Disclaimer: Of course, I don't own Airwolf or any part of it, though I dearly loved the show as a kid and JMV was my first 'crush'. I remember even as a kid I wanted him and Cait to get together. I've always been a romantic. This is all written in fun.

Starts out in December 1986 – 36-year-old Hawke & Cait is 28 – Le who comes in later is 10 almost 11 in the story – fudged ages a little bit for my own purposes.

There was no season 4. Nope. No Season 4. This takes place during what would have been Season 3 an interlude of a few months between episode 11 and prior to episode 12 Half-Pint which did actually air on TV just before Christmas. It may not be accurate with all episodes. It's fanfic…

The first part of this story has a brief crossover with Criminal Minds, set before BAU in the 80s when it was just the Behavioral Science Unit. Younger David Rossi and Jason Gideon are part of the story. I hadn't intended it but it just happened when I needed FBI agents investigating a serial killer.

Note some of the technology discussed in the later part of story is based on real tech that came out in 1986-1987. The first Nintendo did in fact hit the east coast in October 86. A connection machine was a real thing you can learn more about it online, also the graphics and OS discussed are actually ones that came out that could have been the basis of Windows 95 but Microsoft didn't use them at first. It was invented by IBM in 1986-87. So even though I go a bit sci-fi with it, the tech is based in reality.

Oh the 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant is a real restaurant in Van Nuys near the airport. It was around in the 80s and I kind of figured it was the restaurant featured in the show with Rosalind and Carter Anderson where Cait's boyfriend Robert was the bad guy.

Sorry for such long author's note but thought I'd get all the notes out of the way so you can enjoy the story and understand where it came from and what the heck I'm talking about sometimes. 😊

Winter's Child

"Dom, what the hell do you mean bringing her up here now of all times?" Stringfellow Hawke growled at his friend.

"What? She'll be with you, she'll be safe, it's only single women alone in the woods that lunatic has been going after and it's been months since the last one, plus she could use the rest! I know if she stays in that apartment of hers all weekend she's going to end up doing all sorts of stuff that is NOT resting. She's just getting over pneumonia, String!" Dominic Santini argued. Hawke was his foster son, his friend and his business partner though most didn't realize that Santini Air was as much Hawke's as it was his.

"Hell, Hawke I had to go over and take my own ledgers away from her, because she was still working on them at home instead of taking care of herself. Caitlin needs a break and I figured here was the best place. Besides, that guy hasn't been this far up the mountain, he's been staying around the campsites, ya' know?" Dom didn't exactly like the idea of Hawke even being up here alone right now if he were to be totally honest with himself. It was part of why he wanted to bring Caitlin up here. If they were together, they'd both be safe watching out for each other.

Hawke narrowed his eyes at the older man as if he was trying to figure out if what he was telling him was the whole truth.

"Would you guys stop arguing, it's cold out here and I'm gona end up with a relapse," Caitlin yelled and then coughed heavily from the porch where she'd already marched with her suitcase while Hawke and Dom squared off on the dock.

"Go in the house where it's warm, Cait!" both men yelled at the same time and then laughed.

She pulled a face at them and trudged inside where it was decidedly warmer by the fire. "Fine. Let them sit out there and freeze to death, I'll just curl up with you, Tet," she told the hound as she sat down on the couch in front of the fire. She was asleep in minutes.

"Just take care of our girl for me, String? She really, really needs the rest and…it wouldn't hurt if you spent some time with her and talked, ya' know?" Dom suggested.

"Dom, don't start on that," Hawke warned but Dom shook his head.

"Don't you start giving me lip about it. You know she loves you, you love her…what is the problem? Are you scared because she's your friend or are you scared because this one might actually be the one?" Dom asked knowingly.

"Awww, Hell, Dom." Hawke sighed and shoved his hands in the pockets of his leather bomber jacket. "Why do you keep asking me? I'll…we…that is, Cait and I will talk but not while she's recovering and not when we're in a life-threatening situation either," Hawke said trying to figure out just when one of the three of them wasn't recovering from some accident, illness, or injury and when they weren't on a mission or doing a stunt that could cost any of them their lives.

"If you are trying to wait for the perfect moment, kid, that ain't ever going to happen and you know it," Dom said, suddenly understanding where Hawke was coming from. "And remember what I said about that stupid curse, just coz you ain't told her don't mean that the moment you do the sky's going to fall on her head. You've loved her for two years, you've tried to move on…trust me, you aren't cursed, it's like Meg said, you just need to let those ghosts go. Just talk to her, hey? If not now…soon, before she gives up on your sorry ass," Dom said shaking his finger at him.

Hawke laughed then and nodded. "Yeah…yeah, I don't get why she's has stayed this long."

"Ah, that's what love does…it gives you hope," Dom said with a grin. "But I have to warn you if you don't tell her soon, you're going to lose her, String."

"I know," Hawke said sadly and sighed. "Soon, Dom. For her sake and mine."

"And mine, because if I have to keep watching you two making moon eyes across the hanger any longer I think I'm going to lock you both in the storage closet until you figure something out," Dom warned.

"Moon eyes, Dom?" Hawke asked with a laugh.

"Moon eyes, both of you! Now go take care of our girl, huh?" Dom smiled encouragingly.

"I will, and Dom. I get it now, ya know? I get that I need to finally move forward with my life. I can't keep waiting on something that might never happen. Meg was right I do need to let go, and I've made the decision that I'm going to tell Cait how I feel, I just don't think while she's sick is the best time."

"Awww, String, it's not letting go or giving up, I still firmly believe we'll bring him home one day, Sinjin will be back with us one day, String I know it. But I'm glad you're going to talk to Cait. You know, Sinjin wouldn't want you to put your life on hold waiting on him to come home, ya know? Anyway, I've got to meet Meg for dinner, she wants to bring the class down for a tour at the airport, we were going to discuss bringing them by the hanger and stuff. Bet Cait will love that, huh?" Dom said tapping Hawke on the shoulder.

He smiled. "Yeah, Cait will love that. You know how much she adores kids."

"Yep…you seem to like 'em pretty well too…you know you two would make me a very happy old man if you gave me some grandkids before I die," Dom said with a grin.

"Good, Lord, Dom I haven't even asked her on a proper date yet…"

Dom laughed and shook his head. "Well it isn't like you two need to get to know each other or anything…"

"Go meet, Meg before I throw you off this dock, you old busy body," Hawke said shaking his head.

Dom howled with laughter then and gave Hawke a hug before getting back into his helicopter to head back to town.

Hawke watched as the helicopter moved over the lake and sighed. Dom and Meg were both right, those ghosts had held him back for far too long. Held him back from loving Caitlin the way she deserved. Soon, he hoped to change that.

When Hawke arrived back at the cabin he couldn't help but smile. Caitlin was asleep on the couch with Tet's head resting on her thigh. The dog looked up at him and Hawke just shook his head.

Caitlin was Irish, a true redhead and pale with lots of freckles but now even her freckles seemed pale. She usually had rosy cheeks and a bright smile but she was exhausted, he could tell just from looking at her. The constant coughing from her bout with pneumonia had really worn her out and Hawke hated seeing her so unlike herself. Maybe getting her up here out of the smog will help her cough.

She was such a bright spot in both his and Dom's lives but Dom was right, Caitlin O'Shannessy worked entirely too hard. If he were being honest with himself, Cait could work both him and Dom under the table sometimes. She just would never give up, no matter what she was doing, no matter how hard something was or how scared she was of anything, she pushed herself harder than anyone they knew.

Hawke was stubborn and though Caitlin was too, her stubborn streak was different than his. She had a faith in people that he couldn't possibly bring himself to have and when she set her mind to something, she accomplished it. Where Hawke's stubbornness was often tied to his impulsiveness and could sometimes get him hurt, she always thought things through, she always planned and always had a plan C to go with A and B.

And he loved her with everything he was and was finally at a point where he felt he could admit it, not only to himself, to Dom but to Caitlin herself.

He got a blanket off the back of his favorite chair and draped it over her, placed a whisper of a kiss on her forehead and went to the kitchen to start dinner.

It wasn't long before he heard her start coughing and not much longer before he heard her swear and get up.

"You already take your medicine?" Hawke asked as she walked toward the kitchen still coughing a little.

"Not yet. I was hoping I could just relax a while without knocking myself loopy with that stuff," she said as she settled at the bar. "Whatcha' makin'?"

"Figured you could use some soup, I got some fresh bread from Granny Williams this morning when I went out for a supply run. I bet it would be great with this, it's vegetable, barley soup," he said as he worked at the stove, stirring and adding some spices.

"Oh, that sounds nice. Granny's bread is the best plus the only soup I've had all week came out of a can," she answered and propped her elbow on the bar top and her chin in her hand. "I just couldn't find the energy to cook."

"Dom told me, I didn't even know you'd been that sick until yesterday when I got back from Washington with Michael. He didn't want to worry me and when I talked to you, all you said was you were "a little under the weather" - I'd say you way under sold that," Hawke said fixing her with intense blue eyes.

"Hmm, yeah. I didn't want to worry you either. You and Michael had more than enough to think about than me being down with pneumonia of all things," Caitlin said with a sigh.

"Hey, you know people still occasionally die from it and years ago…" Hawke started.

"I know…I know, Dom lectured me all the way here about resting means resting not doing paperwork or accounting or studying for my exams," she admitted.

"How are the classes going anyway?" Hawke asked as he lowered the flame on the pot to simmer for a little while to let the flavors blend.

Caitlin gave him a smile that lit her eyes up, and Hawke knew then that she really loved the courses. She launched into all she'd learned in the last few weeks he'd been gone.

She'd been taking a Paramedic/EMT course for the last six months so that she could help more when they were in the field. Doc had given her the idea when she had helped so much with a plane crash about eight months ago. A charter had gone down south of Doc's place and he'd called for help with the rescue – the smaller choppers couldn't take the bad weather up on the mountain. Airwolf however had endured hurricanes and even a volcanic eruption. They knew she would make it a rescue not a recovery mission if anyone had survived the crash. The mountain was in a late blizzard and the coldest it'd been in years.

There was nowhere to land Airwolf, so Doc and Cait had went down on ropes with supplies that Dom lowered to them as Hawke fought the winds on the mountain to keep the Lady as steady as he could. Caitlin and Doc had kept the survivors warm, tended their wounds, gave them food and water and set up tents to keep them all together and warm. By the time the storm cleared enough that they could get rescue choppers in, Hawke had been in the lead helicopter and Dom had been in Doc's chopper. They'd managed to get everyone off the mountain who had survived the crash, four hadn't but they'd also gotten their remains back to their families.

"You really seem to like those classes," he said as her talking had caused her to cough again. He gave her a cup of warm tea and she thanked him.

"I do. I never, ever thought I would enjoy it so much. I had some training when I was with Highway Patrol of course, basic stuff and CPR but this is so much more. I'm learning all kinds of very useful stuff, you and Dom should have your own licensed medic on Airwolf in the next year," Caitlin said with a smile.

Hawke laughed. "We sure could use it sometimes."

"Hmm, yeah, when the holiday break is over I'll be hitting the books again," Caitlin agreed thinking of the times training like that would have come in handy in the past.

She watched as Hawke cut some slices of the fresh bread and popped in the oven to warm up, she couldn't help but watch over the rim of her cup as he bent down to slide the tray in the oven. He had such a cute butt she found herself blushing when he finally stood up to turn around and face her again.

"You look like you are starting to get some color back," he commented and she had to stifle her desire to let out an embarrassed laugh with a large gulp of the warm tea.

"Must be the hot tea," she commented and he nodded before he started grabbing some bowls for them.

After dinner, Caitlin took her medicine, antibiotics and the cough medicine she hated so much. The face she made from the horrible smelling cough medicine made Hawke laugh and she gave him a mischievous look.

"Oh funny, I ought to force a kiss on you so you can taste this stuff…my God it's awful," she said sticking her tongue out. "But it does let me get at least a few hours of sleep once it kicks in."

Hawke didn't think she'd have to force him much, nasty cough medicine or not.

"Well, my dear, you are taking the loft tonight, no argument," he told her in one of his 'I won't back down on this' tones he had.

"String, really? That is exactly why I didn't want Dom to bring me here, I don't want to throw you out of your own bed. You already do too much for me as it is," Caitlin complained but he shook his head. She knew she wouldn't win.

"Yes, really and I'd do anything for you, Caitlin, you know that. Sleeping on the couch is the very least I can do for you," Hawke said with a shrug.

"I'm too tired to argue with you anyway," she admitted as she sat down on the couch.

"Good." He answered dropping a quick kiss on the top of her head. "I'm going to go up and stoke the fire up there, make sure the room is warm enough for you. You just rest here."

Caitlin looked up at him as he walked past and she reached out and grabbed his wrist. When he stopped and looked back at her, Hawke felt his heart trip in his chest from the look in her eyes. "Thank you, String. I mean it."

He placed his hand over her smaller one and patted it. "I know."

She released him and let him head upstairs as she remembered the first time he'd said those words to her. It seemed a million years ago now, him standing there all roughed up in a jail cell no less and still so damn handsome it took her breath away and she'd just threatened him. Told him that if he was lying to her that she'd make what Bogan did feel like 'love taps'. His answer of "I know," was probably what stole her heart that very moment. It was silly but it really was that moment, he seemed so incredibly certain that she'd do exactly what she said. He didn't laugh it off, joke about it or make a chauvinistic comment, he just agreed.

It wasn't long before Hawke returned downstairs and touched her arm. She was already drowsy from the medicine. "Sorry I'm not better company, String," she said as she yawned into the crook of her elbow.

He laughed and shook his head. "You're fine, Cait. Come on, I'll make sure you don't slip on the stairs, you look like you can barely hold your head up."

"I think you're right. That cough medicine tastes nasty but man it puts me out like a light."

He helped her upstairs and then came back down to set up the couch for himself that night. He heard the wind howling and went to the window. They'd had a forecast of snow again tonight, much heavier than the few inches they'd gotten that morning. It didn't snow that often at the cabin, but this year had been wetter and colder than any they'd had in a long time.

He hoped that the bad weather had kept campers away from the lower east side of the lake where the murders had happened recently. The news had been going nuts about the serial killer on the loose, the FBI was already heavily involved doing what they do when it came to serial murders. That was part of why he didn't want Caitlin up at the cabin right now but Dom was right, the murders had taken place miles from his cabin and the killer had only gone after women alone, always tourists not locals or those who lived on the lower parts of the mountain full time.

Maybe the weather would keep the killer off the hunt too. Maybe someone would be safe tonight because of the snowstorm.