No copyright infringement intended blah, blah, blah.

This story is a stand alone at this time.

Chapter 1: Welcome back

Caitlin surveyed the board for the week. She'd just returned from a four day charter and needed to get up to speed. She'd had a great four days. Two female designers had insisted on a female pilot to take them to a design show. She spent most of the time by the pool catching up on her reading, but she also indulged in the spa on more than one occasion. She was a little disappointed when the clients announced they would return two days early. Now, her working "vacation" was over; so, she had to get down to real work.

"Hey Dom, what's this spot for Hawke? All it says is CC," Cait asked.

"Huh? Oh, he picked up a student."

"Wonder how long that will last?" Cait smirked to herself. Hawke wasn't known to be the most patient of teacher's though he could usually make it through a little over an hour at a time. Generally either she or Dom took the students so they would last for more than one lesson.

"They seem to be getting along just fine," Dom answered absently. "He's taking her out to dinner tonight."

"Typical," Cait bit her lower lip.

"What?" Dom looked up from the flight plan he was figuring out.

"Nothing, I was just going to get started on that overhaul."

"Then get started already and quit interrupting me," he groused.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she rejoined as she headed out to the hangar.

String strolled over to the pair of cover all clad legs sticking out from under one of Santini's choppers. For some reason he was in a better mood today than he had been for the last few. Caitlin was back. He refused to connect her absence and return to his mood. Besides he was taking CC back to the cabin later, and that definitely didn't have anything to do with Cait. Still, he couldn't help the smile on his face as he looked down on his friend and co-worker.

"Not back but a few hours and already sucking up to the boss," he teased.

"Well, some of us do have to work for a living," Cait shot back.

"You just had four days of poolside fun, for work, while some of us were back here working our tails off and giving lessons no less."

"Oh yeah, it was such a burden that you're taking your student out to dinner. What do you plan on teaching her, how to catch and release?" She couldn't help the smirk.

"I could always school you over lunch." He shot back before thinking.

Caitlin rolled out from under the chopper.

"You're on," she said with a smile and just a touch of gotcha. "But, I get to pick where we go."

Hawke frowned. He hadn't really meant to ask her out, but what harm could it do. They were friends after all and they'd had lunch together before. And, he had missed her while she was gone. But, she hadn't taken him up on the prospect of eating together for a while now.

Caitlin carefully hid her disappointment at his reaction. She was getting almost as good as Hawke at hiding her true feelings. Since he was determined that they would forever be nothing more than friends, she'd put some of her acting classes to good use.

"Don't look so excited at the prospect Hawke," Caitlin said seeing the sour expression on his face. "I promise it won't hit your wallet too hard. Besides, you might actually learn a thing or two."

With that she rolled back under the chopper to continue with her work and ended the conversation.

Lunch proved to be informative. Hawke told her about the jobs they'd had while she was gone. Caitlin told him all about her four days out. She chatted about her spa experience of being pampered. She described her new two piece swim suit to him which he admitted to himself, if not to her, that he'd like to see. And, she told him all about the charter clients. The two women had started their product design firm out of the garage. They were now well on their way to handling eco-friendly packaging for everything from stereo systems to candy bars. He found the time passed more quickly than he could have guessed.

As they walked back to the hangar, they each had an arm around the others waist in friendly companionship.

"Maybe Dom will let you tag along next time. We're going to Las Vegas for a whole week. And, they guaranteed no coming back early."

"What would I do there? Hold your sun-tan lotion?" he quipped. "It's too crowded."

"Oh, I don't know Hawke," she said with a sly smile as she stepped over to the chopper she had to get back to working on. "I'm sure we could learn a lot about each other in Vegas. After all they're almost as famous for private lessons as you are."

She ducked as he threw a greasy rag in her direction. It hit the side of the chopper leaving a brown smear down the side.

"Hey, you're going to clean that up."

"Make me," he laughed as he walked away.