Snails & Crackers - dedicated to Sarah, thanks for the title.
Disclaimer - Set in the timeline originally created by Rachel500, of ten years after Dom's death, this story utilizes characters created and owned by Belasarius and Universal from the original Airwolf tv series . They are not mine, wish they were, sigh. I just like to take them out to play occassionally. Anyway no copyright infringement is intended. The characters of Nicky and Amelia were created by Rachel500, with occassional references to other characters she put into play. The story is mine.
Sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in his hands, Stringfellow Hawke scowled as he idly rubbed his finger across the rim of his cup. "I just don't know, Cait," he frowned. "Couldn't you just go without me?"
Turning from the sink, Caitlin Hawke glared. "String!" They're your friends as well as mine. Asking you to go to the wedding and the reception isn't asking that much."
Sighing, Hawke took a sip of his coffee. "Yeah, I suppose you're right," he said without much enthusiasm. "I'm happy for them, Cait, I really am, but I just can't get excited about getting dressed up in a monkey suit and making small talk with a couple hundred strangers."
The pretty red-head smiled. No, that wouldn't be his idea of a good time, she thought. She walked across the floor, dropping down into his lap and winding her arms around his neck. Nuzzling his ear, she whispered, "Well, how 'bout I sweeten the pot a little?"
Showing more interest than he had yet, Hawke raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh?"
"Well," she murmured nibbling on his neck, "we could make a night of it. A grown-ups night out if you will. I hear the hotel has some really impressive suites. "We could…um, try them out."
"Hmm-m," Hawke murmured feeling her kiss against his neck.
Cait threaded slender fingers through his short, brown hair. "Well, what do you think?" she asked, her voice husky.
"I think you're trying to seduce me to your way of thinking," he said, sapphire eyes crinkling at her.
Cait pulled back a coy smile playing across her lips. "Well," she asked teasingly, "is it working?"
Hawke slid strong, tanned fingers around the nape of her neck pulling her close. "Yeah," he whispered huskily, his breath warm and coffee-flavored as his lips settled over hers. "It's working."
"So you know that you've got to be there by 4:30 p.m.," Caitlin ticked off the list on her fingers to the lean, toffee-haired man beside her. "You're bringing the pizza with you and the movie?" she said questioningly.
Roper grinned. "Yeah, Cait. I got it covered."
"You're sure?" she said worriedly. "Hawke and I can always cancel our plans if you're not sure."
Roper rolled his blue eyes laughing. "I'm telling you Cait, I've got it handled, stop worrying. And if there's a problem, I'm sure Nicky, Amelia and I will be able to work it out." Clamping his hands around her upper arms, he started ushering her towards the hanger door of Santini Air.
"You know, maybe this isn't such a good idea…" she began.
The younger man wrapped his arm around her trim waist as he hustled her towards Hawke and the waiting Jet Ranger. "It's a great idea, and you know it. You and Hawke could use some down time with just each other after everything that's happened in the past few weeks."
"But…" Cait began again.
Roper reached around her and opened the cockpit door. "She's all yours," he yelled over the whipping noise of the rotors. "You'd better get her aboard before she makes a break for it."
Cait turned to give him a glare, as Hawke grinned at his oldest son. "I thought I was supposed to be the hard one to talk into going," he teased Caitlin.
Scrambling into the co-pilot seat, she frowned. "Okay, maybe you've got a point," she sighed as Roper slammed the helicopter door and walked away with a wave. "It's just kinda hard to leave the kids after everything that's happened."
Hawke sobered for a moment, reaching across the cockpit to pull Cait to him and kiss her cheek. He held her close to him for a moment and his blue eyes met hers squarely. "I know it's hard. But they'll be fine with Roper. You know that. He won't let anything happen to them."
"You're right," the red-head sighed, "and a night out for just us sounded like such fun, but…"
"Cait," String said, his eyes searching hers. "He'll keep them safe. We could use the time for us, and they need to have normalcy. Us keeping them under lock and key isn't it."
She looked down and nodded. "You're right," she said a bit tremulously.
"Of course I am," he grinned, giving her a squeeze before releasing her and resting his left hand on the collective. "So where to, my lady?" he said trying for his best John Wayne accent and failing badly.
"The ball, kind sir," Cait said, getting into the act and batting her eyelashes demurely.
Hawke chuckled. "Your carriage awaits," he drawled as he eased back on the collective and pushed forward on the cyclic. The Jet Ranger rose gracefully into the air, heading for Eagle Lake and the cabin.
Fastening the backs on a pair of diamond studs, Caitlin turned from the mirror. "Any chance of you zipping me up?" she asked Hawke, struggling with the zipper of the white sheath she wore.
Hawke glanced up, a scowl marring his handsome face. "Depends on whether I ever get these things fastened," he muttered, struggling with his cufflinks.
Stepping around the end of the bed Cait reached for his wrist. Nimbly, she slid the stubborn cufflink into place before reaching up to straighten his bow tie. Blue-green eyes lifted to meet serious blue ones.
"What?" she asked, smiling a little self-consciously up at him.
Reaching down, he cupped her cheek, rubbing the pad of his thumb across it. "You," he whispered. "Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?"
Cait grinned. "No, but I'll let you tell me," she said, reaching up to press a kiss to his lips.
"Tease," he rasped, turning her in his arms to zip the back of her dress.
"Mmmh," she murmured, "we could always not go."
"Not on your life woman," he growled. "You roped me into this and you're not getting out so easily. Besides," he cocked his head listening, "Roper's here."
Tilting her head, she listened as well, before glancing down at her wrist watch. "It's that late?" she gasped. "We've gotta go Hawke, or we'll be late!" Sliding on her heels, she hopped for the stairs grabbing her evening bag as she went, scooping up her wallet and lipstick and dumping them in, as she went. She left the cell phone on the bed.
Shaking his head, String followed behind. Roper stood in the living room, surrounded by a chattering Amelia and Nicky. "So what'd you bring us?" Amelia exclaimed. "You didn't forget the movies did ya?"
Nicky rolled his eyes. "No dummy, he's got them there in his hand."
Amelia shot him an icy glare.
Laughing, Roper interceded. "Enough guys," he said. "Nobody's going to be watching any movies if you don't let me in."
Argument forgotten, Amelia and Nicky rushed to help him in, grabbing his bag and the movies.
"Oh guys?" he said.
"Yeah?" they questioned in unison.
"I think there's a couple pizzas out in the jet ranger. You might want to get them before your mom and dad leave with the helicopter."
"Pizza?!" Amelia breathed reverently. "You brought us pizza? Whoo-hoo! She yelled as she raced out the door, Nicky on her heels.
Roper watched them go, grinning.
"You're ruining them, you know that don't you?" Hawke remarked dryly, the twinkle in his eyes belying the tone.
"And you're depriving them," Roper retorted grinning, looking up at the man who was his father, on the stairs. "Look at how well I turned out."
"Hmm, yeah," Hawke replied. "Kinda just proves my point doesn't it?" He gave a half-grin as he said it.
Roper rolled his eyes. "I don't know, Cait," he said, addressing the pretty red-head at the foot of the stairs. "How do you put up with him?"
"I don't know," she laughed giving String a look as he came down the stairs. "Somebody has to I guess."
Hawke harrumphed, as he walked past her to greet his son. Slapping him on the back, he stepped away just in time to avoid a collision with Amelia and a pizza box.
"Hey, I got first dibs on the pineapple!" Nicky yelled, hot on her heels.
"You sure you want to do this?" Cait asked smiling.
"Sure," Roper grinned. "We'll be fine. Go on, have a good time."
Splaying his hand across Caitlin's back, String ushered her out the door. "We gotta go, if we're going to get there on time," he reminded her.
"Right," she nodded. Reaching over she hugged Roper goodbye. "Thanks again."
"Not a problem," he said. "Now out with you."
Together Hawke and Cait headed out to the helicopters on the dock.
"So, who's up for pizza?" Roper exclaimed, turning back to the kids.
Sitting in the ornate, carved pew Caitlin and Hawke watched Lauren and Brian walk down the aisle.
"Isn't she beautiful in white?" Cait whispered.
Hawke cut his eyes at her. "When do you ever see her in anything but?" he asked, referring to Michael's assistant.
"Shh," she hissed, focusing on the scene in front of her.
Hawke subsided shifting away with a shrug.
Lighting the unity candles in front of them, Lauren and Brian knelt for the priest's blessing. Beside him, Cait sniffed softly.
"You're not crying, are you?" String whispered in horror.
"No," she sniffed.
Hawke raised an eyebrow. "You haven't forgotten that Vietnamese proverb about a crying woman, have you?" he said in an undertone.
"What proverb?" she asked quizzically.
"The one about a crying woman bringing seven years bad luck."
Frowning, she elbowed him in the side.
"Ooof," he muttered, rubbing his ribs.
"Serves you right," she grumbled unrepentantly.
Leaning back in his seat, String grinned.
