CHAPTER FIFTY-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: March 14, 2013

A/N: Hello, everyone. I should have posted this not at the beginning of the last chapter so please forgive my "boo boo". My HF-0 stories are A/U so they are not very close to canon. Hence, in this storyline, the things about Danny's background that have been revealed in the actual series are not necessarily things that have happened in "my" Danny's background. Sorry if there was any confusion. Thank you all for continuing to read and review! Michelle

(Sam is already at home when Steve gets there that night and the mouth-watering aroma of his wife's pot roast greets him as he opens the front door. A second later, his beautiful little daughter is screaming 'Daddy' at the top of her lungs and running, full-tilt, toward him on her sturdy little legs. Scooping Emily up into his arms and getting a couple of sweet kisses, Steve walks into the kitchen and, sliding his free arm around Sam's waist, pulls her close for more than a kiss on the cheek. Emily, one little arm around her Daddy's neck and the other around her Mommy's, "pulls" her parents apart so she can wriggle out of Steve's arms and return to the movie she was watching when he came through the door. Steve thinks this is a most excellent idea on his daughter's part because he now has both arms free to wrap around his wife and Sam complies by pulling his face down to hers for a much more welcoming kiss.)

"Hey, Sailor, have a good day?"

"I had a great day, Beautiful. How'd your lunch with Danny go? I mean, he came back to the office so you obviously didn't kill him."

"Steve, Danny . . Bared his soul to me today."

"As long as that's the only thing he bared to you."

"Steve! Pay attention; you're about to learn something about our brother-in-law that just might make you stop and think the next time you want to pick a fight with him."

(And Sam proceeds to tell Steve everything Danny told her. When she's through, the expression on Steve's face does, indeed, reflect understanding.)

"Wow. I had no idea."

"Neither did I, and I'll bet you Caroline doesn't know, either."

"Yeah, she does, Sam, or, rather, she will. Danny wouldn't tell you something like that and then not tell his own wife."

"He's a good guy, Steve. He didn't have to share any of that with me, but he did it because, and I quote, 'We're all family, Sam, and family sticks together; no matter what.'"

"Did it help?"

"Yeah, I think it did. So, lay off of Danny for a while, okay?"

"I'll try, Beautiful, but I'm not making any promises."

"Speaking of promises, have you got our flight arrangements handled yet?"

"Actually, Sam, I have. Remember Rob Stanton?"

"Yeah, he was one of your BUD/S instructors and now he owns a private airline. Oh my God, Steve, did you arrange for us to fly to Washington on one of his private jets?"

"Sort of. We are going to be flying on one of Rob's jets, but we have to provide the pilots."

"Well, duh, you're married to one, but who else can we get on such short notice?"

"Your Dad's taken care of that, Sam. He called in a favor and Lt. Cmdr. Monroe is going to be your co-pilot."

"Steve McGarrett, you are absolutely the sweetest, most considerate man alive."

"I love you, too, Sam. We're good to take off Thursday at 1600 hours, fly to Denver arriving there around 2300 hours. We'll spend the night in Denver, take off from there at 0700 hours Friday morning, and arrive in D.C. at 1030 hours. Mike's already taken care of overnight accommodations for us and Merlin and he's also got us all in the Visiting Officer's Quarters at Fort Meyer and he's taken care of a rental car, too."

"You and my father have been busy boys. Anything else I should know about?"

Nope, I think that about covers it. Except, of course, for the fact that I love you very much, Mrs. McGarrett."

(Danny finds that Caroline has beaten him home and already has dinner started when he gets there. Caroline, adding some spices to the stew she's cooking, glances up and immediately senses that something's a little "off" with her husband. Putting the lid back on the pot and setting down the spoon she was using, she turns and takes the three steps necessary to give Danny a hug and kiss.)

"Uh oh. . I know that look."

"What look?"

"That look."

"Okay, Caroline, you're going to have to a teensy bit more specific here."

"Fine. The look that says, 'I've got something important on my mind.' It's on your face right now, Danny. Give."

(And Danny proceeds to tell Caroline exactly what he told Sam earlier in the day. By the time he's through, Caroline is looking at her husband in a totally different way and hugging him tightly.)

"Oh my God, Danny, I don't think I could love you anymore if I tried. I'm so, so sorry that you had to go through that experience, but . . . Thank you so very much for telling me and for telling Sam. Now she knows she has someone close she can talk to who's been exactly where she is right now."

"I want to help Sam if I can, but I did it for you, Caroline. After I almost lost you . . I hope you know that I will do anything for you. If it means I have to remember some things in my life that were . . Difficult, well, then so be it."

"Yeah, Romeo, I get that. Me, too."