Happy Birthday

By Kat Fenn

Chapter 1

Stringfellow Hawke opened his front door. A cool breeze ruffled his hair. Deciding that he would be better off with a jacket on, he ducked back inside and grabbed his battered leather jacket off its normal hook next to the door. "C'mon, Tet…how about a walk?"

Tet ran ahead of him, down the path that led to the jetty to the far side of Eagle Lake. String followed a little more carefully, aware that the sloshing in his coffee mug meant that less of the steaming hot coffee that he so sorely needed was going to end up IN his system.

Breathing the wonderfully fresh air into his lungs, he stopped to sip his coffee. Tet was nowhere in sight. Deciding that Tet could take more than adequate care of himself, String ambled along, enjoying the smell of the pine trees on the breeze, and the feeling of the warm sun on his face. He didn't feel like he was almost 40. In two days' time, in fact, he would be. It seemed like only yesterday that he was arriving at the cabin with his mum and dad, and his brother, St John, for the first time. String smiled at the memory. He was 4, St John 8, and his mother was worried about him falling in the lake. "Mom, I CAN take care of myself…I'm not a baby!" he remembered telling his mother emphatically as the helicopter his father piloted landed on the dock. And he remembered his mother saying that he would ALWAYS be her baby, and he needed to be careful around the water. And then St John replying that he would watch out for his little brother, "Don't worry, mum!"

String looked out onto the water. The ripples caused by the breeze reflected pinpoints of sunshine, reminding him of the glints in his mother's blonde hair. It had been a good 28 years since he had last seen her. He wondered what made him suddenly think of the past, and of her. He could still remember her lilies of the valley scent, and the smell of his father's aftershave. He shook his head. "Geez, I must be getting old – I'll be reminiscing about old times next!" he thought to himself. Deciding that he needed more coffee, he whistled to Tet and set off back up the path to his cabin. But not before sending an "I still love you and am thinking of you," thought towards his mother, father and brother, out in the light somewhere.

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Dom and Cait chattered excitedly as they loaded up the chopper. Dom had been busy cooking since yesterday. He was determined that his best friend and foster son's 40th birthday would be something to remember. He knew that he would be on his guard, scowling at anything that might even remotely resemble happiness or an attempt to celebrate. Dom still couldn't figure out, after all these years, whether String just didn't like being the centre of attraction, or if he just didn't like celebrating his birthday. "Ok, Dom, let's just make sure we got everything. Lasagne – vegetarian, of course – baked meatballs, eggplant parmagiana, salad fixings, garlic bread balls, and tiramisu. Where's the cake?" Cait looked quizzically at Dom.

"Mamma mia! Wasn't that YOUR job Cait?"

"Errr…no, I had the wine and the flowers…you were supposed to do the food," said Cait. "It's OK, Dom, don't worry, I'll pick it up on my way. I still need to go home and change, and I'll meet you back here. Just help me load up the wine and flowers – they're in my car."

Dom followed Cait out to her burgundy Toyota. Arms laden with flowers and boxes of wine, they made their way back to the chopper. Deciding that the Jet Ranger would not have enough space for everything and everyone they were transporting up to the cabin, they decided to pack up the Huey. "Mamma mia!" said Dom again, looking at his watch. "Is that the time? I need to get to LAX – Karen's flight will be in in 30 minutes! Cait, I'll see you later…" the last few words were flung over his shoulder as he scrambled to find the keys to the Jet Ranger.

Grinning to herself, Cait went to her locker to get her jacket and purse. She didn't think it would take her more than half an hour to get home, get changed and collect the cake from the bakery. Then she, Karen and Dom would fly up to the cabin. Leaving the girls to set up, Dom would then come back to the hangar, where String would HOPEFULLY just be arriving from the long list of errands that Dom set him this morning. "To keep him out of the hangar and out of our hair," she remembered Dom saying with that big chuckle of his. Gunning her motor, she pulled out of the parking lot, and set off, determined not to keep Dom waiting.

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String drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of the open-top Santini Air jeep as he waited rather impatiently for the lights to change. "What a day!" he thought to himself. He must have done a million and one errands for Dom. Aside from a sandwich stop at midday and a toilet stop at some point he had been on the go all day. He looked forward to getting back to his cabin and spending some time alone with his thoughts. He had just about had it with people, in general.

He finally pulled up in front of the office entrance of Santini Air. Pulling the handbrake up and making sure the jeep was in gear, he jumped out. He took a moment to stretch and yawn, and work the kinks out of his lower back. "Man, I am getting old," he said to himself. He looked around. Caitlin's burgundy Toyota was still there, but as he remembered it was in a different spot from when he left this morning. Shrugging his shoulders, he then started to unload the jeep.

Three trips back and forth from the jeep and the office later, String decided that he had had enough for one day. His watch told him that it was only 4pm. Supressing a yawn, he decided that he would have a nap on the narrow cot in the back office until Cait or Dom got back, and beg a lift back to the cabin.

The next thing String knew, a firm hand was shaking him awake. "Wake up, sleeping beauty!" bellowed Dom in his ear. Startled awake, String jerked upright with an involuntary "Ow!" as a kink in his lower back made itself felt. "Good God, Dom, you're going to give me a heart attack…" grumbled String as he swung his legs off the narrow cot.

"I suppose now you'll be wanting a lift home then?" said Dom.

"Yeah, I think I've had enough for one day. I've done all the errands you asked me to, all the parts are stacked in the goods receiving pallet in the hangar, all the invoices are in the in tray in your office and the jeep keys are hanging in the key box."

"Thanks, String. OK, let me go and wash up and I'll take you home."

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Dom snuck a quick look at String. Arms folded across his chest, String was lightly dozing, giving off little snores and snuffles, in the co-pilot seat of the Jet Ranger. The only thing keeping him upright was the seatbelt. Dom grinned to himself as he thought of what lay in wait for String.

He hoped he had planned everything right. There were no other choppers – he told Michael that he would radio him from the Jet Ranger as soon as he dropped String off – Michael and Marella would then leave the Santini Air hangar and be at String's cabin in ten minutes. Dom would fly the Jet Ranger off in the direction of the Santini Air hangar for about a minute, then turn back and set down on the jetty. The two girls would hide themselves in the sleeping loft so that the initial surprise for String would be his dinner table prettily laid and the smell of food wafting from his own kitchen. And when Dom burst in through the front door, all three of them would shout "Surprise!" altogether. He just hoped that Cait and Karen had lots of alcohol ready and waiting. He thought that String might need it.

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"Thanks for the ride, Dom. See you tomorrow, 08h00." String shut the door of the Jet Ranger firmly behind him. He frowned. Tet was normally on the dock waiting for his master, but seemed to be conspicuously absent today. He glanced quickly up the path leading to his cabin. Smoke wafted from the chimney. He was pretty sure that he had not left the fire going when he left home early that morning. It was still daylight, and as far as he could see there were no other signs of life in the cabin. Grabbing a convenient rock off the side of the path, he made his way quickly and quietly to the front door.

Opening his front door, String could not believe his eyes. His dining room table was laid for six, with flowers and candles. He could smell something delicious from his own kitchen. His living room was decorated with streamers and balloons proclaiming "Happy 40th Birthday!" He strained his ears but could not hear Tet or anyone else. As he stalked into his own kitchen to see what was smelling so good, his 'super hearing' suddenly picked up the sound of a chopper. "No…."he groaned to himself, "There goes my solitary evening!"

His front door crashed open. "Surprise!" sang out Dom. "Surprise!" squeaked two very excited voices from his sleeping loft. Pasting a smile on his face, String turned around. He couldn't possibly be ungracious, not after all the trouble his friends had gone to. String scanned the room quickly. "Thanks, Dom and Cait. This must have been all your doing. This is really nice. So who else are we expecting?"

Then, as he turned to look upstairs, "Karen? What are you doing here? I just spoke to you and you were at home in Johannesburg!" He ran up the stairs to his sleeping loft to pick Karen up and hug her close. He had first met Karen a year ago, when he gave a talk at the South African Military History Society and they had been dating, long-distance, since then. She giggled as he tried to swing her around, and almost succeeded at sending the both of them tumbling down the stairs. Cait grabbed the pair of them just as they were about to go headlong. They all dissolved into hysterical laughter as Michael and Marella walked through the door.

Dom suggested, wiping the tears from his cheeks, that String and Karen take a walk while they put the finishing touches on dinner. "Don't worry, String, I made your favourites. Go and catch up with Karen for a bit, we'll see you in about 20 minutes."

Not needing a second telling, String made sure Karen had a wrap with her and practically pulled her out the front door. Shutting the door behind him, he put his left arm around her waist, pulling her towards him, while his right hand tilted her chin up towards him so he could kiss her. "Hello, stranger," he said huskily, breathing in her scent. "Mmmmm…" was all Karen said as she melted into his embrace. Her lips eagerly sought his as her arms tightened around his back. Their tongues tangled deliciously for a few short moments. "Surprise," whispered Karen, against his mouth. String promptly forgot about his solitary evening.

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String settled Karen on the edge of the jetty and sat down next to her, as close as he could get. He had missed her terribly. She had come out to LA to see him, about four months after he had left Johannesburg, and stayed for two months. She had then gone back to Johannesburg, and the letters had flown back and forth every week or so, and it had been about six months since they had seen each other. String had even got as far as getting a satellite phone permanently installed at the cabin so that they could chat, once a week. And he had still missed her. For weeks after she had left, he still found himself turning around to tell her something, and then realise that she wasn't there.

"Oh, goodness, I think we need to be going back, String, otherwise they'll be sending out smoke signals for us!" exclaimed Karen, looking at her watch.

Giving her yet another lingering kiss, String reluctantly agreed. "Oh but I am looking forward to the end of my surprise birthday party too…that's when I get you all to myself."

Karen slapped him on his behind as she grinned at him. "Last one up there is a rotten egg!" and raced away up the path, making the most of the head start, as String, shocked, was unable to move for a good few seconds.

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The party was going well. Dinner had been consumed and cleared away, all but two bottles of wine had been drunk, and String had just blown out the candles on his birthday cake. "Well, I'm not 40 till the day after tomorrow, everyone…so no 'old' jokes yet please," he said, unable to keep a grin off his face. What else could a man want – the people he loved all around him, celebrating his birthday?

Once the cake had been disposed of, Michael had asked String to take a walk with him. "Here we go, Michael wants something," thought String to himself. Shrugging his jacket back on, he followed Michael down the path towards where his white helicopter was parked. Dom, Marella, Cait and Karen were busy clearing plates away and tidying up. Dom saw String leaving with Michael and thought the same thing. "Hope Mr Clean doesn't want us to leave right away," grumbled Dom to himself.

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"So what's up, Michael? I imagine you're not asking me to walk with you just to give me my birthday present, are you?" said String, trying hard not to scowl.

"Sorry, Hawke, I do have an assignment for you but I thought it best to wait until your party was done. Cait and Dom would have killed me otherwise."

Shrugging his shoulders as if to say "No big deal," String accepted the thick folder from Michael. Listening intently as Michael outlined the mission, he heard a twig snap in the distance. "What was that?!" said String sharply, turning to face the direction which he thought the noise had come. In answer, Michael drew his pistol. The two men made their way down the path towards the noise. As they neared the choppers, String's super-sensitive ears caught the sound of sparking coming from Michael's chopper. The next thing they knew, an explosion sounded in their ears. Both men looked up to see flames bursting from the tail rotor of Michael's chopper.

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Dom, closely followed by Cait, Marella and Karen burst out of the front door of the cabin. "String! Michael! Are you OK?" yelled Dom, as he saw the flames coming from Michael's chopper. He saw a figure climbing into the Jet Ranger and powering up the rotors, he supposed in an attempt to make sure that his chopper did not go up in flames as well. He saw another figure turn a fire extinguisher on the fire. Scrambling as best he could down the path in the darkness, Dom saw all three girls overtake him.

As he finally arrived on the spot, he found Marella scrabbling frantically to catch papers and a document folder which were flying away in the stiff breeze. Cait and Karen were by Michael's chopper, checking to see that all the flames were out. Michael had dropped the fire extinguisher and was in the cockpit, making sure all the fuel switches were off. "Where's String?" said Dom, as he reached Michael. "He's gone to move the Jet Ranger to the clearing behind the house, Dom, he'll be back in a few minutes."

True enough, String's familiar figure came stalking out of the dark to the little group a few minutes later. "Ok guys, party's over. Let's go up to the cabin, in the light, and we can go over this and try and figure this out. C'mon," said String, leading the way up the path.

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