Fanfiction: Resurrection - Part I
Fandom: Airwolf
Series: Finding Family (Story 1)
Summary: An old enemy resurfaces and Hawke takes an Airwolf mission to destroy him once and for all.
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Hawke/Caitlin. Michael/Marella.
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. Written for entertainment purposes only.
Resurrection
Part 1
Stringfellow Hawke cradled his son against him, breathing in the scent of baby powder before he gently lowered him into the crib. He stroked the tiny fingers that waved up at him and smiled unreservedly into the bright blue eyes. His son was a mere two weeks old and Hawke still regarded him with a sense of awe. He smiled as the baby’s eyes drifted shut. Hawke glanced behind him as he sensed he was being watched. His wife, Caitlin smiled back at him from their bedroom doorway. Her red hair was caught up in a ponytail and she was wearing the sweats that seemed to have become a uniform for her since the birth. She still carried a little of her pregnancy weight and the additional curves softened the lines of her boyish body. Hawke thought he’d never seen her look so beautiful.
‘He’s supposed to be sleeping.’ Caitlin said, her Texan accent rolling through the stage whisper as she wandered into the bedroom to stand next to him and slipped her arm around his waist.
He hugged her to him. ‘He woke up.’
‘Are sure Daddy didn’t wake him up?’ Caitlin asked wryly.
Hawke gave her an abashed look; he was complete enamoured with their child and she knew him too well.
She patted his chest and dropped a soft kiss on his lips. ‘Come on. Let’s leave him to get some sleep.’
Hawke allowed her to pull him out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the living area of the cabin. He glanced at the baby paraphernalia that littered the space and sighed in contentment. His dog, Tet, padded over and Hawke patted his head absently as he followed his wife into the kitchen. She filled the kettle and set in on the hob. He slid his hands around her waist and cuddled her. ‘Your folks get away OK?’
Caitlin’s parents had arrived the day after the birth and had helped the couple with the transition from the hospital to the cabin. Hawke had to admit it had been good to have them there despite the lack of privacy. In truth, although he and Caitlin were more than thrilled at becoming parents, they’d also both been daunted by the sudden reality of having a tiny human being dependent on them. Patrick and Maggie had been provided plenty of practical advice on simple things like diaper changes and bathing the baby that Hawke had appreciated and whilst Caitlin was much more experienced, having looked after her nieces and nephews, he knew they’d both found the presence of the older couple reassuring. But they couldn’t stay forever and Caitlin had taken them to the airport earlier.
‘They did.’ Caitlin smiled. ‘Mom was still trying to convince me we should all go to the ranch for a while especially with Christmas coming up.’
Hawke pulled back to look in her eyes. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to?’
She nodded and brushed her fingers through his short brown hair. ‘Like I said to Mom, I want to stay in our own home.’
He smiled and hugged her closer. ‘I know. It’s been a hell of a year.’ His mind ran over the past twelve months tiredly; kidnappings, faked deaths, the real loss of his surrogate father and mentor, Dominic Santini and an injury that had almost cost him his own life. His hold on his wife tightened. There had been some highlights in amongst the pain though; their marriage, their baby and the long anticipated return of his missing brother, Saint John - which reminded him…
‘I called Michael.’ Hawke said referring to their close friend, Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III. ‘Asked him to give us the weekend.’
Caitlin nodded. ‘When’s Saint John due to arrive?’
‘He said he’d be here in time for dinner.’ Hawke murmured. His brother had only managed snatched visits in the previous two weeks to visit his new nephew and he’d finally arranged to get a weekend off from his job as part of the Airwolf team.
The Airwolf team. The phrase resounded in Hawke’s head. It felt strange that he no longer had responsibility for the original Airwolf helicopter. The technologically advanced and mach capable machine was now in the hands of the Company, an intelligence agency, following their take-over of the FIRM. It amused Hawke that they still operated pretty much with the set-up he had established with Dom; a small team working in secrecy from the Lair, a cave in the Valley of the Gods. His brother was part of that team and he wasn’t; Hawke felt a twinge of envy that he quickly smothered. They might have the original machine but what they didn’t realise was that Airwolf was more than just nuts and bolts. The machine had developed a full blown artificial intelligence which had saved Hawke’s life and the lives of the rest of the old Airwolf team on more than one occasion. It was the intelligence that was Airwolf not merely the helicopter.
The old team had believed it was too dangerous for the Company to get their hands on the artificial intelligence and Caitlin had arranged to have it transferred into a brand new ship, one that Michael had been building for a quite a while; the next generation of Airwolf helicopter. Hawke didn’t understand the details of what had happened but the intelligence now resided in the new machine and the original’s programming had been altered to prevent another intelligence from forming. Of course, that didn’t seem stop Airwolf from linking back to the old machine on occasion and Hawke believed Michael allowed it only so the spy would have better information about the activities of the current Airwolf team. Michael had been replaced as the official agency contact by a Company man called Jason Locke. Hawke was just pleased that Michael still retained control of the new project especially as he was joining it in the New Year as the lead test pilot for the new helicopter; his start date had been delayed with the birth of the baby.
Michael had been really generous, Hawke thought. The spy had not only offered Hawke and Caitlin job’s on the project to provide them with protection but he’d been there for them through the difficult months following Dom’s death. Michael had even tracked down Dom’s killer, a woman called Rosalind Bening, and given Hawke unquestioning back-up during their confrontation with her. The confrontation had precipitated Caitlin going into labour and Michael’s partner, Marella, getting shot protecting her. Hawke sighed. They had all come out of it alive and with the bonds of friendship between the four of them stronger than ever. He knew it was something his brother was finding it difficult to comprehend.
He let Caitlin pull away as the kettle boiled and watched her contentedly as she made a mug of coffee. It had been Caitlin who had typically picked up on the tension between Saint John and Michael the week before when both men had shown up at the cabin at the same time. If he thought back, he could see how taken aback Saint John had been with how comfortable Michael had been at the cabin, how the spy had been treated like family by Caitlin’s own parents who had been meeting Saint John for the first time, how close Michael was to Hawke. His brother had left early and when Hawke had complained to Caitlin as they’d gone to bed, he’d been surprised at her gentle admonishment that Saint John had probably felt out of place and jealous. Whilst one part of Hawke felt his older brother had no-one but himself to blame for that - it had been his decision not to contact Hawke for over sixteen years after all - another part of Hawke wanted to regain the closeness they had once shared as brothers. Hence his call to Michael; the spy had agreed not to visit over the weekend so Hawke and Saint John could have time together. The older man had understood the situation, had even been sympathetic in an amused kind of way. Although the spy had commented that his own daughter, Angelina and Marella were both going to be disappointed at not getting time with Nicky. Michael was a good friend, Hawke mused, and his older brother was just going to have to get used to that. The weekend together would give them the opportunity to talk at least.
‘Hey, Earth to Hawke.’ Caitlin waved a hand on front of his face before she hooked her arms around his waist. His automatically went around her in response. ‘You OK?’
‘Yeah.’ Hawke nodded. ‘Just thinking.’
She smiled at him. ‘Did your thinking include how we have the whole afternoon together, just the two of us?’ Her fingers walked their way up the buttons on his shirt.
Hawke’s blue eyes twinkled. ‘Well, now you mention it.’ He kissed her gently. ‘How about we bundle up in a blanket by the fire and make out?’
‘Make out, huh?’ Caitlin smiled. ‘Sounds good to me.’ She tipped her head up and his lips met hers softly. She eased out of their embrace to collect their drink and Hawke went to stoke the fire. They were soon cuddling under the blanket with their limbs tangled together as they held each other and shared the coffee.
Hawke sighed contentedly. Whilst he had appreciated the help from his in-laws and the visits from their friends, Hawke mused, it was nice to have some time with his wife. Caitlin snuggled against him and he pressed her closer. ‘This is nice, huh?’ Hawke said.
‘Hmmm.’ Caitlin was tempted to close her eyes. She was shattered; she had definitely underestimated how tiring having a baby actually was.
‘Are you falling asleep on me?’ asked Hawke laughing.
‘No.’ She raised her head to look at him. ‘Thinking about it.’ She admitted.
He urged her back down. ‘You close your eyes.’
‘Yeah?’
‘Yeah.’ Hawke dropped a kiss on her freckled forehead.
Caitlin let her eyelids droop closed. She was asleep instantly. Hawke drew the blanket around her. He was happy just to have her asleep in his arms. He let his own eyes drift shut.
Part 2
‘Are you sure?’ Caitlin asked as Hawke placed their son in the baby carrier and straightened.
‘I’m sure.’ Hawke said gesturing at the sleeping infant. ‘He’s fed, changed and bathed. I think Saint John and I can cope with keeping an eye on him whilst you take a bubble bath.’
Caitlin gave in; the offer of time to pamper herself too good to pass up. She leaned over and kissed Hawke. ‘Yell if you need anything.’ She escaped before the men could change their minds.
Hawke picked up the carrier and went over to the sofa where his brother had sat and watched the exchange with amusement. He placed the carrier carefully beside Saint John and went back into the kitchen to grab a couple of beers.
Saint John accepted the bottle with a frown. ‘Should we be drinking if we’re looking after him?’
Hawke’s lips twitched. He’d asked the same question when his father-in-law had handed him a beer the second night they’d been home. ‘One beer isn’t going to hurt, Saint John and besides, Cait’s still sober.’
His older brother’s hazel eyes cleared and he nodded. They had all stuck with water at dinner. Saint John settled back against the sofa cushions as his brother stoked the fire to a cheerful blaze and petted his dog. Hawke returned to the couch and peeked into the carrier to check his son was still sleeping.
‘This suits you.’ Saint John commented smiling.
Hawke’s blue eyes snapped to his brother’s. ‘What?’
Saint John gestured at the domesticated scene around him. ‘This. Marriage. Baby.’
Hawke shrugged a little embarrassed. He pointed his beer bottle at his brother. ‘What about you?’
‘What about me?’ Saint John asked.
‘Well, you’ve been back a while now,’ Hawke pointed out, ‘and if I remember right, you never had trouble getting female attention.’
Saint John took a gulp of beer and stared at the fire. ‘It hasn’t exactly been a priority for me.’
Hawke stretched out his legs, rubbed at his right calf where he still bore one of the scars from his brush with death. ‘You should reconsider that. Life’s too short.’
‘Maybe you’re right.’ Saint John murmured.
‘Well, if you don’t make it a priority, Cait definitely will.’ Hawke warned him.
‘Cait?’ Saint John asked with a laugh.
‘My wife’s a bit of a match-maker.’ Hawke admitted.
Saint John assimilated the news about his sister-in-law without surprise. ‘I kinda thought that when she asked me outright earlier if I was seeing anyone.’ He gestured. ‘She wasn’t as subtle as you.’
Hawke smiled. ‘That’s my wife.’
‘Well, like I told her. It’s bit difficult to meet women when you keep getting sent out on Airwolf missions.’ Saint John said.
‘I can’t remember that being a problem for me.’ Hawke teased.
‘That’s what she said.’ Saint John retorted.
Hawke gave a short laugh and took a sip of beer.
‘Mike thinks I’m having an affair with a married woman.’ Saint John said idly.
Hawke raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
‘All the times I’m disappearing to see you.’ Saint John clarified. ‘The sneaked phone calls to Cait when you were in the hospital.’
‘I guess it’s difficult.’ Hawke murmured. ‘Keeping it from them all.’
Saint John rubbed his thumb down the neck of the bottle. ‘About that…’
‘You want to tell them.’ Hawke stated. His heart sank. He kinda liked the fact that he and Caitlin were to all extents and purposes dead to the rest of the world outside their immediate family and closest friends. Saint John himself was partially responsible for that having the muddied waters about Hawke’s fate when he’d taken him to a clinic in Switzerland to recover from the injuries he’d sustained in the explosion that had killed Dom. Caitlin was still officially dead as no-one had corrected the system after her death had been faked in a kidnapping attempt. They had needed the protection of everyone believing they were dead whilst Caitlin had been pregnant and Hawke had been recovering especially since Dom’s killer had still been at large and even though that wasn’t a consideration anymore Hawke still liked their invisibility.
‘Not everyone.’ Saint John muttered. ‘Just Jo.’
Hawke took a gulp of beer and didn’t reply.
‘String, she’s family.’ Saint John argued. ‘I don’t know what I would have done without her these past months. She’s helped me get my feet, been there for me. I’m not real comfortable keeping her in the dark now that you are all safe and Dom’s killer is dead.’
Hawke sighed. Jo Santini was Dom’s niece and she’d been like a sister to him and Saint John when they had been kids being raised together by her uncle. By the sound of it, Saint John had re-established that familial relationship with the young blonde pilot, probably in part due to their working together in the Airwolf team. Hawke could understand it. He had just started to rebuild his own ties with Jo when the explosion had happened but that had been after overcoming his own distrust at finding out that she had worked as an agent for the Company, a fact that she had hidden from himself and Dom and that knowledge still sat uneasy with Hawke.
‘Will you at least consider it, String?’ Saint John asked.
Hawke glanced at his brother’s serious expression. ‘OK. I’ll consider it but no promises. It’s not entirely my decision; I have to talk to Cait.’
Saint John sighed. ‘Thanks.’
‘So what excuse did you use to get away for the weekend?’ Hawke asked curious.
‘I told them I was heading into the mountains to meditate.’
‘Meditate?’ Hawke repeated amused.
Saint John smiled. ‘Isn’t that what Dad used to call fishing? Meditation?’
‘Yeah.’ Hawke shook his head. ‘I’d forgotten that.’ He looked over at his brother. ‘Do you think about them a lot? Mom and Dad, I mean.’
‘All the time especially now I’m back here.’ Saint John admitted. ‘It’s kinda weird knowing that I’m older than Dad was when he died.’
‘Yeah.’ Hawke took a gulp of beer.
‘He would have been proud of you.’ Saint John noted.
Hawke looked up surprised. ‘I think he would have been proud of us both.’
Saint John grimaced. ‘I’m not sure he would have understood me staying away for sixteen years.’
Hawke kept silent. He still wasn’t sure he understood it himself. He and Saint John had spoken about the reasons why he’d chosen to stay away, about the practical difficulties of contacting loved ones when he was deep undercover and the fear of losing his freedom and being consumed by the responsibility of looking out for his younger brother again. On one hand, Hawke could see the truth of it, even empathise, but on the other…his brother had chosen to keep Hawke out of his life for a long time and that still hurt.
‘He and Dom would have liked the name you picked out for your son.’ Saint John commented. Hawke and Caitlin had named their first born after both men; Dominic Alan.
Hawke smiled. ‘It was Cait’s suggestion.’
Saint John swallowed a mouthful of beer. ‘What about her Dad?’
‘Patrick didn’t mind. He really liked Dom and I think he understood.’ Hawke said. ‘Although he did say he expected the next one to be named after him.’
‘The next one.’ Saint John glanced down at the baby. ‘How many are you having?’
‘I don’t know.’ Hawke admitted. ‘We’re just kinda getting used to this one.’
Saint John picked up on the carefully hidden nerves in his brother’s expressionless face. ‘You’re doing great, String.’
Hawke stroked a lock of brown hair across his son’s forehead. ‘Yeah. I guess we’re doing OK.’
Saint John smiled. ‘You’re very lucky.’
‘I know.’ Hawke said. He smiled back at his brother. ‘Like I said, you should try it for yourself.’
‘Maybe I will.’ Saint John conceded. ‘If I find someone half as great as Cait.’
Hawke smiled at the mention of his wife. ‘She is the best.’
‘She’s good for you.’ Saint John said.
‘That’s what Dom used to say.’ Hawke noted.
Saint John looked over at his brother. ‘You miss him.’
‘Yeah.’ Hawke admitted. He missed the older man who had raised him after his parents’ deaths more than any words could express but he’d had a strange dream when he’d been injured; one where he’d said goodbye to the gruff pilot. ‘I’ll always be backing you, kid.’ Hawke clung to those words like a talisman. He liked the idea Dom was still somewhere in the ether looking out for him.
Saint John sensed a change of subject was needed. ‘So are you still planning to work for Briggs?’
Hawke’s lips quirked at his brother’s shortening of Michael’s name. ‘Yes, I’m still planning to work for Michael.’
‘Are you sure it’s the right thing to do? Saint John said.
‘He’s a friend.’ Hawke said simply. ‘A good one.’
‘He’s a spy.’ Saint John said. ‘A pretty ruthless one at that.’ He looked down at his beer before he caught his brother’s gaze with his own. ‘I checked out his file.’
‘I bet that made interesting reading.’ Hawke said wryly.
‘String…’
‘Saint John.’ Hawke interrupted him. ‘I know you have your doubts about Michael and I’m not denying what he is but underneath the spy act, he’s a good man.’
‘I know you two have gotten close.’ Saint John said.
‘I trust him, Saint John.’ Hawke replied simply.
Saint John shifted uncomfortably. ‘I just think you haven’t considered all your options. You know Dom left you the air service. Jo would give it back to you in a heartbeat…’
‘I’m not going back there.’ Hawke snapped. He took a deep breath and leaned forward. The crackle of the flames sent a shiver down his spine as he flashed back to the explosion in front of the Santini Air hangar. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back there.’ He said in a calmer tone. ‘Too many memories.’
‘Well, you could work with us.’ Saint John said. ‘You’re still the most experienced Airwolf pilot around and…’
‘You didn’t contact me for sixteen years because you didn’t want us joined at the hip anymore and now you’re suggesting we start working together again?’ Hawke said sceptically. ‘You’d hate it.’
‘I wouldn’t.’ Saint John denied automatically even as he recognised the truth in his brother’s words.
‘Well, I would.’ Hawke retorted.
‘Look, String…’
‘No, you look.’ Hawke interrupted him sharply. ‘I’m not expecting you to trust Michael but I do expect you to respect that I know what I’m doing. I don’t need you doing the protective older brother thing.’
There was a tense silence.
Saint John dropped his gaze. ‘I guess I kinda lost that right, huh?’
Hawke sighed. ‘Hell. Look, I’m sorry if I…’ he forced himself to look at his brother. ‘It’s just…’
‘You’re not used to having me watch your back anymore.’ Saint John completed when his brother struggled to find the words.
‘No, I’m not.’ Hawke said.
‘Well, I am your older brother, String.’ Saint John said firmly. ‘And whether you like it or not, I am going to be looking out for you.’
Hawke held his gaze for a heartbeat. ‘Will you back off Michael?’
Saint John sighed. ‘I’ll consider it.’
They sat in silence for a while both absorbing what had been said; what had been left unsaid.
Saint John sighed again deeply. ‘I didn’t think it was going to be this hard.’
Hawke glanced over at him. ‘I know.’ He met his brother’s rueful expression with one of his own. ‘We’re both going to have to work more at getting past this.’
Saint John nodded. ‘Deal.’
The beer bottles clinked softly. The baby stirred and their attention shifted gratefully to their next generation.
Part 3
Hawke came abruptly awake but the remnants of the nightmare held him in its hold for a brief moment and he couldn’t catch his breath, his vision filled with fire and smoke that only existed in his mind.
Caitlin’s touch steadied him; her palm cupped his cheek and he turned his head to look at her worried eyes in the shadowy darkness of their bedroom. ‘Hey.’
‘Hey.’
He shifted so she could cuddle into his side, her arm across his chest holding him tightly. He glanced over at the crib to check he hadn’t disturbed the baby.
‘Nicky’s fine.’ Caitlin murmured sleepily.
Hawke stroked her shoulder. Nicky. Caitlin had shortened Dominic to Nicky within five minutes of naming him. She had come up with a name that was uniquely their baby’s. Whilst they had both wanted to name their son for the older man, the usual derivative of Dom was too painful for both of them. The memory of the explosion flashed through him again and he shuddered.
Caitlin’s hold on him tightened.
‘Sorry.’ He whispered.
She raised her head. ‘Nightmare?’
‘Hmmm.’ Hawke knew it was pointless to pretend to her. There had been too many nights in the past months when he had woken caught in the grip of a bad dream.
Caitlin snuggled closer to him. ‘Go back to sleep.’ She whispered.
Hawke closed his eyes and let Caitlin’s rhythmic breathing lull him back to sleep.
When he woke next, sunlight was streaming through the window and he was alone in the room. He got up, showered and dressed before making his way outside. He nudged Caitlin further along the porch bench and snagged the mug of coffee from her hands as he dropped a kiss on her cold lips.
‘Morning.’ He said as he settled her into his arms and pulled the carrier carrying Nicky closer to them. ‘You should have woken me.’
She shrugged. ‘He got up early hungry.’ She grinned. ‘You wouldn’t have been much good to him.’
‘Yeah.’ Hawke returned her smile. ‘Wrong equipment.’ His thumb stroked over her cheekbone before he kissed her again.
She eased back and examined his shadowed blue eyes with concern. ‘You OK?’
Hawke sighed. ‘I’m OK.’
She bit her lip. ‘You had another nightmare.’
Hawke stroked a strand of red hair back over her shoulder. ‘I know.’
‘You want to talk about it?’ Caitlin asked taking back the coffee.
‘I get a choice?’ Hawke joked trying to lighten the moment.
She smiled but wouldn’t be diverted. ‘You had a tough weekend.’ She observed. Saint John had left the day before after spending the weekend with them. She hadn’t been oblivious to the tension that remained between the two brothers. They were still finding it hard to find their way back to their old relationship. Their one area of neutrality seemed to be Nicky. The little boy was bringing an ease to their relationship for the first time since Saint John had come back; their shared love for him was something the brothers could bond over without any past feelings to crowd in on them.
‘Yeah.’ Hawke didn’t disagree with her.
She took a sip of the warm liquid and handed the mug back. ‘It’ll get easier.’
Hawke sighed and took a gulp of coffee. ‘He wants to tell Jo.’
‘About you being alive?’ Caitlin murmured. It would be a big step.
‘About me, about you, about Nicky.’ Hawke said. ‘I think he’s feeling increasingly bad about keeping us a secret, particularly from Jo, especially since we dealt with Dom’s killer.’
‘What do you want to do?’ Caitlin asked. Hawke had been suspicious of Jo before the explosion.
Hawke sighed. ‘I don’t know.’
‘She was pretty fantastic after the explosion.’ Caitlin said thoughtfully. ‘She juggled the business, the hospital, the mission to get Saint John and she lost Dom too. I only kept her out of the plan to take you to Switzerland because I thought the fewer people who knew the better.’
He frowned. ‘I still don’t like how involved with the Company she is.’
‘She’s no more involved than Saint John.’ Caitlin pointed out. ‘And your brother feels the same way about your involvement with Michael.’
‘Yeah, I talked to him about that.’
Caitlin’s lips curved. ‘You talked to him about Michael?’
‘He’s going to have to get used to him.’ Hawke pointed out a little defensively. ‘Michael’s a big part of our lives whether he likes it or not.’
Caitlin took the mug from him. ‘I’m thinking he didn’t like that very much.’
‘No.’ Hawke agreed.
‘Well, they probably just need to get know each other better. Dom never liked Michael much at the beginning either.’ Caitlin said.
‘Maybe.’ Hawke sighed. Dom had never made his distrust of the spy a secret but the older pilot had grown to respect Michael. He dragged them back on subject. ‘What do you think about Saint John telling Jo? After all, it affects us all.’
She didn’t answer him straight away taking her time to really consider it. ‘If it’s only Jo,’ she began, ‘I guess it’d be OK. I think Dom would have wanted us to treat her like family.’
Hawke smoothed an errant lock behind her ear. She was right; Dom would have expected that they treated Jo like family. ‘I guess I’ll tell Saint John that he can tell her.’
‘Maybe he should bring her over.’ Caitlin said. ‘I could make some dinner…she could spend time with Nicky.’
‘Yeah.’ Hawke sighed. ‘I’ll give Saint John a call later. Set it up.’
They finished their coffee and began their day. It was surprising how hectic the day turned out to be; a morning appointment at the post-natal clinic ran on and they only returned to the cabin in the early afternoon. Hawke encouraged Caitlin to take a nap whilst Nicky slept and he set about the chores in the house. He was just finishing stacking the new firewood on the hearth when he heard the radio crackling into life.
‘String? Are you there? Come in.’ Saint John’s voice drifted over to him.
Hawke rubbed his dirty hands on the sides of his jeans as he made his way over to the radio unit they had stored at the back of the cabin. He picked up the mike. ‘I’m here, Saint John. What’s up?’
‘Jo’s missing.’ There was an underlying note of worry in the older man’s voice.
‘What do you mean missing?’ Hawke asked.
‘I got back from a gig in Nevada and she’s nowhere. I’ve just found her chopper abandoned on a beach. The charter she took up earlier says she left them and that was the last time they saw her.’
Hawke frowned. ‘What do you need?’
‘Something about this doesn’t feel right.’ Saint John said. ‘Mike’s checking out a few things but could you stay on standby? I might need you.’
‘Sure.’ Hawke radioed back hiding his surprise. He knew his brother had been getting in and out of scrapes since he’d joined the Airwolf team but Saint John hadn’t asked him for help until now. ‘I’ll be here.’
‘Thanks, String. Catch you later.’
Hawke put the radio down and looked over at Caitlin who was stood at the bottom of the steps. The radio had obviously woken her from her nap.
‘Sorry.’ Hawke said gesturing at the machine.
She waved away the apology. ‘What’s wrong?’ She asked.
‘Jo’s missing.’
‘Missing?’ Caitlin frowned and walked over to him.
He pulled her into a hug. ‘Saint John wants me to stand by.’
Caitlin’s eyebrows rose. ‘Really?’
Hawke nodded again. ‘I know. Weird, right?’
She patted his shoulders. ‘Well, maybe this is his way of trying to get closer to you.’
‘Maybe.’
Caitlin’s head turned to the bedroom an instant before Hawke’s excellent hearing picked up the baby’s cry.
‘How do you do that?’ He asked.
She smiled, dropped a kiss on his lips and headed back up the stairs to see to their son. She stopped half-way and turned to look at him. ‘You know he could have asked you because you’re his brother and he needs you.’ She disappeared leaving Hawke looking after her with a frown.
Continued in Part II.
Series: Finding Family (Story 1)
Summary: An old enemy resurfaces and Hawke takes an Airwolf mission to destroy him once and for all.
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Hawke/Caitlin. Michael/Marella.
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. Written for entertainment purposes only.
Resurrection
Part 1
Stringfellow Hawke cradled his son against him, breathing in the scent of baby powder before he gently lowered him into the crib. He stroked the tiny fingers that waved up at him and smiled unreservedly into the bright blue eyes. His son was a mere two weeks old and Hawke still regarded him with a sense of awe. He smiled as the baby’s eyes drifted shut. Hawke glanced behind him as he sensed he was being watched. His wife, Caitlin smiled back at him from their bedroom doorway. Her red hair was caught up in a ponytail and she was wearing the sweats that seemed to have become a uniform for her since the birth. She still carried a little of her pregnancy weight and the additional curves softened the lines of her boyish body. Hawke thought he’d never seen her look so beautiful.
‘He’s supposed to be sleeping.’ Caitlin said, her Texan accent rolling through the stage whisper as she wandered into the bedroom to stand next to him and slipped her arm around his waist.
He hugged her to him. ‘He woke up.’
‘Are sure Daddy didn’t wake him up?’ Caitlin asked wryly.
Hawke gave her an abashed look; he was complete enamoured with their child and she knew him too well.
She patted his chest and dropped a soft kiss on his lips. ‘Come on. Let’s leave him to get some sleep.’
Hawke allowed her to pull him out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the living area of the cabin. He glanced at the baby paraphernalia that littered the space and sighed in contentment. His dog, Tet, padded over and Hawke patted his head absently as he followed his wife into the kitchen. She filled the kettle and set in on the hob. He slid his hands around her waist and cuddled her. ‘Your folks get away OK?’
Caitlin’s parents had arrived the day after the birth and had helped the couple with the transition from the hospital to the cabin. Hawke had to admit it had been good to have them there despite the lack of privacy. In truth, although he and Caitlin were more than thrilled at becoming parents, they’d also both been daunted by the sudden reality of having a tiny human being dependent on them. Patrick and Maggie had been provided plenty of practical advice on simple things like diaper changes and bathing the baby that Hawke had appreciated and whilst Caitlin was much more experienced, having looked after her nieces and nephews, he knew they’d both found the presence of the older couple reassuring. But they couldn’t stay forever and Caitlin had taken them to the airport earlier.
‘They did.’ Caitlin smiled. ‘Mom was still trying to convince me we should all go to the ranch for a while especially with Christmas coming up.’
Hawke pulled back to look in her eyes. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to?’
She nodded and brushed her fingers through his short brown hair. ‘Like I said to Mom, I want to stay in our own home.’
He smiled and hugged her closer. ‘I know. It’s been a hell of a year.’ His mind ran over the past twelve months tiredly; kidnappings, faked deaths, the real loss of his surrogate father and mentor, Dominic Santini and an injury that had almost cost him his own life. His hold on his wife tightened. There had been some highlights in amongst the pain though; their marriage, their baby and the long anticipated return of his missing brother, Saint John - which reminded him…
‘I called Michael.’ Hawke said referring to their close friend, Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III. ‘Asked him to give us the weekend.’
Caitlin nodded. ‘When’s Saint John due to arrive?’
‘He said he’d be here in time for dinner.’ Hawke murmured. His brother had only managed snatched visits in the previous two weeks to visit his new nephew and he’d finally arranged to get a weekend off from his job as part of the Airwolf team.
The Airwolf team. The phrase resounded in Hawke’s head. It felt strange that he no longer had responsibility for the original Airwolf helicopter. The technologically advanced and mach capable machine was now in the hands of the Company, an intelligence agency, following their take-over of the FIRM. It amused Hawke that they still operated pretty much with the set-up he had established with Dom; a small team working in secrecy from the Lair, a cave in the Valley of the Gods. His brother was part of that team and he wasn’t; Hawke felt a twinge of envy that he quickly smothered. They might have the original machine but what they didn’t realise was that Airwolf was more than just nuts and bolts. The machine had developed a full blown artificial intelligence which had saved Hawke’s life and the lives of the rest of the old Airwolf team on more than one occasion. It was the intelligence that was Airwolf not merely the helicopter.
The old team had believed it was too dangerous for the Company to get their hands on the artificial intelligence and Caitlin had arranged to have it transferred into a brand new ship, one that Michael had been building for a quite a while; the next generation of Airwolf helicopter. Hawke didn’t understand the details of what had happened but the intelligence now resided in the new machine and the original’s programming had been altered to prevent another intelligence from forming. Of course, that didn’t seem stop Airwolf from linking back to the old machine on occasion and Hawke believed Michael allowed it only so the spy would have better information about the activities of the current Airwolf team. Michael had been replaced as the official agency contact by a Company man called Jason Locke. Hawke was just pleased that Michael still retained control of the new project especially as he was joining it in the New Year as the lead test pilot for the new helicopter; his start date had been delayed with the birth of the baby.
Michael had been really generous, Hawke thought. The spy had not only offered Hawke and Caitlin job’s on the project to provide them with protection but he’d been there for them through the difficult months following Dom’s death. Michael had even tracked down Dom’s killer, a woman called Rosalind Bening, and given Hawke unquestioning back-up during their confrontation with her. The confrontation had precipitated Caitlin going into labour and Michael’s partner, Marella, getting shot protecting her. Hawke sighed. They had all come out of it alive and with the bonds of friendship between the four of them stronger than ever. He knew it was something his brother was finding it difficult to comprehend.
He let Caitlin pull away as the kettle boiled and watched her contentedly as she made a mug of coffee. It had been Caitlin who had typically picked up on the tension between Saint John and Michael the week before when both men had shown up at the cabin at the same time. If he thought back, he could see how taken aback Saint John had been with how comfortable Michael had been at the cabin, how the spy had been treated like family by Caitlin’s own parents who had been meeting Saint John for the first time, how close Michael was to Hawke. His brother had left early and when Hawke had complained to Caitlin as they’d gone to bed, he’d been surprised at her gentle admonishment that Saint John had probably felt out of place and jealous. Whilst one part of Hawke felt his older brother had no-one but himself to blame for that - it had been his decision not to contact Hawke for over sixteen years after all - another part of Hawke wanted to regain the closeness they had once shared as brothers. Hence his call to Michael; the spy had agreed not to visit over the weekend so Hawke and Saint John could have time together. The older man had understood the situation, had even been sympathetic in an amused kind of way. Although the spy had commented that his own daughter, Angelina and Marella were both going to be disappointed at not getting time with Nicky. Michael was a good friend, Hawke mused, and his older brother was just going to have to get used to that. The weekend together would give them the opportunity to talk at least.
‘Hey, Earth to Hawke.’ Caitlin waved a hand on front of his face before she hooked her arms around his waist. His automatically went around her in response. ‘You OK?’
‘Yeah.’ Hawke nodded. ‘Just thinking.’
She smiled at him. ‘Did your thinking include how we have the whole afternoon together, just the two of us?’ Her fingers walked their way up the buttons on his shirt.
Hawke’s blue eyes twinkled. ‘Well, now you mention it.’ He kissed her gently. ‘How about we bundle up in a blanket by the fire and make out?’
‘Make out, huh?’ Caitlin smiled. ‘Sounds good to me.’ She tipped her head up and his lips met hers softly. She eased out of their embrace to collect their drink and Hawke went to stoke the fire. They were soon cuddling under the blanket with their limbs tangled together as they held each other and shared the coffee.
Hawke sighed contentedly. Whilst he had appreciated the help from his in-laws and the visits from their friends, Hawke mused, it was nice to have some time with his wife. Caitlin snuggled against him and he pressed her closer. ‘This is nice, huh?’ Hawke said.
‘Hmmm.’ Caitlin was tempted to close her eyes. She was shattered; she had definitely underestimated how tiring having a baby actually was.
‘Are you falling asleep on me?’ asked Hawke laughing.
‘No.’ She raised her head to look at him. ‘Thinking about it.’ She admitted.
He urged her back down. ‘You close your eyes.’
‘Yeah?’
‘Yeah.’ Hawke dropped a kiss on her freckled forehead.
Caitlin let her eyelids droop closed. She was asleep instantly. Hawke drew the blanket around her. He was happy just to have her asleep in his arms. He let his own eyes drift shut.
Part 2
‘Are you sure?’ Caitlin asked as Hawke placed their son in the baby carrier and straightened.
‘I’m sure.’ Hawke said gesturing at the sleeping infant. ‘He’s fed, changed and bathed. I think Saint John and I can cope with keeping an eye on him whilst you take a bubble bath.’
Caitlin gave in; the offer of time to pamper herself too good to pass up. She leaned over and kissed Hawke. ‘Yell if you need anything.’ She escaped before the men could change their minds.
Hawke picked up the carrier and went over to the sofa where his brother had sat and watched the exchange with amusement. He placed the carrier carefully beside Saint John and went back into the kitchen to grab a couple of beers.
Saint John accepted the bottle with a frown. ‘Should we be drinking if we’re looking after him?’
Hawke’s lips twitched. He’d asked the same question when his father-in-law had handed him a beer the second night they’d been home. ‘One beer isn’t going to hurt, Saint John and besides, Cait’s still sober.’
His older brother’s hazel eyes cleared and he nodded. They had all stuck with water at dinner. Saint John settled back against the sofa cushions as his brother stoked the fire to a cheerful blaze and petted his dog. Hawke returned to the couch and peeked into the carrier to check his son was still sleeping.
‘This suits you.’ Saint John commented smiling.
Hawke’s blue eyes snapped to his brother’s. ‘What?’
Saint John gestured at the domesticated scene around him. ‘This. Marriage. Baby.’
Hawke shrugged a little embarrassed. He pointed his beer bottle at his brother. ‘What about you?’
‘What about me?’ Saint John asked.
‘Well, you’ve been back a while now,’ Hawke pointed out, ‘and if I remember right, you never had trouble getting female attention.’
Saint John took a gulp of beer and stared at the fire. ‘It hasn’t exactly been a priority for me.’
Hawke stretched out his legs, rubbed at his right calf where he still bore one of the scars from his brush with death. ‘You should reconsider that. Life’s too short.’
‘Maybe you’re right.’ Saint John murmured.
‘Well, if you don’t make it a priority, Cait definitely will.’ Hawke warned him.
‘Cait?’ Saint John asked with a laugh.
‘My wife’s a bit of a match-maker.’ Hawke admitted.
Saint John assimilated the news about his sister-in-law without surprise. ‘I kinda thought that when she asked me outright earlier if I was seeing anyone.’ He gestured. ‘She wasn’t as subtle as you.’
Hawke smiled. ‘That’s my wife.’
‘Well, like I told her. It’s bit difficult to meet women when you keep getting sent out on Airwolf missions.’ Saint John said.
‘I can’t remember that being a problem for me.’ Hawke teased.
‘That’s what she said.’ Saint John retorted.
Hawke gave a short laugh and took a sip of beer.
‘Mike thinks I’m having an affair with a married woman.’ Saint John said idly.
Hawke raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
‘All the times I’m disappearing to see you.’ Saint John clarified. ‘The sneaked phone calls to Cait when you were in the hospital.’
‘I guess it’s difficult.’ Hawke murmured. ‘Keeping it from them all.’
Saint John rubbed his thumb down the neck of the bottle. ‘About that…’
‘You want to tell them.’ Hawke stated. His heart sank. He kinda liked the fact that he and Caitlin were to all extents and purposes dead to the rest of the world outside their immediate family and closest friends. Saint John himself was partially responsible for that having the muddied waters about Hawke’s fate when he’d taken him to a clinic in Switzerland to recover from the injuries he’d sustained in the explosion that had killed Dom. Caitlin was still officially dead as no-one had corrected the system after her death had been faked in a kidnapping attempt. They had needed the protection of everyone believing they were dead whilst Caitlin had been pregnant and Hawke had been recovering especially since Dom’s killer had still been at large and even though that wasn’t a consideration anymore Hawke still liked their invisibility.
‘Not everyone.’ Saint John muttered. ‘Just Jo.’
Hawke took a gulp of beer and didn’t reply.
‘String, she’s family.’ Saint John argued. ‘I don’t know what I would have done without her these past months. She’s helped me get my feet, been there for me. I’m not real comfortable keeping her in the dark now that you are all safe and Dom’s killer is dead.’
Hawke sighed. Jo Santini was Dom’s niece and she’d been like a sister to him and Saint John when they had been kids being raised together by her uncle. By the sound of it, Saint John had re-established that familial relationship with the young blonde pilot, probably in part due to their working together in the Airwolf team. Hawke could understand it. He had just started to rebuild his own ties with Jo when the explosion had happened but that had been after overcoming his own distrust at finding out that she had worked as an agent for the Company, a fact that she had hidden from himself and Dom and that knowledge still sat uneasy with Hawke.
‘Will you at least consider it, String?’ Saint John asked.
Hawke glanced at his brother’s serious expression. ‘OK. I’ll consider it but no promises. It’s not entirely my decision; I have to talk to Cait.’
Saint John sighed. ‘Thanks.’
‘So what excuse did you use to get away for the weekend?’ Hawke asked curious.
‘I told them I was heading into the mountains to meditate.’
‘Meditate?’ Hawke repeated amused.
Saint John smiled. ‘Isn’t that what Dad used to call fishing? Meditation?’
‘Yeah.’ Hawke shook his head. ‘I’d forgotten that.’ He looked over at his brother. ‘Do you think about them a lot? Mom and Dad, I mean.’
‘All the time especially now I’m back here.’ Saint John admitted. ‘It’s kinda weird knowing that I’m older than Dad was when he died.’
‘Yeah.’ Hawke took a gulp of beer.
‘He would have been proud of you.’ Saint John noted.
Hawke looked up surprised. ‘I think he would have been proud of us both.’
Saint John grimaced. ‘I’m not sure he would have understood me staying away for sixteen years.’
Hawke kept silent. He still wasn’t sure he understood it himself. He and Saint John had spoken about the reasons why he’d chosen to stay away, about the practical difficulties of contacting loved ones when he was deep undercover and the fear of losing his freedom and being consumed by the responsibility of looking out for his younger brother again. On one hand, Hawke could see the truth of it, even empathise, but on the other…his brother had chosen to keep Hawke out of his life for a long time and that still hurt.
‘He and Dom would have liked the name you picked out for your son.’ Saint John commented. Hawke and Caitlin had named their first born after both men; Dominic Alan.
Hawke smiled. ‘It was Cait’s suggestion.’
Saint John swallowed a mouthful of beer. ‘What about her Dad?’
‘Patrick didn’t mind. He really liked Dom and I think he understood.’ Hawke said. ‘Although he did say he expected the next one to be named after him.’
‘The next one.’ Saint John glanced down at the baby. ‘How many are you having?’
‘I don’t know.’ Hawke admitted. ‘We’re just kinda getting used to this one.’
Saint John picked up on the carefully hidden nerves in his brother’s expressionless face. ‘You’re doing great, String.’
Hawke stroked a lock of brown hair across his son’s forehead. ‘Yeah. I guess we’re doing OK.’
Saint John smiled. ‘You’re very lucky.’
‘I know.’ Hawke said. He smiled back at his brother. ‘Like I said, you should try it for yourself.’
‘Maybe I will.’ Saint John conceded. ‘If I find someone half as great as Cait.’
Hawke smiled at the mention of his wife. ‘She is the best.’
‘She’s good for you.’ Saint John said.
‘That’s what Dom used to say.’ Hawke noted.
Saint John looked over at his brother. ‘You miss him.’
‘Yeah.’ Hawke admitted. He missed the older man who had raised him after his parents’ deaths more than any words could express but he’d had a strange dream when he’d been injured; one where he’d said goodbye to the gruff pilot. ‘I’ll always be backing you, kid.’ Hawke clung to those words like a talisman. He liked the idea Dom was still somewhere in the ether looking out for him.
Saint John sensed a change of subject was needed. ‘So are you still planning to work for Briggs?’
Hawke’s lips quirked at his brother’s shortening of Michael’s name. ‘Yes, I’m still planning to work for Michael.’
‘Are you sure it’s the right thing to do? Saint John said.
‘He’s a friend.’ Hawke said simply. ‘A good one.’
‘He’s a spy.’ Saint John said. ‘A pretty ruthless one at that.’ He looked down at his beer before he caught his brother’s gaze with his own. ‘I checked out his file.’
‘I bet that made interesting reading.’ Hawke said wryly.
‘String…’
‘Saint John.’ Hawke interrupted him. ‘I know you have your doubts about Michael and I’m not denying what he is but underneath the spy act, he’s a good man.’
‘I know you two have gotten close.’ Saint John said.
‘I trust him, Saint John.’ Hawke replied simply.
Saint John shifted uncomfortably. ‘I just think you haven’t considered all your options. You know Dom left you the air service. Jo would give it back to you in a heartbeat…’
‘I’m not going back there.’ Hawke snapped. He took a deep breath and leaned forward. The crackle of the flames sent a shiver down his spine as he flashed back to the explosion in front of the Santini Air hangar. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back there.’ He said in a calmer tone. ‘Too many memories.’
‘Well, you could work with us.’ Saint John said. ‘You’re still the most experienced Airwolf pilot around and…’
‘You didn’t contact me for sixteen years because you didn’t want us joined at the hip anymore and now you’re suggesting we start working together again?’ Hawke said sceptically. ‘You’d hate it.’
‘I wouldn’t.’ Saint John denied automatically even as he recognised the truth in his brother’s words.
‘Well, I would.’ Hawke retorted.
‘Look, String…’
‘No, you look.’ Hawke interrupted him sharply. ‘I’m not expecting you to trust Michael but I do expect you to respect that I know what I’m doing. I don’t need you doing the protective older brother thing.’
There was a tense silence.
Saint John dropped his gaze. ‘I guess I kinda lost that right, huh?’
Hawke sighed. ‘Hell. Look, I’m sorry if I…’ he forced himself to look at his brother. ‘It’s just…’
‘You’re not used to having me watch your back anymore.’ Saint John completed when his brother struggled to find the words.
‘No, I’m not.’ Hawke said.
‘Well, I am your older brother, String.’ Saint John said firmly. ‘And whether you like it or not, I am going to be looking out for you.’
Hawke held his gaze for a heartbeat. ‘Will you back off Michael?’
Saint John sighed. ‘I’ll consider it.’
They sat in silence for a while both absorbing what had been said; what had been left unsaid.
Saint John sighed again deeply. ‘I didn’t think it was going to be this hard.’
Hawke glanced over at him. ‘I know.’ He met his brother’s rueful expression with one of his own. ‘We’re both going to have to work more at getting past this.’
Saint John nodded. ‘Deal.’
The beer bottles clinked softly. The baby stirred and their attention shifted gratefully to their next generation.
Part 3
Hawke came abruptly awake but the remnants of the nightmare held him in its hold for a brief moment and he couldn’t catch his breath, his vision filled with fire and smoke that only existed in his mind.
Caitlin’s touch steadied him; her palm cupped his cheek and he turned his head to look at her worried eyes in the shadowy darkness of their bedroom. ‘Hey.’
‘Hey.’
He shifted so she could cuddle into his side, her arm across his chest holding him tightly. He glanced over at the crib to check he hadn’t disturbed the baby.
‘Nicky’s fine.’ Caitlin murmured sleepily.
Hawke stroked her shoulder. Nicky. Caitlin had shortened Dominic to Nicky within five minutes of naming him. She had come up with a name that was uniquely their baby’s. Whilst they had both wanted to name their son for the older man, the usual derivative of Dom was too painful for both of them. The memory of the explosion flashed through him again and he shuddered.
Caitlin’s hold on him tightened.
‘Sorry.’ He whispered.
She raised her head. ‘Nightmare?’
‘Hmmm.’ Hawke knew it was pointless to pretend to her. There had been too many nights in the past months when he had woken caught in the grip of a bad dream.
Caitlin snuggled closer to him. ‘Go back to sleep.’ She whispered.
Hawke closed his eyes and let Caitlin’s rhythmic breathing lull him back to sleep.
When he woke next, sunlight was streaming through the window and he was alone in the room. He got up, showered and dressed before making his way outside. He nudged Caitlin further along the porch bench and snagged the mug of coffee from her hands as he dropped a kiss on her cold lips.
‘Morning.’ He said as he settled her into his arms and pulled the carrier carrying Nicky closer to them. ‘You should have woken me.’
She shrugged. ‘He got up early hungry.’ She grinned. ‘You wouldn’t have been much good to him.’
‘Yeah.’ Hawke returned her smile. ‘Wrong equipment.’ His thumb stroked over her cheekbone before he kissed her again.
She eased back and examined his shadowed blue eyes with concern. ‘You OK?’
Hawke sighed. ‘I’m OK.’
She bit her lip. ‘You had another nightmare.’
Hawke stroked a strand of red hair back over her shoulder. ‘I know.’
‘You want to talk about it?’ Caitlin asked taking back the coffee.
‘I get a choice?’ Hawke joked trying to lighten the moment.
She smiled but wouldn’t be diverted. ‘You had a tough weekend.’ She observed. Saint John had left the day before after spending the weekend with them. She hadn’t been oblivious to the tension that remained between the two brothers. They were still finding it hard to find their way back to their old relationship. Their one area of neutrality seemed to be Nicky. The little boy was bringing an ease to their relationship for the first time since Saint John had come back; their shared love for him was something the brothers could bond over without any past feelings to crowd in on them.
‘Yeah.’ Hawke didn’t disagree with her.
She took a sip of the warm liquid and handed the mug back. ‘It’ll get easier.’
Hawke sighed and took a gulp of coffee. ‘He wants to tell Jo.’
‘About you being alive?’ Caitlin murmured. It would be a big step.
‘About me, about you, about Nicky.’ Hawke said. ‘I think he’s feeling increasingly bad about keeping us a secret, particularly from Jo, especially since we dealt with Dom’s killer.’
‘What do you want to do?’ Caitlin asked. Hawke had been suspicious of Jo before the explosion.
Hawke sighed. ‘I don’t know.’
‘She was pretty fantastic after the explosion.’ Caitlin said thoughtfully. ‘She juggled the business, the hospital, the mission to get Saint John and she lost Dom too. I only kept her out of the plan to take you to Switzerland because I thought the fewer people who knew the better.’
He frowned. ‘I still don’t like how involved with the Company she is.’
‘She’s no more involved than Saint John.’ Caitlin pointed out. ‘And your brother feels the same way about your involvement with Michael.’
‘Yeah, I talked to him about that.’
Caitlin’s lips curved. ‘You talked to him about Michael?’
‘He’s going to have to get used to him.’ Hawke pointed out a little defensively. ‘Michael’s a big part of our lives whether he likes it or not.’
Caitlin took the mug from him. ‘I’m thinking he didn’t like that very much.’
‘No.’ Hawke agreed.
‘Well, they probably just need to get know each other better. Dom never liked Michael much at the beginning either.’ Caitlin said.
‘Maybe.’ Hawke sighed. Dom had never made his distrust of the spy a secret but the older pilot had grown to respect Michael. He dragged them back on subject. ‘What do you think about Saint John telling Jo? After all, it affects us all.’
She didn’t answer him straight away taking her time to really consider it. ‘If it’s only Jo,’ she began, ‘I guess it’d be OK. I think Dom would have wanted us to treat her like family.’
Hawke smoothed an errant lock behind her ear. She was right; Dom would have expected that they treated Jo like family. ‘I guess I’ll tell Saint John that he can tell her.’
‘Maybe he should bring her over.’ Caitlin said. ‘I could make some dinner…she could spend time with Nicky.’
‘Yeah.’ Hawke sighed. ‘I’ll give Saint John a call later. Set it up.’
They finished their coffee and began their day. It was surprising how hectic the day turned out to be; a morning appointment at the post-natal clinic ran on and they only returned to the cabin in the early afternoon. Hawke encouraged Caitlin to take a nap whilst Nicky slept and he set about the chores in the house. He was just finishing stacking the new firewood on the hearth when he heard the radio crackling into life.
‘String? Are you there? Come in.’ Saint John’s voice drifted over to him.
Hawke rubbed his dirty hands on the sides of his jeans as he made his way over to the radio unit they had stored at the back of the cabin. He picked up the mike. ‘I’m here, Saint John. What’s up?’
‘Jo’s missing.’ There was an underlying note of worry in the older man’s voice.
‘What do you mean missing?’ Hawke asked.
‘I got back from a gig in Nevada and she’s nowhere. I’ve just found her chopper abandoned on a beach. The charter she took up earlier says she left them and that was the last time they saw her.’
Hawke frowned. ‘What do you need?’
‘Something about this doesn’t feel right.’ Saint John said. ‘Mike’s checking out a few things but could you stay on standby? I might need you.’
‘Sure.’ Hawke radioed back hiding his surprise. He knew his brother had been getting in and out of scrapes since he’d joined the Airwolf team but Saint John hadn’t asked him for help until now. ‘I’ll be here.’
‘Thanks, String. Catch you later.’
Hawke put the radio down and looked over at Caitlin who was stood at the bottom of the steps. The radio had obviously woken her from her nap.
‘Sorry.’ Hawke said gesturing at the machine.
She waved away the apology. ‘What’s wrong?’ She asked.
‘Jo’s missing.’
‘Missing?’ Caitlin frowned and walked over to him.
He pulled her into a hug. ‘Saint John wants me to stand by.’
Caitlin’s eyebrows rose. ‘Really?’
Hawke nodded again. ‘I know. Weird, right?’
She patted his shoulders. ‘Well, maybe this is his way of trying to get closer to you.’
‘Maybe.’
Caitlin’s head turned to the bedroom an instant before Hawke’s excellent hearing picked up the baby’s cry.
‘How do you do that?’ He asked.
She smiled, dropped a kiss on his lips and headed back up the stairs to see to their son. She stopped half-way and turned to look at him. ‘You know he could have asked you because you’re his brother and he needs you.’ She disappeared leaving Hawke looking after her with a frown.
Continued in Part II.