Disclaimer – Airwolf does not belong to me, I have just borrowed the characters, with the exception of Beth who is my creation.

This is the first of - hopefully - 3 Airwolf stories with the Hawke/Beth relationship.

The story takes place at the end of season 2.

It is my first attempt at fanfic, although the stories have been rattling about in my head for a while.

Chapter 1

Stringfellow Hawke poured himself a glass of wine and sank into a comfortable chair by the fire. He sipped his wine, closed his eyes and sighed. It had been a long and tiring week at Santini Air, with their mechanic on vacation and Caitlin only able to answer phones and do paperwork due to a sprained wrist.

Dominic Santini, the owner of Santini Air and Hawke's closest friend, had dropped Hawke back at his cabin half an hour earlier and after a quick shower and change of clothes he was ready to relax. He had the whole weekend to himself to do whatever he liked.Sleep first, he thought, then tomorrow a long walk in the woods with Tet. As though sensing his master's thoughts, Tet lifted his head to look at Hawke and was rewarded with a scratch behind the ears.

Hawke was just drifting off to sleep when a distant sound caused him to open his eyes and tilt his head to one side, listening. As the helicopter came closer he recognised it as belonging to the Firm. No doubt it's Archangel with a very important, save the world job, he thought irritably. Just what he didn't need. He was too tired and the glass of wine he had just drunk had made him slightly light-headed, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since breakfast. He stood up and walked over to the bar where he poured himself another glass of wine and laid out two more glasses for his 'guests'. Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III, code name Archangel, would not be alone. He would have a beautiful, intelligent young woman, dressed all in white flying him in, since he was unable to fly himself any more.

The cabin door was opened by Marella who stepped aside to allow her boss to enter first. Leaning on a cane and limping slightly, Archangel walked over to the bar and sat down. The black patch over the left lens of his glasses was in sharp contrast to the white suit he was wearing and gave him a debonair look. Marella gracefully followed him and looked appreciatively at the label on the wine bottle before pouring a glass for Archangel and then one for herself. Archangel took a sip of wine, savouring the bouquet, before speaking.

"Good evening Hawke, I have a job for you"

"What a surprise" said Hawke sarcastically from behind the bar, "I didn't think this was a social visit."

Michael ignored him and continued.

"Do you remember Elizabeth?" he asked.

"Elizabeth?" Hawke frowned, "No I don't think so. One of yours I presume," he said, referring to Michael's many female assistants.

"Well...Yes" Michael looked a little awkward. "And one of yours too"

"One of mine? What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Hawke was too tired to play word games with Archangel.

Marella glared at Hawke, ever defensive of her boss.

"Be nice, Stringfellow. I think you'll want to take this job."

Hawke turned and glared back at Marella. "Start explaining now or leave. I'm tired, hungry and half way to being drunk and I don't feel like company."

Marella put her wine glass back on the bar and turned her stool so that she was facing Hawke.

"The only person who gets away with calling her Elizabeth is Michael. She insists that everyone else calls her Beth; in fact most people don't even realise her name is Elizabeth. I presume that includes you, Stringfellow, or you would have recognised the name. After all it was only about six weeks ago when you last saw her."

Hawke stared at Marella, his expression unreadable. After a few moments of silence he asked quietly, "Is she OK?" His voice was gruff with concern.

Michael took over the briefing. "She will be. She was working undercover and was kidnapped. They didn't treat her very well but none of her injuries are life threatening. Right now she needs somewhere safe to stay."

"Where was her protection, her backup? How could you let her get captured? And what the hell was she doing working for you anyway?" The questions stumbled from Hawke before he had time to compose himself.

"I don't have time to go into it now. Marella will brief you fully. My ride is here." Before Hawke could ask any more questions, Michael hurried out of the cabin and towards a white helicopter that was just landing.

Marella stood up and motioned for Hawke to follow her."

"Beth is in that chopper and we need to get her inside as quickly as possible. I'll need your help, I had to sedate her for the journey."

They jogged over to the chopper and Hawke lifted Beth carefully out of the back seat. She was wrapped in a white blanket and was not quite concious. She wasn't heavy, in fact she felt much too light and he carried her with ease into the cabin and straight up the stairs to his bed.

"I'll stay with her until she wakes up," said Marella when it looked as though Hawke was not going to leave her side. "She will be confused and disorientated when she wakes and may react violently to a man being in the room."

Hawke was about to protest when the meaning of Marella's words struck home.

"You mean, her kidnappers...they...," he couldn't finish the sentence and Marella just nodded.

Hawke glanced one more time at Beth, his face full of conflicting emotions, then turned away and went downstairs.

Sitting outside on the porch in the moonlight, staring at the lake, he let his mind drift back to when they first met.

"Come on String, you can't spend every night alone in the cabin. Come for a drink with me and my buddies. They have lots of war stories to tell and one of them even knew your dad!"

"Dom, you know I don't like crowds and the club'll be very crowded on a Friday night. Besides I need to get home to feed Tet." It was a lame excuse but it was all he could think up on the spot.

Dominic grinned, not at least put off by the the false excuse. "You know Tet is capable of taking care of himself." Then his face became serious. "String, you'll end up a lonely hermit if you carry on like this. Do this for me please, just this once, then I'll leave you alone... for a week or so!" Dominic grinned again, believing he had finally won the argument.

"OK, just this once" Hawke finally relented, to get Dom off his back.

Five hours later Hawke was seated with a group of war veterans who were on their fourth or fifth beer and getting very rowdy. He made his excuses and jostled his way through the crowd to the bar. There were a lot of people waiting to be served. The barman acknowledged him with a nod and continued serving the lady who was sitting on a bar stool next to Hawke.

She turned and smiled at him. She was dressed all in black and had long black hair, pale skin and elfin-like features. And the most beautiful smile Hawke had seen in a long while.

Hawke indicated the ever increasing number of beers in front of her, grinned and mouthed "Thirsty?"

He was rewarded with another smile and she leaned over to shout in his ear, over the noise of the laughter and music. "Can I get you one? Long wait otherwise. All my fault I'm afraid."

Hawke smiled back and nodded. "Thanks. Why your fault?"

" Promotion, party," she shouted back and waved her arm in the general direction of a large group of obviously drunk men.

"Whose promotion?" Hawke mouthed.

"Mine."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks."

Long sentences were out of the question due to the noise, but Hawke wanted to talk some more.

She handed him his beer and he shouted "Join me?"

She nodded and indicated that he should wait while she delivered the tray of beers to the table.