!"

"You're confusing me! First you want me to give you details about why we were fighting and now you don't! You're my sister, Sam; you're supposed to be there for me!"

"And I AM here for you, Caroline, but I don't really want to discuss your sex life with you!"

(And Steve can't help himself and emits a loud snort which causes Sam to whirl around and shoot him a death glare.)

"You know what? Never mind, Sam. I'll figure this out for myself!"

(And Caroline hangs up before Sam can say another word. Now fairly ticked off herself, Sam stalks past Steve, who is trying his best to keep from laughing out loud and failing miserably, and smacks her cellular phone down on her bedside table.)

"This is so not funny, Steve."

"What? That Caroline and Danny can't manage to have sex?"

"Go ahead; laugh! You might not be having any either, Mister!"

"Whoa, Sam, I'm not laughing at them. I'm just . . ."

"Laughing at my sister's expense!"

"Come on, Sam, you wanted to laugh, too. Admit it."

"To be honest, Steve, I didn't know what to do. I mean, Caroline calls me crying because she and Danny had a fight and then, when I ask her what they were fighting about, she tells me they were fighting about sex. I so do not want to know the intimate details of Caroline's and Danny's sex life!"

"Yeah, that makes two of us."

"Then, again, Steve, they're married for Pete's sake. Why would they be fighting over sex?"

"I don't know, Sam, and, maybe, that's really not what they were fighting about at all. You know how Danny sometimes says one thing when he really means something else entirely."

"And Caroline does the same thing, but . . . How can you have a misunderstanding about sex, Steve? Either you do it or you don't."

(And that remark sets Steve off into another fit of sniggering which earns him another glare from Sam although she's having a hard time keeping a straight fact, too.)

"Think about it, Sam . . . Would you want to have sex with Danny? I know I wouldn't!"

(And now they both dissolve into a fit of giggles that threatens to progress into full-blown laughter. Remembering that Sam promised him a very pleasant surprise once he got Emily to sleep, Steve lunges at her, grabs her around the waist, and proceeds to tickle her unmercifully as he sweeps her up and tosses her into the middle of their bed. Sam is laughing and squirming so hard that she nearly loses her breath, but all laughter ceases when Steve lands on top of his wife and their faces are mere inches apart. Just like that, their carefree mood swiftly changes to desire and he wastes no time in fusing his mouth and body to hers and she drinks in his kiss like a starving woman. Their hands are all over each other and, within a matter of minutes, they are both on fire. All thoughts of Caroline and Danny, or anyone else, for that matter, are completely forgotten as Sam and Steve get lost in one another. . .

After hanging up on Sam, Caroline's anger only escalated. She's angry at her husband, angry at her sister. . She's angry at everyone at the moment and she's also hurt. She so desperately wants to have a baby with Danny and cannot understand why she cannot conceive. Lt. Cmdr. Denning has thoroughly examined her and told her that there's no reason she can't have children, she knows Danny is perfectly capable of fathering a child, and her mother has reassured her that it will happen in good time, but Caroline simply cannot rid herself of the thought that she will never be able to conceive, carry, and deliver a child of her own.

In the guest bedroom, Danny punches his pillow for the umpteenth time and turns over yet again, frustration mixing with his anger until he finally gets out of the bed and walks over to the window to gaze unseeingly out into the dark night. Caroline is not going to become pregnant until she stops worrying about it and totally and completely relaxes. Period. For the past several months, he's tried to be patient and understanding with her, but her demand that they make love, no, have sex tonight, primarily so that she might possibly conceive, was more than he could stomach. Running his hand through his hair in frustration, he takes several deep breaths in an effort to calm down and think rationally instead of in anger. Ten minutes later, Danny is sleeping like a baby.)