Airwolf is somebody else's, probably Universal's or Bellisarius', and I freely admit that whoever's it is, I'm borrowing their show and they retain all rights, etc.
Author's Note: I've been promising a new Airwolf story for sometime on my profile page. This isn't it but it is a Christmas gift to say thank you to everyone who continues to read and review my Airwolf stories. I hope you enjoy this.
Pairing: Hawke/Caitlin.
Part One is set through Season Two of Airwolf; Part Two through Season Three; Part Three through the timeline I created in my Lost Season stories and the Epilogue follows after my Finding Family stories. You don't need to have read my previous stuff to read this.
Someone to Watch Over Us
Part One
The Truth About Holly
If there's one thing Dominic Santini knows about Stringfellow Hawke, it's that he doesn't trust easily.
So, it's something of a shock then, to walk into his cramped office in the hangar and find String smiling at a cute redhead in a checked shirt, tight denim jeans and cowboy boots. For a moment, Dom's simply pleased and intrigued by the pretty girl who's managed to put a smile on String's face – it's not an easy task. But then, String steps up and introduces the redhead as Caitlin O'Shaunessy, the Highway Patrol cop who'd helped him out in Texas when String had gone haring off to find an old buddy and ended up in a heap of trouble with a local sheriff.
Alarm shoots through Dom's veins like the best shot of whiskey he's ever drunk. They'd been in Airwolf when they'd rescued the girl from the sheriff's clutches. She'd followed them in her own small chopper for a few minutes until String had hit the turbos and left her in the dust, but Dom remembers joking that she'd get her man eventually. In hindsight, he's wishing he hadn't.
Dom's brow lowers and he mutters a hello. There's no doubt in Dom's mind that this O'Shaunessy broad is after his Lady. Probably going to arrest String too for shooting up the town rescuing her. He's uneasy and unhappy and wondering why the hell String isn't reacting in his usual taciturn manner. Clearly, the girl has him bewitched in some way.
Dom barely holds it together until she's gone. He rounds on String before the car is out of sight. 'What's with you?'
String shoots him a bemused look. 'What?'
'She has to be here for the Lady.' Dom points out, frankly bewildered that String hasn't worked it out for himself.
'Nah.' String shakes his head and steps towards the waiting Steerman. 'She came to bring Jimmy's body back like I told ya and besides,' he shrugs and climbs back on the trolley, 'we kinda talked about it already.'
'Huh?' Dom stares at him. 'What d'ya mean you talked about it already?' Because String never talks about anything. Ever. And definitely not about Airwolf.
'She called her a black battleship with rotors.'
Dom starts smiling because that's a good a description of his Lady that he's ever heard.
'She realised I wasn't going to talk and dropped it.' String continues.
'And you think she's just going to let it go?' Dom asks incredulous, hands waving dramatically, the smile disappearing off his face because String isn't usually this naive.
'Yep.'
String drops the wing nut and Dom stoops to pick it up. He hands it back to him.
'Thanks.' String waves the nut at him. 'Hey, she's looking for work; you think we have anything we could put her way?'
'And by we I take it you mean me?' Dom says side-tracked before he realises he's being side-tracked and wrenches his attention back. He glares at String who is focused on the repair to the Steerman, and realises that the conversation is over as far as String is concerned.
Stringfellow Hawke doesn't trust easily, but apparently Caitlin O'Shaunessy is the exception to the rule. Dom huffs and heads back into the hangar.
Dom knows one thing; if String is going to trust her than Dom can't. Someone has to look out for String if the kid isn't going to do it for himself.
o-O-o
Sins of the Past
When String picks Dom up from the county lock-up, after Dom's name is completely cleared in his ex-wife's murder, Dom's prepared to admit that he might have been somewhat wrong about Caitlin.
It's not just what happened with Holly, his niece, almost killing Caitlin, and Caitlin not holding that against him.
It's not just that Caitlin's seen Airwolf again; that someone has used her to get to String – to the Lady – and she's been hurt by that but allowed String to comfort her with music and get past it.
She's stuck with them.
She's stuck by Dom throughout the past week, allowed String to go off and do what was necessary to find out the truth and save Dom. She hasn't even questioned Dom's innocence – she's accepted it unquestioningly.
Despite the fact that Dom's been less than completely welcoming to her.
Maybe Dom's still not entirely convinced that the situation where she knows about Airwolf, and they know she knows, and she knows they know she knows can continue indefinitely, but she hasn't said anything to anyone as far as Dom can tell and the Lady remains safely tucked up in her hideaway.
Dom sneaks a look at String.
Maybe his boy is right to trust Caitlin.
He's still not sure why String trusts her – why String's trusted her without question since she walked back into his life after Texas. He only knows String does and maybe that's good enough for now.
o-O-o
Fallen Angel
Dom settles his red cap back on his head and lowers himself tentatively into the wheelchair that String has ready. Dom doesn't want to use the wheelchair but one look at String's stubborn blue eyes has him subsiding with a huff.
Caitlin climbs out of Airwolf. They've allowed her to use it for privacy while she changed clothes since the Lair isn't exactly kitted out with his and her locker rooms. String's spare uniform is a neatly folded bundle in her arms, and she hands it to String solemnly. He stows it with the rest of their gear in a chest hidden behind a pile of rocks.
By the time String is finished, Caitlin is caught up staring at the sleek lines of the Lady; admiring the way the last of the late evening sun floods her in a pool of liquid red gold.
Dom takes a moment to admire the view himself; the white underbelly dirty with dust; the black body so dark and deadly; the metal rotors glinting with the last of the light. Ah, but the Lady's a stunner.
String's moved up to stand beside Caitlin. 'You ready?'
Caitlin reaches out and touches Airwolf; there's a hiss of sound. Her lips quirk upwards. 'She really is beautiful.'
'Yeah,' String says quietly, 'she is.'
Dom's bushy eyebrows rise because String isn't looking at the Lady; he's looking at Caitlin.
Huh. Interesting.
Caitlin doesn't seem aware of String's regard. When she finally turns around and looks at him, String's usual guarded expression is on his face before she sees anything.
'Thanks.' Caitlin says softly. And Dom knows she's thanking String for finally admitting the truth of the Lady's existence, for bringing her in on his secret and trusting her.
'We couldn't have done it without you.' String replies with brusque honesty. He holds aloft the blindfold and Caitlin sighs but she turns around and lets him position her so he can tie it. He gently takes her hand and wraps it around his arm. 'I'll walk you to the car first and come back for Dom.' He darts a look at Dom.
Dom nods in agreement. He watches as String leads Caitlin to the jeep. She trusts him to guide her and Dom wonders how much of that is because String's trusted her with so much more; his search for his brother, the Lady, their lives – even if it is a one-time kind of deal. He wonders whether Caitlin realises just how much String trusts her. Somehow, Dom knows Caitlin won't let String down; knows String's always known that she won't, and something in Dom eases as he accepts that String may always have trusted her but now, so does Dom.
o-O-o
Flight #093 is Missing
'I should have just flown her to Texas myself.' String says as they stare out at the endless stretch of blue water.
Dom looks up from the monitor and blinks at the back of String's head. They've been searching for Caitlin's downed plane and String has gone quiet in a way that Dom knows means his boy is hurting. They're low on fuel; low on sleep and, Goddamnit, Dom can't bear to think what it means that they haven't found the plane yet.
'Don't do this to yourself, kid.' Dom begs gently. But he can't promise they're going to find her; can't promise that Caitlin will live.
String goes quiet again.
Dom's heart aches a little. He knows how many people String's lost – too many for a boy who loves as deeply as String does. Parents, Saint John, a fiancé back before String went to 'Nam, and another girl he'd fallen in love with, Gabrielle. String's only just climbing back out of the abyss of his grief over the last.
And maybe, maybe, String's friendship with a certain feisty redhead has helped with that. Dom's stopped questioning why String trusts her; why he's accepted Caitlin into his life so readily. Dom's just been grateful that String has let someone else in. But he sees why now; sees in String's desperation to find Caitlin how much String already loves her.
Maybe he's always loved her from the very first moment. Dom's enough of a romantic that he likes the thought of that.
String will deny it, of course. He'll claim that Caitlin's a friend; a good friend; that he cares; that he's fond of her; but Dom knows. String doesn't love easily but when he does he gives his whole heart and it's that very same heart that String's been wearing on his sleeve since they've started searching the water.
String loves Caitlin.
Dom can feel the bubble of hope bouncing around inside of him because all he's ever wanted for String is happiness, and falling in love with Caitlin is a step in the right direction. He can see the future stretching out ahead of him; String and Caitlin getting together (and maybe they'll need a little nudge because both of them seem stuck on friendship), marriage and kids, a good life. But he knows he can't hope too much; can't let the hope surface and indulge in it.
Not yet. Not with Caitlin missing.
Please, God, Dom silently prays, don't let String lose Caitlin too; don't let him lose someone else he loves.
o-O-o
Short Walk to Freedom
So, Dom's plan to get Caitlin and String to move beyond friendship hasn't exactly been going well.
As in it hasn't worked at all.
It's been a helluva couple of days. He and String had come down to South America to rescue Caitlin who'd been taken hostage with a group of kids, only for the rescue to go wrong. String had been captured but just as Dom and Caitlin had been about to set off to rescue him, he'd shown up having gotten out himself. Now, they're all safely on their way home, escorting the jet carrying the kids alongside them.
Dom considers the pair sitting in the front cockpit of Airwolf with fond bemusement. String glances toward Caitlin but returns his gaze to the sky ahead before she notices. A few moments later, Caitlin sneaks a glance toward String and averts her eyes before he notices.
Dom snorts silently at the by-play.
They love each other. He's certain of it. Unfortunately, both String and Caitlin seem completely oblivious to the other's regard.
String, at least, has the excuse that for a time Caitlin did seem to be intent on match-making him with anyone but her so Dom couldn't blame String for thinking she wasn't interested. Dom still has the memory of Caitlin dragging him away to leave String and a certain country songbird alone. But he's fairly sure that Caitlin's efforts had been grounded in a belief that String couldn't possibly be interested in her.
Not that Dom can blame her for thinking that either because since String has invited Caitlin to occupy the third chair of the Airwolf cockpit, String hasn't given Caitlin any reason to think that she means more to him than any other friend. He's protecting himself from losing her. Dom knows it and sometimes he even thinks String knows it.
Sometimes, Dom is tempted to hit the two of them over the head but if his subtle match-making hasn't been successful, his less-than-subtle one-time only effort has been downright disastrous with String telling him to knock it off and…and come to think of it, Caitlin might have started on her own 'let's get String together with someone-who's-not-me kick' right around that time.
Dom sighs. They'd be good together. He knows it. String's never trusted anyone the way he's trusted Caitlin. That has to mean something, doesn't it?
The two of them glance at each other again but this time their eyes collide and hold. Dom stops breathing as they simply look at one another. But, String turns away first and Caitlin follows a heartbeat behind with nothing said. Dom shakes his head sadly and wonders what it's going to take.
Continued in Part Two