CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

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 14, 2012

(Caroline, as it turns out, decides to defer to Grace in the matter of deciding where they're all going to have lunch saying she's just so glad to have her life back that she doesn't really care where they eat as long as they go somewhere where they can enjoy themselves. Grace immediately speaks up and declares that she would like to go to her favorite fast food restaurant and Caroline laughingly agrees as Steve, Danny, and Mike all groan and make faces. Libby, of course, immediately rushes to her granddaughter's defense and sends glares in the direction of her husband and two sons-on-law reminding them all just exactly who is really in charge. Sam, cuddling Emily in her arms, is looking at everyone except Caroline and Grace with a slight frown on her beautiful face. Finding her husband and her parents talking out in the driveway earlier was a bit unusual, and she doesn't quite know what to make of it just yet. Mike picks up on that immediately and quickly throws out a comment to try to keep Sam from thinking too hard and too long as he takes the baby and gives her a kiss which she returns with a sweet smile on her little face.)

"Looks like you ladies had a very successful shopping trip based on the number of bags you girls brought in. Find anything interesting?"

"Mom and Aunt Sam went shopping for Danno and Uncle Steve while Grandma and I were getting my jeans and then Grandma went shopping for you, Grandpa, while the rest of us went to the chocolate shop."

"Yeah? What'd you get me, Gorgeous?"

"Uh, just . . . A little something, Danny."

"Sam?"

(And Sam, her mind completely off what the conference in the driveway was all about, sends Steve a look that he understands perfectly and replies to his question in flawless Russian; a language she knows her husband speaks fluently. What she has forgotten is that her father also speaks Russian fluently and while she and Steve are exchanging rather heated looks, Mike nearly spits the sip of coffee he had just taken when Sam made her comment. Libby, Caroline, and Danny, although they don't speak Russian quickly get the gist of Sam's comment but Gracie is the one who "ices the cake.")

"Aren't you going to show Uncle Steve what you got him, Aunt Sam?"

(And her now furiously blushing Aunt Sam grabs her niece's hand and heads toward the door with a grinning Steve right behind her.)

"I'll show him later, Gracie. Let's go eat before the lunchtime crowd shows up and we have to wait forever before we get our food."

(And Caroline, who certainly is pretty much back to normal, just can't let it go.)

"Oh, yeah, Bugs and Honey Bunny indeed."

"Who's that, Mom?"

"What I'm going to start calling your Aunt Sam and Uncle Steve, Grace."

"Why?"

"Cause Honey Bunny is Bugs Bunny's girlfriend, Grace."

"But they're rabbits, Mom."

"Exactly."

"O-kay, it's definitely time for us to go. Who are you going to ride with, Monkey?"

(But Grace decides that she's going to stick very close to her mom since it's been such a long time since she's been able to spend any time with her and she, Caroline, and Danny get into the Camaro while Steve, devil that he is, grabs Sam's hand and heads straight to Libby's SUV, grinning broadly at her while they wait for Libby and Mike, who's carrying Emily, to join them. Once they're on the highway following Danny, Libby, trying very hard to keep a straight face, utters a calm, "I don't even want to know, Samantha" which causes Sam to blush that much more and Steve and Mike to laugh outright. As luck would have it, they arrive at Gracie's favorite restaurant and get their orders in just before the lunch crowd show up. Caroline decides that she wants to eat outside and enjoy the sunshine, and she, Sam, Grace, and Libby head outside to find a table while the guys wait for their orders. Steve and Mike take the opportunity to give Danny the short version of their conversation with Libby and Steve adds a comment of his own.)

"Sam's behavior just before we left the house pretty much confirms Libby's suspicions. It couldn't have been more than thirty minutes since Sam and Libby were involved in a fairly serious discussion about Sam talking with Capt. Stewart and then she's flirting with me in front of all of you; like she's two different people in the same body."

"Libby did an amazing job of 'playing along', but she's worried."

"She's not the only one, Mike."

"You know, Steve, now that I really think about it, this denial, or whatever it is that's going on with Sam, could explain a lot of things; the way she was always driven to make excellent grades at the Academy, making sure she was at the top of her class at flight school, taking on extra duty assignments, . . the way she ran from you all those years."

"Yeah, Mike, that thought crossed my mind, too. It's almost like Sam has never really allowed herself to have any time to, I don't know, spare a thought for her parents' deaths?"

"Yes, but you didn't let her run from you, Steve, and, now that the two of you have Emily, it's even more important that Sam come to terms with what happened to Anne and Jonathan, for all your sakes."

"I know that, Mike. I'm just not looking forward to what Sam's going to have to go through before she can put this behind her."

"I know you're not, Son, but it's got to be done. You may have to move Heaven and Earth to do it, but Sam needs to talk with Capt. Stewart and the sooner that happens the better."