Survival
Disclaimer—Don't own anything, as usual.
Summary—A robbery attempt at Santini Air has serious consequences for Hawke and Caitlin. Can Cait survive? And what of their marriage?
A/N—This is a one-shot, original idea, refined a bit thanks to some discussions with av981638. Centering around Kenneth Langhorn from "Random Target" (S2). Enjoy—robertwnielsen
"It's about time you guys got here!" Dominic Santini said as he saw Stringfellow and Caitlin Hawke step out of the Santini Air helicopter.
"What, Dom?" Caitlin asked him as they walked up to where Dom stood in front of the hangar. "We're not late—and, besides, you don't look like you're real busy around here. Maybe String and I'll just go back home."
"Whoa, now wait a minute," Dom said, hurriedly reaching out to lay a hand on Cait's arm. "I don't want you two goin' back home. I was just curious, that's all."
"I know, Dom," Caitlin said with a smile as she embraced her friend. "So, what's on the agenda for today?"
"Nothin'," Dom grumbled. "Just waitin' around to see if somebody comes by with some work. But, we can always work on stuff in the office, or adjusting a few of the camera mounts, y'know," Dom said. Hawke knew he was trying to make light of the fact that business had been slow lately, and his humor was the way he usually did it.
"Well, then," String said as he pulled Cait towards one of the helicopters, "let's get to it." Smiling back at String, Dom grabbed his toolbox and moved to help them.
A few hours later, Dom, Cait and String were sitting in front of the hangar having cold drinks, when they saw a large black van coming towards them. "You think they're lookin' to hire us?" Caitlin asked as the van pulled up. A moment later, though, three masked men dressed all in black and holding large automatic weapons jumped out, pointing their weapons at Hawke, Dom, and Caitlin. "Hands up!" one of them shouted. "This is a robbery! Gimme all your money, NOW!"
"What money?" Dom demanded. "There's not enough money here for anybody-"
"Shut up, old man!" the masked robber said. "Johnson, take the old man into the office. There's gotta be a safe or somethin' in there! Clean it out and get back here, fast!"
The man called Johnson pushed Dom towards the office, holding a gun to his back. The leader turned back to Hawke and Caitlin and said to his partner, "Find some rope and tie these two up. We'll take a couple of the cameras with us, too—we can sell them on the black market." His partner nodded and started looking around for some rope to tie Cait and Hawke up.
Caitlin subtly glanced at her husband, and her eyes told him everything he needed to know. He subtly nodded at her as the other man came back over to them carrying several bundles of rope. He grabbed Caitlin's left arm and spun her around to tie her hands behind her back, when she suddenly lashed out, throwing her right elbow swiftly into her captor's head, knocking him temporarily senseless and forcing him to stagger backwards. He had already laid his gun on the table, so he had both hands available to tie Caitlin up, but the leader of the group had his weapon trained on Caitlin as she turned back around to face them.
Cait turned around to face the leader of the group, ready to attack, when suddenly, she felt the sharp concussive impact of a bullet in her abdomen. "Caitlin!" Hawke shouted as she went down. He went to check on his wife, and found the gun her captor had been holding lying on the table next to her. He quickly picked the gun up and shot the leader, then when his partner stood up and tried to attack Hawke, he laid him out with a quick left hook. At that moment, Dom and his captor came out of the office, and Hawke quickly shot the man behind Dom, killing him instantly.
"Dom, call an ambulance, NOW!" Hawke hollered. Dom looked down and saw Caitlin lying on the ground, blood spilling out of her abdomen, then quickly ran to the phone and called for paramedics.
Hawke grabbed the jacket of the man he had knocked down, as he was beginning to regain consciousness. "Who sent you?" Hawke growled angrily. "WHO?" Hawke shook the man by the collar, trying to get the man to respond. He finally opened his eyes and stammered, "Ken—Ken Lang—horn." Then, he passed out again. Just then, the ambulance arrived, along with a police car. The police quickly took the unconscious robber into custody while the paramedics strapped Caitlin onto a gurney, String watching anxiously.
"Patient is a female approximately 30 years of age," one of the paramedics was saying into their bio-phone. "Suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen. BP is 60/40, pulse 55 and thready. Pupils are responsive." The paramedic nodded, listening to something in the phone, then turned to his partner and said, "Start an IV, D5W with Lactated Ringer's, wide open." His partner nodded and grabbed the appropriate drug to start the IV.
"Is Caitlin going to be okay?" Hawke demanded angrily.
"We're doing everything we can," the paramedic said. "She's lost a lot of blood, and we need to keep her fluids up. We'll be taking her to—"
"Foxbridge Clinic," Hawke interrupted, and the paramedic nodded. Hawke knew that the doctors at Foxbridge were the best in the country. Michael wouldn't have it any other way, he said to himself anxiously as he watched the paramedics loading Caitlin into the back of the ambulance. "We going to the hospital, String?" Dom asked.
"In a minute, Dom," Hawke replied, knowing the police would have some questions for them.
'A minute' turned out to be almost an hour—the police had been investigating a rash of robberies in the area, including several at the airport—but in most cases, there hadn't been any witnesses. The robbers had murdered all the previous victims—and Hawke was worried that they might have added Caitlin to the list. Finally, though, the police had all the information they needed, and the surviving robber had been transported to Kensington Memorial Hospital, and would be charged with robbery and attempted murder as soon as he was conscious. Finally, Dom and Hawke left the hangar and headed for Foxbridge Clinic.
"Dom, I can't—I can't lose Caitlin," Hawke said. Dom was driving the Jeep to the hospital, as Hawke was in no shape to drive. He's a wreck, Dom thought anxiously as he glanced at his younger surrogate son in the passenger seat.
"I know, kid," Dom said, trying to keep his voice level to keep Hawke from panicking any more than he already was. "But, Cait's a tough gal—you know that as well as anybody. And Michael will have the best docs in the country there, you know that. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if Marella's helpin' them." Dom smiled in spite of everything when he recalled how, five years ago, when he and String were laid up in the hospital after the flying stunt had gone so wrong, Dom had said, 'but you're not a doctor, doctor' to Marella, after she listed her five doctorates.
Marella had replied, "You mean, a medical doctor? No. I still have a year of school left." So I hope she's there now, Dom thought anxiously as they drove.
A few minutes later, Hawke and Dom had burst into Foxbridge. Hawke immediately saw Dr. Jackson coming towards him, his scrubs bloody.
"Dr. Jackson," Hawke began anxiously, "how's—?"
"Caitlin's alive," Dr. Jackson replied, seeing Hawke and Dom both sigh with relief. "The bullet didn't hit any vital organs, although the blood loss had us all worried for a while. The paramedics did an excellent job getting her here quick, though—fifteen more minutes, and my news for you wouldn't be nearly as good. But..."
"But—what?" Hawke demanded. "Doctor, what aren't you telling us?" He forced himself to remain calm, and Dr. Jackson could see the anguish in Hawke's eyes. He laid a hand on Hawke's shoulder and said, "I'm afraid the news isn't all good. I'm so sorry, Mr. Hawke. We couldn't save the baby."
Baby? Hawke thought incredulously. BABY? "You mean—Caitlin was—?" Hawke suddenly felt himself overcome with emotion, and nearly collapsed, until Dom caught him and wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders.
"Eight weeks, Mr. Hawke," Dr. Jackson replied solemnly. "She was eight weeks pregnant. You didn't know?" Hawke shook his head, and Dr. Jackson replied, "I'm so sorry, Stringfellow." Hawke was shocked—in all the times he'd been here, either as a patient himself, or accompanying Dom or Cait, he'd never heard any doctor call him by his first name.
"Thank you, Doctor. May I—?" Hawke hesitated, knowing the emotional state he was in, and the state Caitlin was most likely in, but there were things he had to talk to her about.
"Normally, I'd say no, Mr. Hawke, but knowing you and Caitlin both the way I do, I'll make an exception," Dr. Jackson replied. "Besides, there are orders on all your charts not to keep you away from one another. Now, whether Caitlin wants to see you, given the circumstances, we'll just have to wait and see." He smiled at Hawke, and was relieved when Hawke smiled back, and nodded to him. "I'll—I'll be right back, Dom," String said as Dr. Jackson led him down to Caitlin's room.
When Hawke entered the room, Caitlin quickly turned her face away from him as far as she could with her abdominal injuries, then hid her face in her hands when she realized she couldn't turn away any further. "Go away, String," she whimpered, her voice strained with tears. "I—I can't—"
"Caitlin," Hawke replied, quickly walking up to her bed, "why didn't you tell me?" Hawke forced Caitlin to look into his steel-blue eyes, hoping she could see the pain evident in them.
"I—I was scared, String," Caitlin replied, her voice becoming stronger. "I was scared to tell you about the baby. I mean, I know we've talked about havin' kids someday, but when the doctor told me I was pregnant that day, I didn't know what I was gonna tell you, and I was worried about how you would've reacted."
"You could've told me the truth," Hawke grumbled. "We've been married for three years, Caitlin! I didn't think we kept secrets from each other anymore!"
I knew this was gonna happen, Caitlin thought angrily. She noticed Hawke had gone back to calling her "Caitlin," something he only did when he was angry—very angry—at her. He hasn't called me "Caitlin" in a long time, so I can only imagine how angry he is. I—I should've told him. "I know, String," Caitlin said to her husband, "and—and all I can say is—I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the baby. I was thinkin' you'd be upset. I mean, you know how much time and effort a baby takes. It would've changed both our lives, and I wasn't sure you—we, that is—were ready for that. I'm—sorry," she said again, erupting into a fresh set of sobs.
"I—I understand, Cait," Hawke said as he pulled her close to him while she cried. He rubbed her back, hoping that the gesture would help to soothe her stormy emotions, and his as well. "But, right now, you've suffered a loss, Cait. We both have, and all I want to do is help you." He looked her straight in the eyes, and Caitlin saw the love and concern there. "I want to help you through this. Okay?"
Unable to say anything, Caitlin nodded and pulled Hawke close to her again, and they held each other for a long time, Hawke finally giving in to his emotions and crying along with her. When Dom walked into the room several minutes later, he smiled when he found Caitlin and String lying on the small hospital bed, wrapped in each other's arms. He quietly closed the door behind him and turned around, just as Marella walked up to him.
"Hawke?" she asked, and Dom motioned away from the door. Marella nodded and the two of them walked to the waiting area.
"He's in there with Cait," Dom said, and Marella smiled and nodded. "What've you got?"
"The survivor was telling Hawke the truth," Marella said. "Kenneth Langhorn got out of jail several weeks ago. Evidently he still had some good lawyer friends on the outside, and one of them got Langhorn out on a technicality. And Langhorn has been running a new drug and robbery ring. They've hit six different hangars before they hit Santini Air today. They were looking for money, and equipment they could sell for more money, and drugs. Apparently, Langhorn's getting deep into the drug trade in this area. Trying to work his way back up the ladder, so to speak. Somebody wasn't too thrilled with the way Langhorn got himself caught the last time you tangled with him." Dom nodded tersely as he glanced back towards Caitlin's room.
"Thanks, Marella," Dom replied with a small smile.
"Any time, Dominic," Marella replied as she squeezed Dom's arm.
"Hawke?" Caitlin asked, "who did this? And why?"
"One of the guys who tried to rob us told me," Hawke said, "The guy behind this is...Kenneth Langhorn." Caitlin's face reflected her shock.
Langhorn?" Caitlin asked, shocked. "The same one who—"
"Yeah," Hawke said. "the same one who murdered Dom's friend, and Detective Sgt. Brannen." Caitlin remembered their discussion at the cabin after Langhorn was arrested.
"I just said that Det. Sgt. Brannen was out there with Langhorn under surveillance. And, I let it go at that."
"You're a good guy, Stringfellow Hawke," Caitlin said, smiling at him.
"Well, don't let that get around, huh?" Hawke asked, and Caitlin shook her head dismissively at him.
"What are you thinking, Cait?" Hawke said, bringing Caitlin out of her reverie.
"I was just thinkin' about that time at home, even though it wasn't home for me back then," Cait said. "After we tangled with Langhorn the first time, and I asked you about Detective Brannen. String, I need to know something. Did you have feelings for Detective Brannen?"
"Sorta," Hawke said with an embarrassed smile. "But I knew it wouldn't last, even before she got killed. She was way too much like me. And even though I didn't know it yet, I needed somebody different. Someone like—you, Cait" he said, forcing a smile, which he noticed Caitlin return, albeit thinly.
"String, promise me one thing," Caitlin said, then added, "um, make that two things."
"If I can," Hawke said, unsure what his wife was asking him.
"First, promise me we're gonna be okay," Caitlin said. "and second, promise me you're gonna make Langhorn pay."
"Cait," Hawke said, staring deep into her tear-stained hazel eyes, "I promise—no, wait—I guarantee you both of those things. Langhorn will pay for what he did, and we're gonna get through this, together." He kissed her deeply, to seal his promise.
"Then go get him, String," Caitlin said as the door to her room opened again, and Marella walked in with Dr. Jackson.
"I'm sorry, Hawke," Marella said, "but Dr. Jackson would like to give Cait a sedative—she needs her rest." Marella smiled at Hawke, and was relieved when he smiled, grimly, back at her. Uh-oh, Marella said to herself, recognizing Hawke's expression. Hawke's got that look in his eye—and I hate to admit this, but I actually feel sorry for Langhorn when Hawke finds him, because he's going to be in BIG TROUBLE.
"That's okay. I was just leaving, Marella," Hawke replied, as he kissed Caitlin's cheek. As he walked out with Marella, she said, "I don't need to ask where you're headed, do I?"
"Even if you asked, I wouldn't tell you," Hawke said, confirming her suspicions. She nodded and walked back into Caitlin's room. Good luck, Hawke, she said to herself as the door closed behind her.
"C'mon, Dom," Hawke said a moment later. "We're goin' hunting."
"I was hopin' you'd say that, String!" Dom said with a smile as they left and headed out to the Jeep. A few moments later, they were headed for the Lair.
"Are—are you guys okay?" Dom asked, worriedly.
"We will be, Dom," Hawke said. "Cait's gonna need time to get over losing the baby, but we'll be okay. As long as we've got each other, we'll be okay."
"Well, then, we better make sure we get home in one piece," Dom said, chuckling. "But I'm not too worried—our Lady's never let us down."
"And I bet she won't this time," Hawke said with a smile directed back at Dom.
By this time, Hawke had reached the spot where he parked his Jeep when they came out to the Lair. After hiking back, Dom and Hawke changed into their flight suits, and a short time later, Airwolf was lifting out of the Lair.
"Michael's calling," Dom said as he activated the descrambler.
"What've you got, Michael?" Hawke asked.
"A location on Langhorn," Michael's voice came through the speaker. "I'm transmitting it to Airwolf's computers—you should have it momentarily. Apparently, his man from the hit on Santini Air wasn't too thrilled when we told him he was facing an attempted murder charge to go along with the robbery and kidnapping charges he was already looking at—one that could escalate into manslaughter, if not outright murder, because of what happened with Caitlin's baby. I'm—I'm sorry about that, Hawke. Marella told me a little while ago."
"Thank you, Michael," Hawke replied, his voice turning cold. "Dom?"
"Got it, String," Dom replied, not wanting to say much about the location information he'd received until Hawke had broken the connection with Michael.
"We've got it, Michael, and thanks," Hawke said. "But there's something I don't understand. Langhorn was a top boss in the mob when we tangled with him before. What the hell is he doing running a two-bit theft and drug ring like this?"
"Apparently, somebody wasn't too impressed with the way Langhorn got himself caught last time," Michael said. "So, they decided to knock him down a proverbial peg or two."
"Makes sense, when you explain it that way," Hawke said thoughtfully.
Michael asked, "Anything else, Hawke?"
"I think that's it for now, Michael. And, thanks. Airwolf, out." A moment later, the connection was broken.
"Okay, Dom," Hawke said, "what've we got?"
"Langhorn's holed up in that same place he was before," Dom replied. "So at least we know where to find him."
"Yeah," Hawke said. "Turbos!"
"Turbos," Dom replied, shoving the lever hard against the stops. He felt the familiar kick in the butt as the powerful turbines engaged, and Airwolf rocketed off into the distance.
"String," Dom said hesitantly, "Marella mentioned somethin' to me before we left about how Langhorn was involved in this. She basically told me the same thing Michael said just now. Sorry I didn't mention it before."
"That's okay, Dom," Hawke replied, his tone grim. "I probably wouldn't have listened right then, anyway. Besides, I didn't ask you what Marella said, so no hard feelings." He turned slightly in his seat to glance back at Dom and direct a small smile at him.
"Thanks, kid," Dom said, smiling through his flight helmet as Airwolf flew on.
"We got company, String," Dom said a few minutes later. Hawke had already ordered the turbos taken off line, and brought Airwolf's speed below 300 knots. "Weapons to combat mode," Hawke ordered.
"Combat mode," Dom replied, punching the buttons to deploy Airwolf's ADF pods and chain guns.
"How many?" Hawke demanded.
"Six," Dom replied. "Hughes 500's, armed with quad 30-calibers, rockets—like Cait said before, these guys are armed to the teeth."
"They couldn't bring us down before, Dom, and they're sure as hell not gonna bring us down now," Hawke replied tersely. The first chopper crossed directly in front of Airwolf, and Hawke brought it down with a burst of fire from the chain guns. Another helicopter went down courtesy of a Hellfire missile.
"String!" Dom called out anxiously, "We got a rocket comin' in, three o'clock!"
"Sunburst!" Hawke ordered, even as Dom punched the button to release the powerful decoy. A moment later, they were rewarded as the missile swung away from Airwolf and flew into the side of a mountain.
"What's next, Dom?" Hawke demanded.
"You had to ask, didn't ya?" Dom replied as cannon fire bounced off Airwolf's hull. Just then, he looked down at the scope. "Another rocket comin' in, six o'clock!" Before Hawke could even call for it, Dom had punched out a Sunburst, but was horrified when the missile continued closing. "String! It didn't take that Sunburst!"
"It's a sniffer!" Hawke shouted. "Turbos!"
Hawke punched the button and felt Airwolf rocket away in the opposite direction. A few moments later, he swung Airwolf back into the flight path of the missile, and shot it down with a Hellfire. Then, he quickly dispatched two more choppers with missile shots.
"Looks like we got one headed straight for us, String!" Dom called out. "He's not pullin' a kamikaze, is he?"
"He's an idiot, if that's what he's doing," Hawke replied as he dropped the targeting visor on his helmet. A few seconds later, the lock on tone sounded in his ear, and he fired a Hellfire at the approaching helicopter, seeing it explode in a ball of fire almost immediately.
"Last one, String," Dom said, just before Hawke brought the helicopter down with a spray of gunfire. He quickly set Airwolf down in front of the compound, and he and Dom climbed out, hurrying to try to find Langhorn.
A few moments later, they found him, hurrying to exit the compound. "Langhorn!" Hawke shouted, pointing his pistol towards the gangster.
"Ah, Mr...Hawke, isn't it?" Langhorn said, a sardonic smile coming to his face. "Even though we've never met, I know who you are. I believe some of my boys paid you a visit earlier today, am I right?" The expression on Hawke's face told Langhorn all he needed to know.
"I do apologize for your lady friend being shot," Langhorn said, and Hawke had to force himself not to shoot Langhorn right then and there. "But if you two had just cooperated, and let my boys do what they came there to do, it wouldn't have happened, but no—she had to go and try to play hero, so she wound up as so much collateral damage."
"Why, you sonofabitch!" Hawke shouted, firing three quick shots from his 9mm pistol into Langhorn's chest, directly at his heart. Langhorn collapsed, and Dom quickly checked his body for a pulse, shaking his head up at Hawke a moment later when he found none.
"Let's go." Hawke said, and Dom nodded in agreement. They quickly left the compound, boarded Airwolf, and headed back to the Lair.
Later, Hawke and Dom were back in Caitlin's room. Dr. Jackson was just finishing up some notes on her chart, and said, "Good news, Mr. Hawke. I'll be releasing Caitlin first thing in the morning, and...I see no physical reason why she shouldn't be able to get pregnant again in the future. Nothing was permanently damaged, and there's no physical reason why you can't resume a healthy sex life as soon as Cait feels like she's ready to. As far as Cait's emotions are concerned, on the other hand, that's another story entirely—a miscarriage is a very big deal, and there can be severe emotional issues because of it—and, if you need some recommendations about therapy, or anything like that—" Dr. Jackson was suddenly cut off when Caitlin spoke.
"Doctor," she said as she grabbed hold of Hawke's hand, "the best therapy I could possibly get is right here!" She glanced up into Hawke's eyes, and Hawke was relieved to see Caitlin smile at him—a real, honest smile. Hawke smiled back at her and squeezed her hand, then Dom walked out with Dr. Jackson, leaving Hawke and Caitlin alone.
"Cait," Hawke said, moving to sit on the bed next to her, "Langhorn's gone. He won't be bothering us ever again. And, Michael assured me that the police are mopping up what's left of his new gang."
"Thank you, String," Caitlin whispered, pulling him closer to her. "But most of all, thank you for coming back to me. I—I was so scared, String. I thought I might lose you, too, and that—that I just couldn't handle. Losin' the baby was hard enough, but if I lost you on top of that—"She had to stop, because of the tears she felt coming into her eyes, but Hawke knew instinctively what Caitlin was telling him.
"I—I felt the same way, Cait, when you were shot," Hawke said, tears coming into his eyes. "I was so scared that they wouldn't get you to the hospital in time, and Dr. Jackson told me if they'd been fifteen minutes later, we might not be talking like this right now, and—" Caitlin finally kissed him, a deep, longing kiss that threatened to become something else, if Hawke didn't stop it.
"Sorry, String," Caitlin said after she pulled away, her cheeks turning a slight pink, "but that was the best way I knew to get you to be quiet." String smiled and nodded at his wife.
"That's okay, Cait," Hawke replied. "I was kinda rambling and babbling there. But it's like I said before, we're gonna get through this, 'cause we're survivors, you and me. No matter what, right?" Caitlin smiled as she recalled the words she and Hawke had said to each other on their wedding day.
"Yeah," Caitlin sighed as she tightened her arms around String, "no matter what."
String decided to camp out at the hangar that night rather than going home, and Dom understood. The next morning, he was there bright and early to take String to the hospital, and neither one was surprised when they got to Caitlin's room and found her already dressed and ready to leave. "Let's blow this joint, String!" Caitlin said from her wheelchair, which caused both Dom and String to laugh.
"That's our girl," Dom said as String grabbed the handlebars of her wheelchair to push her out. Once they reached the front door, Caitlin jumped out of the wheelchair, and together, she and String walked arm-in-arm over to the Jeep with Dom. A few minutes later, they were headed back to Santini Air.
"Okay, you two," Dom said when they were back at the hangar, "get outta here. You've been through hell, and Cait needs time to heal, so you're off the schedule for at least a week! Capice?"
"Capice, Dom," Caitlin said, "and—thanks." She moved to give Dom a friendly embrace, careful of the bandages she still wore over her abdomen.
"Yeah, thanks, Dom," Hawke replied, giving Dom a hug of his own. A moment later, they were back in the air aboard a Santini Air chopper, headed for home.
Once they had arrived back at the cabin, Caitlin took a moment to take a deep breath and glance at the lake, and the cabin at the other end of the dock.
"String," she said as she pulled Hawke's arms around her waist from behind her, "sometimes I forget how beautiful this place really is. But, I can't imagine being anyplace other than here, with you." She turned in his arms and kissed him right there on the dock. When they separated, Hawke noticed a particular gleam in Caitlin's eyes, and he knew exactly what she was thinking. Without a word, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her, giggling, back into the cabin and up to the sleeping loft. Once they were in the loft, though, Hawke hesitated, knowing what Caitlin had been through, emotionally and physically, less than 24 hours ago. Dr. Jackson said she's okay, physically, for sex, but—she might not be ready—emotionally—for this, Hawke told himself anxiously.
"Cait, are you sure? I mean, with everything you've been through, are you sure it's—?" he was suddenly cut off when Caitlin kissed him again, even more passionately than before.
"Yes, Hawke," Caitlin said when she pulled them apart, and had caught her breath. Hawke winced at her use of his last name, which told him she was getting impatient, if not angry, with him. "I'm sure. I know you'll be extra gentle because of my injuries, and the doctor said I was fine to resume a normal sexual relationship with you, remember?"
"Yeah, Cait," Hawke said, "I remember that Dr. Jackson said you were physically fine to have sex again. But what about—?"
"Hawke," Caitlin said, growing more impatient, "the best therapy I can think of is to be with you—in every way. So quit stalling, shut up, and make love to me, String. Now." Smiling, Hawke did exactly as he'd been instructed.
Ten months later...
"GODDAMMIT, HAWKE! If I live through this, you're never touching me again!" Caitlin shouted as another contraction hit. Hawke didn't know anything else he could do, so he simply squeezed Caitlin's hand a little tighter, hoping he could help her weather the pain of this latest contraction.
It had taken almost a month after the shooting, but Cait had finally gotten pregnant again, and Hawke wasn't taking any chances this time around. After six months, he all but ordered Caitlin to stay at the cabin, saying, "I'm not taking any chances this time around, Cait. We're going to have this baby, period. End of sentence, end of story." Reluctantly, Caitlin had agreed, even though she wanted nothing more than to continue working with Hawke and Dom at the hangar, and occasionally flying aboard Airwolf. But after what happened last time, I understand, Caitlin had told Hawke that day. Even after they had made love that first night, just like Hawke had been worried about, there had still been nights when Hawke would wake up to find Caitlin curled up on her side of the bed, softly sobbing.
When Hawke asked why she was crying, Caitlin told him she was thinking about the baby they had lost—whether it would have been a boy or girl, whether it would have had String's eyes and her red hair—which, she admitted, was exactly the combination she'd wanted, and she didn't care if it was on a boy or girl. Hawke understood, and that was his main reason for worrying so much this time around. I don't want Cait going through this again, Hawke thought to himself, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure she doesn't.
"You're doing fine, Cait!" the doctor shouted.
"That's easy for you to say, Doc!" she shouted back, even as she felt the pain subsiding. She knew the respite would be temporary, but was grateful for it nonetheless.
"Relax for a minute, Cait," the doctor said, knowing the contraction had subsided. Hawke took the opportunity to feed Caitlin some ice chips from the bowl sitting beside her.
"You're doin' fine, beautiful," Hawke said, smiling at his wife.
"Oh, I bet I look real beautiful," she sassed back at him. "Next time, how 'bout you try squeezin' something the size of a watermelon out of an opening the size of a lemon, and we'll see how hot you look?" She glared at Hawke, but suddenly felt the next contraction coming. "Oh, God! Here we go again!" Hawke readjusted his hold on Cait's hand, ready to help her through this latest contraction.
"This is the big one, Cait!" the doctor said. "Ready? Ready? PUSH!" Caitlin pushed with all her might, forcing the blood up into her face, turning it a deep shade of red. Finally, just when Caitlin felt like she was about to pass out, she heard it—the cry of her child.
"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Hawke," the doctor said. "It's a girl!" Hawke glanced down at the messy, squalling infant in the doctor's hands, then back at his wife.
"Mr. Hawke? Would you like to do the honors?" the doctor asked. Hawke smiled and took the scissors from her, cutting the cord as he heard his daughter crying. "She's beautiful, Cait," Hawke said through his tears.
A few moments later, after the nurse had taken their baby away to clean and measure her, and the doctor had finished taking care of Caitlin, she and Hawke were left alone with their daughter.
"Saoirse," Caitlin said, gazing down at her child.
"What?" Hawke asked, dumbfounded.
"Saoirse," Caitlin repeated. "It's an old Irish name—and it means 'freedom,' which I thought would be perfect, considering you and I are both pilots, and we love the freedom we have when we're flying."
"Okay," Hawke said, still not completely convinced. "I admit it sounds beautiful. But how the heck do you pronounce it?"
"Seer-sha," Cait repeated, surprised that Hawke hadn't heard her the first two times she'd said it. But I guess he's just caught up in the excitement of it all, she thought. "I'd been doing some research on Gaelic baby names, even before the miscarriage—since this baby's half-Irish, after all; and it just—felt right, y'know?"
"Yeah," Hawke said, his eyes tearing up as he glanced down at his sleeping daughter. "it does sound right—and feel right. Welcome to the world, Saoirse. You don't know how happy your mommy and I are that you're here." He smiled at Caitlin and was rewarded when she smiled back at him.
"Um, String? About that little, um, comment that I made before?" Her expression told String all he needed to know about which comment she was referring to.
"Yeah?" Hawke growled, but Caitlin saw the beginnings of a smile teasing his mouth.
"I—I hope you know I didn't mean it," Caitlin said shyly. "It just hurt so much—and I was so mad because of the pain I was feelin'—but seeing little Saoirse here with us—it makes it all worth it."
"Yeah, Cait, it does," Hawke replied as he pulled his wife and child closer to him. "And, I was hoping that comment was just the labor pains talking. I couldn't bear the thought of never touching you again. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, I know that. And, it was just the pains talkin', String," Caitlin murmured drowsily. "Believe me, it was. But I certainly don't want to go through that again any time soon. That hurt worse than bein' shot!"
"Cait," Hawke said as he gazed at Saoirse, "she's beautiful. I have to hand it to you—carrying Saoirse around these past nine months couldn't have been easy for you." He smiled as he recalled the bouts of morning sickness, backaches, and other problems that Caitlin had gone through.
"Well, like I said, String, I don't want to go through that again any time soon," Caitlin said. "But, that doesn't mean I never want to go through it again. I wouldn't want Saoirse to be an only child, y'know."
"Yeah," Hawke replied, "I know."
"She's got your eyes, I think," Caitlin said, smiling as she gazed into the originals.
"I noticed. My eyes, and she'll have your red hair. Just the combination you said you wanted, Cait."
"Yeah," she murmured drowsily, fighting to keep her eyes open. "Just the combination I wanted."
Hawke noticed her eyes beginning to close, so he called for the nurse to take Saoirse away for a few moments, then he kicked his shoes off and climbed into the small hospital bed, pulling Caitlin closer to him and feeling her arms go around him almost automatically. As they lay there together, Hawke thought about everything that had happened since the day Cait had been shot—and how well they had survived that day. Just like we always have, Hawke thought happily as he fell asleep. And just like we always will.
The End.