Story 3 – Revenge is a Dish
By: robertwnielsen
Disclaimer: I do not own Airwolf – Either Bellisario or Universal does. This story is based on my interpretation of what might have happened after the events in Sirius7's story From Nightmares to Dreams. However, events in my story will have no effect on events in hers. This is my interpretation of it.
A/N: Passing references are made to the 1st season episode Mind of The Machine, 2nd season episodes The Hunted and The American Dream, as well as the 3rd season episodes Horn of Plenty and Kingdom Come, and Maria Thorne's Jingle Bell Hawke story.
Summary: Caitlin and Hawke are on their way to a final showdown with Angelica Horn, but Hawke is worried about what might happen when they finally meet. Afterward, decisions are made that could change their relationship forever.
"No...NO! HAWKE, STOP! COME BACK TO ME, PLEASE! I LOVE YOU, DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?" Caitlin O'Shaunessey found herself in the grip of the second nightmare yet again – There they were, Hawke and Angelica Horn, holding each other and leaning closer...closer...until...
"STOP IT!" She sat bolt upright in bed again, screaming. Suddenly, her eyes opened and she looked around. Something, or rather someone, was missing. Hawke? His side of the bed was empty and cold....Hawke? No...he couldn't have...could he?
"Surprise." He stood before her, breakfast tray in hand. Setting it down before her, Hawke quickly kissed the top of her head as he set the tray before her, saying, "Good morning, sleepyhead."
"What's this?"
"What does it look like? It's called breakfast. Come on, dig in." She looked at the setting before her – coffee, bacon and eggs, toast with butter and jam...and a vase with a single red rose.
"What's the rose for, Hawke?"
"Why do people usually give each other roses, Cait? I love you. Have you forgotten already?"
Sheepishly, she looked at him and smiled, as she enthusiastically dug into the platters of food. "No, I haven't forgotten. But thanks for the reminder. I needed that."
"I heard. But, at least you made it most of the night."
"Yeah. Maybe I'm getting better. I sure hope so."
"Me, too. Cait, we need to talk about something."
"What?"
"If the nightmares ever stop. Are you going to want to stay with me, or..."
"I'll stay. For as long as you want me, I'll stay."
Bad choice of words, Texas, Hawke said to himself, very bad choice of words. Aloud, however, he said, "Careful. You sound like you're getting serious."
"So what if I am?" The glint was back in her eyes again – something Hawke had missed these past few days. "What will you do about it, Stringfellow Hawke?"
He smiled and said, "I'll let you know." Caitlin couldn't stop herself from thinking, I'll be darned...Bobby was right. He DOES look better when he smiles! Her thoughts turned back to Bobby Phelps, the young special needs child whose father the team had helped find a year ago, after he'd been kidnapped for his advanced aircraft designs. She made a mental note to tell Bobby that he was right the next time they saw him – she also decided she would log it into the Lady's computer the next time she took the EDCC chair – just so she wouldn't forget.
Hawke knew he didn't want Caitlin to leave – but he also knew it was her decision. What was that old saying? 'If you love someone, set them free...' but...what if you don't want to risk losing her?
Caitlin's voice jolted Hawke back to the present. "Hawke? Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure. On one condition."
"Name it."
"Use my first name a little more often, will you? I like it so much better when you call me 'String.' 'Hawke' just sounds so...so formal. Like you're angry with me."
"Okay...String. Now, let me ask you something."
"Go ahead."
"Would you send me away? If the nightmares stop? I mean, you told me before that they could last forever...and even though I feel like things have gotten better, I'm still scared."
Hawke paused before he answered her. "No, Cait. I wouldn't send you away. Are you saying that..."
She grabbed his face in her hands. Sometimes, Hawke, you drive me crazy! How can you have such phenomenal hearing, and yet not hear a damned thing I say? "Yes, Stringfellow Hawke! I want to stay here with you! Whether the nightmares stop or not. I love you. You've told me that you love me, too. So why would we want to live apart ever again? Not able to see each other every night, like we have these past few weeks. Can you answer me that, HAWKE?" Her use of his last name indicated that she was growing angry...and if there's one thing I've learned since I've known her, Hawke said to himself, it's that you DON'T piss off a redhead. Especially THIS redhead.
He took hold of her hands, kissing each palm gently. "Well, I don't know about you, but I personally don't ever...ever want to be alone again."
She slid her arms around him and grinned. "Good. 'Cause you're never...ever getting rid of me!" As she pulled him closer for a kiss, she said to herself, Guess we're up to #250.
Angelica Horn stared daggers at the picture of Stringfellow Hawke on the video screen. You killed my father, you deserted me...I hate you, Stringfellow Hawke! She knew that everything she'd done up to this point was driving him closer to her. Especially if one other person was being tormented the way Angelica thought she was. That little bitch. She took him away from me...made him hate me...and me hate him. But I know she saw me come out of Hawke's room. I can only imagine what she must be thinking. She remembered seeing the soldier that didn't quite belong back at her father's compound when she left Hawke's room. There was something...strange about that one, but Angelica hadn't worried about it until Hawke and his other partner escaped and...she stopped. Her anger threatened to overwhelm her yet again, and she was so close. So close to her final victory over everyone who had betrayed both her and her beloved father.
Soon, Stringfellow Hawke...soon...revenge will be mine. And it will be sweet. Oh, yes. It will be...so very...sweet.
Later that morning, after breakfast dishes had been cleaned and put away, and they had changed into jeans, sweatshirts and tennis shoes, Hawke and Caitlin took a walk down by the shore of the lake. Hawke had some questions burning in his mind, and knew that before anything was decided between them, they needed to be asked.
"Caitlin. I have something I need to ask you."
She froze. It's too soon! Not yet...please, not yet.
"What is it?"
"Were you ever angry with me about...about those other men you were seeing? The ones I had to kill?"
"What? Oh, you mean Robert..." Inwardly, she sighed with relief. That wasn't the question she had worried he was about to ask, even though it was one she knew he had to ask.
"And Ken. Ken Sawyer." She had almost forgotten about him. He had been the closest she'd ever come to finding true love (until now, she chided herself), at least, that's what she had thought until he took her prisoner as part of a plot involving stolen nuclear detonators. She had been the bait that lured Hawke, Dom, and Airwolf. She couldn't believe that after Robert, whom Hawke and Dom had shot down when he was trying to shoot her down as she flew Carter Anderson III to a meeting, that she had allowed herself to fall for another smooth talking man – but Ken Sawyer had been that man.
"No, Haw – sorry. No, String. I admit it hurt when I watched Robert die, and I thought I meant everything I said to you afterward, but I realized that if you hadn't shot him down, we wouldn't be having this conversation." She smiled as she remembered the conversation they had about Robert.
"And Ken...Ken strapped enough explosives around me to blow you, Michael, that other man who came with Michael, and me to kingdom come. I wouldn't shed a tear over him if it were my last one."
Hawke chuckled, remembering the explosives expert who had met he and Dom after they destroyed Sawyer's B-25's. "Babe. He was quite the character. Did I ever tell you what he said to us as he was getting off the ship?"
"No."
"He looked us straight in the face and said, 'Where have you guys been? You missed all the fun.' With the goofiest grin on his face. Dom and I both knew he was nuts. Of course, we didn't tell him what we were doing while he was working to get you out."
"The fact that you danced with a couple of B-25's, and tried to disarm the bombs, right? Listen, String. I want you to know – I don't blame you for either Robert or Ken. They were both crazy, and in their own ways, both used me."
Hawke placed his hand over hers. "I know. But I also knew how you felt about both of them. Especially Ken."
She glared at him. "How I felt about them in no way detracts from how I feel about you, you lunkhead. How am I going to get that through that thick skull of yours?"
They stopped, and as he pulled her to him, he whispered, "Like Dom said, I'm sure we could think of something."
==AW==AW==AW==AW==AW==AW
Knightsbridge
"Give that to me again, Laura. Every word. I want to make sure I understood."
"It's confirmed, sir. Target is in a prison camp just outside of Hanoi, along with six other members of 1st Air Cav. Satellite recon photos confirm his ID." She passed Archangel a stack of recon photos from the latest satellite passes over Hanoi, which had only been relayed to her a few hours ago.
"Saint John...after all these years. He's alive. Hawke was right, dammit, he was right again!"
"Sir?"
"Never mind, Laura, never mind. Are there any assets in the area that might be able to perform an extraction?"
"USS Enterprise and USS Essex could be there within 48 hours. Shall I..."
"Yes. Send the CO's of both ships my compliments, along with the latest recon data and new orders. Let's bring those boys home!" USS Essex was a helicopter carrier, and also carried two detachments of SEALs, and with the air cover provided by Enterprise's F-14 and F-18 fighters, they stood a very good chance of bringing Saint John and the other POW's in this group home. And, Michael mused, if things with his brother and Cait go where I think they will, we might get him here just in time.
"String. Are you absolutely sure you don't want me to come with you two?" Dom looked at his foster son with concern as he piloted the chopper toward Airwolf's secret hideaway. "Six eyes are better than four, you know."
"Yeah, but if two of those eyes are String's, it's almost as good," Caitlin chimed in from her seat behind Dominic.
"To be honest, I don't want either of you on this trip," Hawke turned just in time to catch the glare from Caitlin, "but she did call dibs on Angelica, so I guess I'm stuck with her." He winked at the woman who had done so much for him, far more, he mused, than he could ever repay. She smiled and winked back, to let him know there were no hard feelings, as they felt the chopper sink down to a soft landing about a mile away from the Lair. They would hike the rest of the way, after Dom had left them behind.
"Well, just keep your eyes open and your trigger fingers ready, you two. I don't want to be anywhere near a cemetery for the next 30 years!" Dom waved and closed the door to the chopper, and lifted back into the air, heading in a deliberately confusing aerial pattern to further disguise the location of the Lair, and Hawke watched his friend leave, saying to himself, I don't want you to either, Dom.
Within an hour, the pair had reached the entrance to the Lair, and disarmed the security system. As they strapped themselves into Airwolf, Caitlin said, "String, why did you say you don't want me along on this trip? You know I want Angelica's head just as much as you do."
"That's precisely the point, Cait," String replied as he activated Airwolf's systems, waiting for the rotors to come up to liftoff speed. "I'm afraid of what you might do when we find her. Or...what she might do to you. I...I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you." He grabbed the collective and applied the necessary power to lift Airwolf out of the chimney and on to her rendezvous with destiny. Clearing the mouth of the chimney, Hawke turned and glanced at his engineer. His single word spoke volumes. "Ready?"
"All set. Turbos ready."
"Here we go!" Cait felt herself flung back against her chair as Airwolf's speed immediately increased.
Deep within Airwolf's central computer, a new program activated itself, careful to avoid activating any of her monitors, so that no one saw what she was doing.
Program alteration: New Engineer/Pilot Confirmed
Name: O'Shaunessey (Hawke), Caitlin
Temporary Designation: Pilot-Friend2
End Program
"Hey. You're awful quiet." Hawke voiced his concern to his backseater.
"I was just thinking. Who knows what kind of opposition we're going to run into when we attack that place. We know she's got two squadrons of US aircraft bought and paid for, and the weapons to go with them. What else do you think she might try to do?"
"I'm hoping nothing." String answered honestly. "But, I don't really believe that will happen. She could try anything. You just do me one favor, Cait." He turned in his chair to lock eyes with her. "Be careful."
"You too."
A few minutes later, Hawke heard the ID scan program kick in. He knew they were traveling below Mach 1, having killed the turbos just a few minutes ago, so he didn't even bother asking for combat mode. A quick glance at his instruments confirmed what he already knew: Chain Guns: Ready. Sidewinders: Armed and Ready.
"How many?"
"Three. Two Vipers and a Phantom."
"What's their range?"
"15 miles at 3:00, angels 5."
"Here we go." Hawke quickly turned into the oncoming bandits. When Caitlin called out, "Range, 10 miles," he quickly dropped his targeting visor and acquired each bandit in succession, touching the firing stud as he did so. Three Sidewinder missiles shot from Airwolf's ADF pod, each impacting with its assigned target moments later.
"Didn't even break a sweat."
"Who? You, me, or the Lady?"
"I guess me and the Lady. You okay?"
"Yeah, String. I'm okay. Let's get this over with and go home."
The rest of the flight passed without incident, and soon, they had finished covering Airwolf with a camouflage net, and made their way to the door of Spahn Ranch. "This place gives me the creeps," Cait said, looking around.
"Yeah. Me too. I guess...I guess we just knock, huh?"
As if in answer, the massive front door began slowly opening, just enough to allow them to enter the main compound, which Hawke was surprised to find awash in light. Now I know this was a bad idea, he thought to himself angrily. This was obviously a trap. But, a trap for whom?
"For you both, obviously."
Hawke and Caitlin turned towards the source of that single statement. A not-unattractive blond woman, perhaps a few years older than Caitlin, stepped into the light. "Hello again, Stringfellow. It's...good to see you again."
"I can't say the same, Angelica. But, I know I'm the one you want. That's why I'm here. To surrender."
"Let's not talk about that just yet," Angelica grinned evilly, as she felt she had a perfect hand to deal. She stopped in front of Caitlin. "You must be the one who rescued Hawke and his partner. Not sleeping well, dearie?" Angelica chuckled at the younger woman's reaction, knowing what was going through her mind. "Yes, I know all about it. You've been having nightmares about Hawke and me, haven't you?"
It was Hawke who answered. "How did you know?"
"I didn't, actually. It was a lucky guess. But, I see it was the right guess. What I don't know is what you possibly could have to be having nightmares about. Oh, wait. I remember now. You were the one I saw when I left Hawke's room. What could we have been doing in there, do you suppose?" Angelica clearly enjoyed tormenting Caitlin, who Hawke could see was shaking almost uncontrollably. He touched her fingers with his own, and immediately sensed that she was trying to calm her nerves, but not having much success.
"Leave her out of this, Angelica. This is between you and me."
"Oh, you're right, Hawke, but not in the way you think. First, I want to set your little girlfriend's mind at ease. Don't worry, sweetheart, Hawke and I didn't do anything. A little kissing, a little making out, but that was all. Nothing a couple of high school teenagers never did in their parents' basement on a Saturday night. Although..." She paused, debated whether to press on, and plunged ahead, glaring deep into Caitlin's eyes. "I knew he wanted me. I could feel how much he wanted me."
Angelica glared at Caitlin. "But it seems I got just what I wanted. Just the fact that you saw me coming out of Hawke's room made you think that we were lovers, didn't it?"
Caitlin couldn't deny what she had just heard. "Yes."
"What's this all about, Angelica? Were you behind everything that's happened recently? The attacks, the letter, and Caitlin's house being ransacked?"
"Guilty as charged, Hawke. Yes, I was behind all of it. And, it worked." Storming over to Hawke, she looked him straight in the eye and said as she slapped him, "You bastard! Do you know what you did to my father?"
Hawke felt Caitlin seizing his hand. "When we found the car, you and your father had disappeared. Your chauffeur was dead. What did happen?"
"We were long gone before you found that car. I won't bore you with the details, Hawke. After you destroyed the compound, Daddy went into a deep depression. Oh, he tried to find Airwolf again, but when that attempt failed also, he eventually lost everything – he had sunk his entire fortune into getting that damned machine! Sacrificed everything, including his family! Including ME!" Hawke couldn't believe what he was hearing. All this time, he'd thought Angelica had tried to bring him to her because of what happened (Or rather, he now knew, what didn't happen) between them. Now, it was clear what she wanted. Revenge.
"Do you know the proverb that tells us that revenge is a dish that is best served cold, Hawke? Well, I'm going to tell you how cold my revenge is going to be for you. My father committed suicide because of you. So I'm going to kill the one person who means everything to you." She produced a gun and pointed it at Caitlin, seeing her steel herself with dread of the shot that was to come. "I'm going to take your sweetheart away. The one person you've allowed to come close to you – how will that make you feel, Hawke? Will it drive you insane, as losing my father did to me? I hope so."
"If you do this, Angelica, there won't be a place on this earth where you'll be safe from me. Do you understand me? I swear to you – you kill her, I will hunt you down like a mad dog!"
If you think I'm just going to stand here and let Hawke watch you shoot me, you bitch...then you've got another think coming! Caitlin thought, as she waited for any distraction, anything that could give her an advantage. She saw Angelica glance towards Hawke, which took her eyes off the former Texas Highway Patrol officer. It was just the opening she had hoped for. One swift kick sent the gun flying across the room, and Caitlin took the opportunity that small distraction provided to press her advantage. Hawke stood and watched the unfolding drama, as he knew Cait had to do this herself. This was her chance to exorcise the demons she'd been feeling these last few months, and Hawke knew interfering with that would be one of the dumbest decisions he had ever made, so he became an interested spectator, but nothing more.
Caitlin charged, and unleashed a devastating left hook against her tormentor's face. A similar right hand brought the crazed heiress to her knees, and Caitlin paused for a moment to catch her breath. This was just the opening Horn had been looking for, and she hooked Caitlin's leg with one arm, which caused her knees to buckle and allowed Angelica to land a convincing right cross to her jaw. The momentary advantage didn't last, however, as the former Texas cop came back with a thunderous left hook of her own. "Didn't anybody ever tell you that we Texas gals are notoriously hard-headed?"
Angelica found herself smirking, even as she attempted to catch her breath. "Well. It's obvious, at least to me, that the only reason Hawke took up with you is...you must be one helluva good lay." Oh, now you've done it, you blonde bitch! Now you've REALLY gone and pissed me off! Caitlin said to herself, as she moved in for what she hoped would be the final series of blows. As one of my brothers' favorite cartoon characters used to say, of course, you realize this means WAR. The first blow was another thunderous left hook, which sent Angelica sprawling against the wall, completely stunned. She followed that up with a right cross that would have done Mike Tyson proud...or done him serious bodily harm, Hawke mused. As Angelica slumped to the floor, Caitlin hesitated. Angelica suddenly turned and hissed, "Surprise!" Caitlin suddenly felt two hands around her throat. She let loose a thunderous headbutt, even though she knew it would probably hurt herself as much as it hurt her enemy. When Angelica released her hold on Cait's throat, she attacked again, clipping Horn's legs out from under her, followed by a thunderous kick to the side of Angelica's face.
She slumped to the ground again. Caitlin, more wary this time, stood ready for another attack, but after a few minutes, she realized that Horn was finally unconscious. She raised her hand once again, and thought to herself, It's payback time...and payback's a bitch...just like me! Now, I'm going to kill you! I'm going to make you pay for everything you've done to me! Hawke saw Caitlin's arm raised and realized what she was prepared to do. She was ready to strike the final blow, when she felt Hawke grab her arm and shout, "Cait, no! It's over!" He pulled her to her feet, and wrapped his arms around her as her entire body shook with her sobs. "Easy, baby, it's over," as he looked at Angelica Horn's unconscious form. "It's all over. She can't hurt us...not anymore." Quickly, they secured Angelica with plastic handcuffs on both her hands and feet, then carried her unconscious form to Airwolf for delivery to federal authorities.
Aboard Airwolf
"Well, I guess we have a few things to talk about," String said after they had turned Angelica over to the federal authorities, including Archangel. "Starting with our...arrangement."
"We talked about this before, String," Caitlin sighed. "I thought we agreed I was going to stay with you, because we love each other. Remember?"
A chuckle from the pilot's seat brought a smile to Caitlin's face behind the flight helmet. "Oh, I remembered. I was just making sure that you did."
She suddenly felt anger flush her cheeks again. "Stringfellow Hawke, sometimes you are the most obstinate, stubborn man I've ever met! It's like I told you before, Hawke," she snapped, emphasizing his last name so he would know how angry she was. "If we weren't flying this thing, I don't know what I'd do to you, but I can guarantee you wouldn't like it!" After a few seconds of thought, she continued, "On second thought, I do knowwhat I'd do to you! I'd take you out back of that cabin of yours and stake you to an anthill, covered with honey!" Hawke shuddered as he remembered his words of last Christmas, after he'd found Tet wearing a pair of reindeer antlers that was part of what he'd called her "Christmas overdrive." He'd promptly burned them, which elicited a very disappointed reaction from Caitlin. All he could do was apologize. 'Sorry, Cait. Beat me up if you want, stake me to an anthill...' When will I ever learn to keep my big mouth shut? He asked himself, not sure if Caitlin had taken his words to heart...but definitely sure he didn't want to know.
Hawke's Cabin
"So the whole thing was a revenge scheme?" Dominic asked, tearing into another plateful of the spaghetti and marinara sauce that he had made for dinner. "There wasn't anything...well, you know...going on?"
Hawke sighed. He was getting a little tired of telling the story, since he'd already told Michael twice, then Marella, and now Dom. "No, Dom. Nothing like that ever went on. Angelica didn't want me the way we thought she did. All she wanted was revenge for her father's suicide. Not Airwolf, not me, nothing."
"So, Cait, what are you gonna do now? I mean, you're safe, so there won't be any reason to stay up here any more, will there? Unless..." Dominic's voice trailed off, and both Hawke and Caitlin imagined the unasked question.
"Well, since you asked, I have made a decision – I love it here, especially the company." She reached for String's hand, and he took hers without hesitation. "So, yes, I've decided to make this my permanent home. Michael told us he'd take care of my old house, or rather, what's left of it, and everything associated with it." Just then, a plaintive whine came from the floor. Caitlin turned and gave Tet an enthusiastic scratch behind the ears, and said, "And I love you, too, Tet." Tet nuzzled her in appreciation.
Later that evening, Dom, Hawke and Caitlin sat enjoying some wine from Hawke's private stock. "Listen, you two. I know you've had it rough these last few weeks, so...why don't you take a nice long vacation? Go someplace where you can relax and unwind. Have some fun, already!" From the twinkle in Caitlin's eye as she glanced at him, then back towards Hawke, Dom figured she had her own plans regarding "fun" and "relaxation," and that they didn't involve any extended time away from the cabin.
"Thanks, Dom, but I think we'll just stay here for awhile." Cait's response did nothing to deter the thoughts that were whirling in his head. Damn, I must have had too much to drink. Are they going to do what I think they're going to do? Is that what she's talking about? Hoo, boy! Hawke simply looked at his old friend and mentor and smiled knowingly.
After Dominic had flown home, Hawke and Caitlin finished their second snifters of wine as Hawke had a thought about something he'd never noticed before. My God, she's got great legs. The strappy, high heeled sandals and knee-length skirt she had worn this evening only accentuated the shape of her legs. And the top, which seemed to Hawke to be just a shade on the tight side, did the same for other areas, he noticed. Damn, how much have I had to drink tonight? He asked himself. After only two glasses of wine, I shouldn't feel this drunk. Then he remembered – these were just the two glasses after dinner. There had also been the glass before dinner, and a glass during dinner. But the feeling he had wasn't that he was drunk. Far from it. It was a feeling that he almost didn't recognize, considering he hadn't felt it since Gabrielle; but once he recognized it, and the biological reaction that went along with it, he knew it was the right one.
Caitlin suddenly disengaged herself from Hawke's embrace, "String? Would you excuse me for a minute? I'm going to go slip into something more comfortable."
Hawke stood up, saying, "Be my guest. I'll be right here waiting for you." She smiled at him and went up the stairs, as Hawke sat there and watched her go. Once again, he wondered why he had pushed this gorgeous young woman, who seemed as crazy about him as he was about her, away for so long. He finished off the last dregs of his wine glass and had put both snifters in the sink when suddenly, he heard an all too familiar blood-curdling scream. "HAWKE!"
Hawke took the stairs two at a time, and quickly reached the bedroom, to find Caitlin not in the throes of some repeat of her nightmare, but sprawled seductively across the bed in a barely – there negligee, beckoning him to come to her.
Stunned, Hawke found himself speechless. "Caitlin...wow..." If Hawke had thought she was gorgeous before, he thought she looked spectacularly sexy now. "...What is this all about?"
"Way to ruin the moment, you lunkhead!" She tossed a pillow at him. "String, ever since we left the authorities, I've felt...this need. A need I've ignored for far too long. Even more than what I used to feel for you. And, it seems to me," she said with the impish grin that always sent Hawke's heart rate soaring, "that unless your body is lying to me, you've got some "needs" yourself."
Hawke quickly undressed, with more than a little assistance, and laid in the bed next to her, taking her face in his hands. "Cait...are you sure this is what you want? I don't want to..."
She interrupted his hesitation with another passionate kiss, but when she spoke, her tone was harsh and cold. "Stringfellow Hawke, I have wanted you for so long. Don't make me wait any longer." The impish grin and sensual tone of voice had suddenly returned. "Shut up and make love to me. Now. Right now." And for the first time in a long time, Stringfellow Hawke did precisely as he had been told.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of Caitlin O'Shaunessey to Stringfellow Hawke." Caitlin was snuggled tight against Stringfellow's body, in the throes of a new dream, a dream she prayed would come true. The dream took place on the landing dock of the cabin, the walkway to which was strewn with flowers. Hawke stood to her right in a very handsome tux, and she stood in a breathtaking gown of white lace and silk, along with a cream colored wool shawl to protect her bare shoulders from the slight breeze off the lake. She looked around and found her parents, sisters and brothers on one side, and saw Michael, Marella, and a young girl she didn't recognize, but whom Marella had introduced as Michael's daughter Angelina. Hawke's friend "Doc" and his wife were also there, along with Nguyen Van Minh and his wife Mai, Bobby Phelps and his father Robert, Dominic and...Saint John? Is that really him? Hawke's brother had, indeed, been found in her dream, and was standing beside his younger brother as best man, with Dominic standing with his foster son as his second. Caitlin's sister Erin was her maid of honor.
The preacher continued, "Stringfellow Hawke, do you take this woman to be your wife?" He gazed lovingly into her eyes and said, "I do."
"Caitlin O'Shaunessey, do you take this man to be your husband?" Her eyes shone with love and tears of joy as she whispered, "Yes. I do."
Hawke sat up, startled. But it wasn't because of screams. Rather, a soft whisper from the sleeping woman next to him roused him from his slumber. And, he had to admit, scared me half to death. Did I just hear what I think I just heard? Did she say, "Yes. I do?" He looked at the beautiful redheaded woman lying next to him, noticing an ear-to-ear grin spread across her face, but he still noticed tears in her eyes. Hawke considered the contradiction and determined her tears must have been happy tears, based on whatever dream she was having. He stroked her hair lovingly, as she whispered, still deep in the throes of a vision only she saw, "I love you, Stringfellow Hawke." He kissed the top of her head and whispered back, even though he sensed she wouldn't hear him, "I love you, Caitlin...Hawke."
In the depths of her dream, Caitlin smiled even wider and thought, I know we haven't been together that long...but I just can't imagine my life without him. I'm ready. Ready to be his wife. Ready to be...Caitlin Hawke.
Knightsbridge
"Welcome back, Saint John. I'm Michael Coldsmith Briggs III. But, you can call me 'Archangel.' The younger man took a seat across from the deputy director of the FIRM, who had ordered the mission that extracted him, along with six of their buddies from 1st Air Cav, from a Vietcong prison camp.
"Thank you, Archangel. It seems I owe you a lot more than just a simple 'Thank you'." How do you repay a man who may have saved your life? Saint John imagined there were six long – overdue family reunions going on right at this moment, and he wanted nothing more than to see the brother who had thought him lost for sixteen years.
"First of all, Saint John, we're going to do a full medical evaluation and intel debriefing, but once that's over, you'll be free to visit Hawke, or whomever else you want." Don't worry, Saint John, you'll be seeing Stringfellow within 48 hours...and, if I'm right, he'll have some news of his own to share. It could be interesting to see who winds up more shocked.
Santini Air
"String! I thought you & Cait were supposed to be on vacation!" Dominic was sore about the call he'd received from String just a day after he gave them an extended vacation – String wanted to come back already, and Cait had insisted on tagging along. As long as she stays out of here for about 25 minutes, Hawke mused.
He grinned at his longtime friend. "We're still on vacation, Dom. I just...had some things to tell you, and I wanted to tell you in person."
Dominic couldn't help but notice a strange gleam in his young friend's eye, one strikingly similar to the one Caitlin had the previous evening.
"String, this ain't none of my business, but does Cait seem a little...oh, I don't know...different to you today? If I didn't know better, I'd swear she was...how do I say it? Positively glowing." String chuckled inwardly, and imagined Dom's reaction when he shared the two pieces of news he had.
"I hadn't really noticed. Although, she did get the first decent night's sleep she's had in weeks."
"Oh? Any particular reason why?"
"Well, mostly because this Horn business is finally over with, and I think the wine last night helped, and the rest..." Hawke's expression immediately hardened, and he said, "Well, that's none of your business!" String had tried to be stern with his friend, but the glint in his eye gave his true feelings away.
"String, wait a second. Did you two...?"
String made sure the office door was closed before he answered, "Yeah, Dom. We did. We...had sex last night."
"String, that's wonderful!" Dominic shouted, and Hawke prayed that Caitlin hadn't heard his exclamation.
"Dammit, Dom, keep your voice down!" Hawke ordered.
"Oh, String, you've just made an old man very, very happy," Dom said, as he drew his young friend into a huge, manly hug. He finally released it after several seconds, and paused to wipe a few tears from his eyes.
Hawke grinned. "Well, then what I'm about to show you, and tell you, will really make you happy. But, you've gotta promise me that you'll keep your damned voice down."
"Okay, I promise. What exactly are you..." His eyes grew to the size of silver dollars as Hawke withdrew a small maroon and gold velvet box from the pocket of his flight jacket. "Is that...is that what I think...no...what I hope it is?"
Hawke flipped the box open to reveal a gorgeous white gold band with a glittering diamond stone. "Yeah, it is, Dom. I'm gonna ask her to marry me." The hug that this news generated was even more powerful than the first one. In fact, Hawke swore that he felt a rib snap. "Dom...Dom!"
"Huh? Oh, sorry, buddy. When did all this come about?"
After he caught his breath, Hawke replied, "Last night, after you left the cabin. Cait excused herself to change into "something more comfortable," as she put it...then, a few minutes later, she screamed, like she was having another nightmare. But when I got upstairs...I found her in...well, let's just say it wasn't much."
"OH?" Dom's interest had definitely peaked. He let his imagination take care of the rest, then his face fell. "I guess this means no more telling you two not to do anything I wouldn't do, doesn't it?" Hawke's ear-to-ear grin gave his foster father all the answer he needed. "So, what about the ring? When did you...?"
"I bought it a couple of weeks ago. Last night just gave me the last push I needed to make up my mind. But, it was the strangest thing when she woke up last night."
"Oh? What happened?"
"Well, she must have been dreaming...not the nightmare like before, but a very pleasant dream. When I woke up, she had whispered, 'Yes. I do.' Just like that. 'Yes. I do.' You probably wouldn't have heard her, but I did."
"Well, since you can hear radio waves coming in, that doesn't surprise me," Dom interrupted, smiling.
With a feigned look of annoyance, String continued, "Not only that, she was grinning like I've never seen her grin before."
"What do you mean was, String? She's still got that wonderful looking grin. If you ask me, that grin is going to need to be surgically removed. But you know what? It looked good on her. Don't you think?"
"After the last few months, you better believe it did, Dom."
"You think she was dreaming about..."
"Yeah. Our wedding day."
"Well, it beats a nightmare that she'd killed you, or that you were in love with Angelica. So...have you figured out when to pop the question?"
"Friday night. That should give us a couple of days to plan a little get-together. Just plan on being at the cabin, and making a big pot of spaghetti and plenty of garlic bread. There'll be some guests besides you."
"Oh? Who?"
"Actually, just Michael and Marella. God, I just wish..."
"What, String?"
"I just wish...Saint John could be there. To see the look on his face..."
"Hey, String, it'll be okay. Just concentrate on the look on her face when she sees..."
"Hey, quiet!" He'd seen Caitlin coming back towards the office out of the corner of his eye. He jammed the ring box back in his flight jacket, and opened the door just as she'd been reaching for the knob on the other side.
"Thanks, String." Her eyes still gleamed with pleasure as she linked her arm through his. "You ready to go home?"
"Sure. Dom?"
"Your wish is my command," he replied, and the three were flying back to the cabin in a few moments. As they landed, Dom said, " 'Bye, you two!"
" 'Bye, Dom!"
" 'Bye, Dom! See you Friday!" String caught Caitlin's puzzled look as they walked back to the cabin. "What's Friday?"
"Oh, nothing special. Just a little party – you and me, Dom, Michael and Marella. To celebrate the end of this Horn business. You don't mind, do you?"
She grinned at him. "Of course not. After all, today's only Wednesday. We've got plenty of time to get everything organized."
"Well, Dom's got dinner covered, so there's not much to organize."
Suddenly Cait's expression changed to one of confusion. "String. Did you notice Dom didn't say "don't do anything I wouldn't do" when he left? What was that about?"
Hawke was afraid to answer, but eventually did. "Cait, he knows."
"What? He knows that we've started sleeping together?" Caitlin squeezed his arm. "String, that's not something you need to keep a secret from him – he practically raised you. You shouldn't be embarrassed that you told him. Besides," she continued, "if you hadn't told him, I probably would have!"
"Thanks...I think. I need to call Michael."
She grabbed his arm just before he could open the door. "String...did I tell you you were wonderful last night?" Her mischievous grin was back.
He slid off his aviator's shades as he felt her arms slip around his neck. "So were you," he whispered, as he slid his arms around her waist and kissed her. That call's going to have to wait. But I will make it.
"Archangel here." His deep voice resonated over the secure link. "What can I do for you, Hawke?"
"Nothing, Michael. You won't believe this, but this is a social call, not business. I just wanted to invite you and Marella up here to the cabin on Friday night. I'm throwing a little dinner party – just you two, Cait, Dom, and me. Can you be here?"
"Well, you are right about one thing. I don't believe you. But of course we'll be there. And, I'll have...never mind." Whew. Almost let the cat out of the bag there, Michael. Aloud, he asked, "Hawke...can I ask you a question?"
He made sure Caitlin was out of earshot before answering, "Go ahead, Michael."
"I've heard that you and Cait have been getting closer...and this little party you're throwing...are you planning to..."
"Yes, Michael. I'm going to ask her to marry me."
"Well, Friday can't get here fast enough. I knew she had a soft spot for you the first time I met her. And...I hope you don't mind me saying this, Hawke, but even though you never showed it, I always felt the feeling was more than mutual."
"I don't mind, Michael. It was...and it still is."
"Well, that's great. So what time are we doing this little get-together?"
"Oh, about 1900 hours – I mean, 7:00. See you then?"
"7:00 Friday night. We'll be there."
"See you then, Michael."
As he hung up the phone, Archangel laughed to himself. "Cait's not the only one who'll be surprised Friday night. We'll be there, all right. Marella, myself, and a very, very special guest."