CHAPTER SIXTEEN

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 4, 2012

"You . . . What?"

"I said, I think I may be pregnant."

"Sam, in order for you to be pregnant, .."

"Hold up, there, Son, I believe we're all aware of just what would have to happen for Sam to be pregnant."

(But neither Sam nor Steve are listening to Mike nor are they looking anywhere but at each other and Steve hands Emily off to her grandfather so he can move to stand directly in front of Sam.)

"In order for you to be pregnant, Sam, you'd have to be off your birth control pills, and I know for a fact that you're not."

"Okay, one, they're not one hundred percent effective, and, two, I missed a couple the last few weeks. I was so upset about Caroline that I . . . God, Steve, I don't really know how I missed them, but I definitely missed a couple of pills."

"We need to find out, Sam, as soon as possible."

"I know that, Steve. I called the OB/GYN Clinic at the base hospital before I came down here. I'm going to take a shower and get dressed and then we're going over there so they can run a pregnancy test."

"Good, that's . . . That's good. Are you okay?"

"Honestly? No, Steve, I'm not. Getting pregnant while on birth control pills is a pretty stupid thing to do. Birth control pills can cause serious birth defects. And then there's the fact that I just got my sister back. How do you think Caroline's going to react to my being pregnant? It would be like rubbing salt into an open wound! And, on top of everything else, I'm having stupid nightmares like a three year-old!"

(Sam has started crying and she's shaking again and Mike makes a hasty exit to the back deck with Emily in his arms while Steve enfolds Sam in his. Libby, her heart breaking for her daughter, steps over to them and tries to offer what comfort she can.)

"Sam. . . Sam, look at me. . . First of all, if you are pregnant, we'll pray that they baby is unharmed by the birth control pills or anything else, for that matter and, if there is a problem, we'll deal with it. Secondly, don't worry about your sister. She loves you and will be thrilled for you and Steve. Caroline's made of sterner stuff than you might think and she'll adjust. And as for those nightmares, we're going to work through them. I wasn't there for you when you were at the Naval Academy, but I'm going to be here for you this time. Now, you go upstairs, take a shower, and get dressed. I'll have an omelet ready when you come back down and you and Steve can go to the base as soon as you've eaten."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, Sam. Now go on. The sooner you two know what you're dealing with, the better."

(Steve starts to follow his wife upstairs, but Libby lays a restraining hand on his arm to stop him.)

"Give her some space, Steve. She's experiencing a lot of conflicting emotions right now, and she needs a few minutes to sort everything out. So do you. Sit down; you look like you're about to kiss the floor the hard way."

"Everything Sam said is true, Libby. Any or all of those things could happen, and she's scared."

"You're both scared, Steve. Stop denying it."

"I'm not denying it, Libby. You're damned right I'm scared. What if Sam is pregnant and the baby has been affected in some way by the drugs in her system?"

"Then you'll both do what you have to do to take care of your child. Every baby is a gift from God, dear, whether they're born with all ten fingers and toes or not."

"I'm with you, Libby, and I'm pretty sure Sam is, too, I just. . . . I just wouldn't want Sam to blame herself if there was some kind of . . problem."

(Mike, who brought Emily back inside when Sam headed upstairs and put her in her highchair, looks up from the eggs he's giving to Emily and adds his two cents' worth.)

"I believe Sam's smarter than that, Steve, and, for the record, as long as the two of you have each other, there's nothing you can't deal with, nothing you can't do together. But, we're putting the cart before the horse here; we don't even know for sure if Sam is pregnant, so let's wait until we do to start worrying, shall we?"

(Sam comes downstairs a few minutes later, looking a little pale and very conflicted, and the first thing Steve does is pull her into his arms and give her a sweet kiss.)

"This is going to be okay, Sam. Whether you're pregnant or not, it's going to be okay."

"I know. You ready?"

"Yeah. Your mom and dad are going to stay here with Baby Girl while we're gone, so, if you want to go somewhere and talk after we leave the base, we can. 'Kay?"

(Sam and Steve both take the time to hug and kiss their daughter before they leave and Libby makes sure they both get a hug and kiss from her, as well. As she watches them walk out of the house and toward Steve's truck, hand in hand, she feels a peaceful calm descending. Sam and Steve are the last two people on Earth she has to worry about and she knows it. There is no doubt in her mind that, whatever the outcome of Sam's pregnancy test, they will be just fine. Turning toward Emily's high chair, Libby smiles as she watches Mike playing "airplane" with a fork full of scrambled eggs. . .

Steve holds Sam's hand as they drive to the base and hopes she can feel the loving support he's silently offering to her.)

"You know, Sam, you weren't sick when you were pregnant with Emily."

"I know, but each pregnancy changes a woman, Steve, and it's possible to have some symptoms of pregnancy with one child and not another and vice versa. Besides, I'm late."

"How late?"

"A few days, but I'm still late."

"Okay, still doesn't mean anything. You said yourself that you were so stressed out over what was going on with Caroline that you missed a couple of pills, so maybe the symptoms you're having are being caused by stress."

"Maybe. Steve?"

"Yeah, Sam?"

"If I am pregnant, . ."

"If you are pregnant, Beautiful, we'll celebrate having a new addition to the family and we'll welcome this baby with open arms; no matter what."

"I love you."

"Right back at 'ya, Sam."

(Once they reach the base hospital, they head straight up to the OB/GYN Clinic and then wait in one of the examination rooms for the results of Sam's pregnancy test. They sit, side by side, in the two chairs in the room holding hands and Steve slips an arm around Sam's shoulders and pulls her close, kissing the top of her head and offering her a reassuring smile. Finally, Lt. Cmdr. Denning knocks on the door and steps into the room with a solemn expression on his face. Both Sam and Steve look up expectantly, and Steve's grip on Sam's hand tightens.)