CHAPTER NINE

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 9, 2012

(After leaving Caroline's office and returning to her own, Sam finds that she can't get any work done for worrying about her sister. After she's sat at her desk and stared at nothing in particular for fifteen straight minutes, she reaches for her cellular phone and hits the speed dial for her mother. Libby answers on the second ring.)

"Sam, Sweetheart, how are you today?"

"I need to talk to you, Mom, you and Dad both."

"Goodness, whatever's wrong, dear?"

"I just. . . Is it all right if I come by there when I get off-duty?"

"Of course, it is, Sam, but can you at least give me an idea of what has you so upset?"

"My sister."

"Caroline? Sam, what's this all about?"

"I don't want to discuss it over the phone, Mom, please. I'll see you and Dad around 1630 hours."

(Libby is worried when she ends the call with Sam. Her girls usually work their differences out between themselves and, since they've both been married, Steve and Danny usually run interference anytime Sam and Caroline are at odds with one another. This time, however, something's definitely not right. Sam doesn't call her mother with a problem concerning her sister unless the problem is a really big one and that's rare. In fact, Libby can count the number of times Sam has done so on one hand; including today. She is just about to go find her husband when her cellular phone rings again and Danny's name and number pop up on the caller I.D.)

"Good morning, Danny."

" 'Morning, Libby. I need to talk with you and Mike and the sooner the better."

"About Caroline?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Because Sam just called me and asked if she could talk with us when she gets off-duty this afternoon."

"Yeah, well, I'm headed to your house right now. I should be there in fifteen minutes or so."

"We'll be here, dear."

"I love you, Libby."

"I love you, too, Danny."

(Libby's worry has grown considerably after her conversation with Danny and she goes in search of her husband. She finds him just coming back from a walk on the beach and meets him at the top of the stairs on their back deck.)

"Whatever's wrong, Libby? The last time I saw that look on your face we'd just learned the girls had been forced to eject behind enemy lines. Oh, Lord, the girls are all right, aren't they?"

"As far as I know, they're fine."

"Steve? Danny?"

"They're not hurt, either, Mike. At least, not physically."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm really not sure, dear, but we'll find out when Danny gets here in a few minutes."

(Ten minutes later, Danny parks the Camaro in the Thrasher's driveway and finds his in-laws waiting for him on their back deck with a pitcher of lemonade and three glasses on the table in front of them. One look at his son-in-law's face is all it takes for Mike to realize that something is terribly wrong. He waits until Danny takes the glass Libby is holding out to him and then speaks up.)

"All right, Son, sit down and tell us what's wrong."

"First of all, I hope you both know how much you mean to me. You've accepted me into your family with virtually no questions asked and you've done the same for my daughter. You are two of the most amazing people I've ever known and I'll always be grateful that I met you. . . I'm here because I need to tell you something and ask you some questions; about Caroline."

"Maybe you'd better elaborate, Danny."

"Okay, then. This isn't an easy subject for me to talk about with my wife's parents, but I need to talk to the people who know her best. I haven't been able to talk to Sam yet, but I'm hoping that's going to happen a little later today. In the meantime, you guys are all I've got, and I gotta tell you that I need you to be completely honest with me right now."

"This sounds like it's fairly serious, Son."

"It is, Mike. As you guys know, Caroline and I have been trying to have a baby for a few months now, and, well, we're still not pregnant. Now, I very much want to have children with your daughter, but I know that these things sometimes take time. Caroline, on the other hand, is stressing out because she isn't pregnant, yet. The more she stresses, the less likely the chances that it's going to happen and then she gets more stressed, and . . . It's kind of like a vicious cycle only I can't seem to make her understand that she may be the reason she hasn't conceived. A couple of nights ago we had a really bad fight because Caroline has become . . Obsessed. She's out of control, and I'm not sure how much more I can take."

"What are you saying, Danny?"

"I'm asking, no, begging you to help me understand why Caroline may be acting this way; why she's so desperate to have a baby right now. If you don't have the answer to that, maybe you can give me some insight into how I can get her mind off getting pregnant. . . As hard as it is for me to say this, there's been a lot of tension between the two of us the past few weeks and it's escalating. I married Caroline because I love her and wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. Children would be an added blessing, but . . I just want the sweet, loving woman I married back. Tell me how to make that happen. Please."