CHAPTER FIFTEEN

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: November 3, 2012

(Steve is pacing in the hallway outside his and Sam's bedroom when Libby and Mike let themselves in with their key and come upstairs. A fiercely dark scowl is on Steve's handsome face and it eases only marginally when he sees his in-laws. Quickly checking to make sure Emily and Sam are both still asleep, Steve turns back toward them and both Libby and Mike see the worry in his eyes.)

"What happened, Son?"

"As you predicted, Sam had a nightmare last night about seeing her parents in the morgue at Bethesda. It took me nearly five, full minutes to get her awake enough to realize where she was and another thirty for her to calm down enough to stop shaking. When she did, she wanted Emily so I went and got her and put her in the bed with us and that seemed to help for a little while, but, about an hour later, Sam practically shoved me out of the bed and ran to the bathroom where she stayed until about forty-five minutes ago. I put Emily back in her bed and stayed with Sam, holding her and wiping her face after she threw up until all she was capable of was dry heaves. She was so weak by the time I carried her back to bed she could barely hold her head up. I know telling Caroline about her parents' death was necessary, but it's taken a lot out of Sam. I'm scared. I don't know how to help her through this. I . . We need your help."

"All right, the first thing we're going to do is get some breakfast ready. Sam may or may not feel like eating something when she wakes up, but you need to eat something and Emily will most definitely be hungry when she wakes up. Mike, you go downstairs and start a pot of coffee. Steve, you march yourself into that bathroom and take a hot shower. I'm going to check on Emily and Sam. Move, gentlemen, we have work to do!"

(And neither Steve nor Mike dares to defy Libby's orders and both take off in opposite directions while Libby steps into Sam's and Steve's bedroom and moves quietly to the bed. Sam is pale and has dark circles under her eyes, and, even in sleep, her face is tense. Libby gently smoothes Sam's hair back from her face and places a motherly hand on her forehead. Finding that Sam is not feverish, Libby adjusts the covers and kisses Sam's forehead before stepping through the connecting door to the nursery. Emily is just beginning to stir as Libby approaches the crib and makes little snuffling sounds as she awakens.)

"Hello, Emily. How's Grandma's pretty girl today?"

"Gan-Ma! Want Mommy!"

"Mommy isn't feeling well this morning, Emily; she's still sleeping. Why don't we go downstairs and see Grandpa, hmmm?"

"Gan-Pa! Gan-Pa!"

"That's right, Emily. Let's go see Grandpa."

(Steve wastes no time in the shower and dresses quickly, looking worriedly at Sam's sleeping form the whole time. Glancing in the nursery, he sees that Emily's bed is empty and assumes Libby took her downstairs. Sitting on the side of their bed, Steve is torn between staying with his wife or going downstairs to his daughter, but decides Emily is in good hands with her grandparents and he needs to be there if Sam has another nightmare. Mike finds him there, holding Sam's hand, thirty minutes later.)

"She's going to be okay, Steve. Just going to take some time."

"I can't stand to see her hurting, Mike; it cuts me to the core."

"I know, Son. I've been right there myself, and not a damned thing you were taught in BUD/S is helpful when the woman you love is in pain."

"What am I going to do, Mike? How do I help Sam get through this? How do I take her pain away?"

"I don't know what to tell you, Steve, except that you will find a way. . . Libby sent me up here to tell you to come downstairs and have some breakfast. Sam will be okay without you for a few minutes. Besides, Emily wants her Daddy."

(It is only the last sentence that convinces Steve to leave Sam for a little while and he finally agrees to go back downstairs with Mike. Libby is holding Emily in her arms and they are both looking out the kitchen window toward the ocean where the sunlight is reflecting off the water when Steve and Mike enter the kitchen. Emily spies her father and immediately holds both little arms out toward Steve and starts saying, "Daddy!" over and over until Steve takes her from Libby."

"Hey, Baby Girl."

"Daddy. Want Mommy."

"Mommy's asleep, Emily; she isn't feeling good this morning."

"Want Mommy!"

"Hey, I thought you wanted Daddy?"

"Love Daddy. Want Mommy."

"Tell you what. How about we have some breakfast and then go see Mommy, okay?"

(But Emily McGarrett is definitely her mother's and her father's daughter and has a stubborn streak a mile wide. She crosses her little arms in front of her and adopts a fierce expression that looks eerily like Steve's and says very slowly and succinctly, "Want. Mommy!", as if her father is an idiot. Mike quickly coughs to cover his amusement at his granddaughter's antics and Steve is having a hard time hiding his mirth as well, but he manages to smother a smile and adopts a stern expression.)

"Emily Anne McGarrett, I said your mother isn't feeling well this morning and is still asleep. You, young lady, are just going to have be patient and wait until Mommy wakes up. In the meantime, you're just going to have make do with Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa."

(But Emily is looking past her father and a big smile spreads across her little face as she spies her mother standing in the doorway and starts holding out her little arms and leaning toward her mother.)

"Mommy! Mommy!"

"Good morning, Sweetheart."

"You okay, Beautiful?"

"Yeah, Sailor, I'm good; at least, for the moment."

"Are you sure, Sam? 'Cause you're not looking too good right now."

"I'm okay, Steve."

"That nightmare really got a hold of you, Sam. So much so that it literally made you sick."

"The nightmare didn't make me sick, Steve. . . . I think I may be pregnant."