Stress Relief

Disclaimer – Don't own 'em, but wish to hell I did.

A/N – This is an idea that came to me early one evening, standing in the middle of my kitchen, when I happened to blurt out one of my all-time favorite cartoon lines – "Of course, you realize, this means war." Hope somebody enjoys it. – robertwnielsen

Summary – Sometimes, you've just got to blow off a little steam.

It had been a long, stressful couple of weeks. Two Airwolf missions, one into East Germany, plus problems at the hangar...it's a wonder we got anything done, Stringfellow Hawke thought to himself as he waited for his dog Tet, and his wife Caitlin to come back from their walk. Actually, Cait's walk. Tet just invited himself along. Like he usually does.

As Caitlin strolled along her favorite trail, she had time to think about everything that had gone on the past couple of weeks. Finally, I have some time. It seemed that the last couple of weeks had been one constant blur of activity. Airwolf missions, problems at the hangar, problems with the kids...Fortunately, the kids were with Saint John again tonight, so the Hawkes would have some time alone, as they'd done in the past. And, we might be able to use that time to a very enjoyable end, Cait said to herself as she turned on her heel and headed back to the cabin, Tet following close behind.

By the time String saw Tet bounding out of the woods, he was already trying to ease his mind, to get ready for bed. Since it was Friday, and the kids were with Saint John until sometime tomorrow afternoon, he was looking forward to sleeping in for a change. Maybe I'll actually be awake at a decent hour tomorrow morning, Hawke said to himself hopefully.

"Have a good time, Cait?" Hawke said as he watched his wife come towards the cabin.

"Not as good as I could have," she replied, a familiar impish grin crossing her face. "But...it was okay...I guess."

"Okay? Tet," Hawke glowered down at his dog, "you didn't keep her company while you two were gone? You know that's your job," he continued, stifling a grin when Tet merely yawned and stretched out on the ground in front of the cabin. Hawke shook his head as Caitlin came toward him and slipped her arm around his waist, and his automatically went around her shoulders as they walked into the cabin and headed upstairs.

Once they reached the sleeping loft, String took great pleasure in watching his wife undress for bed. Caitlin noticed him staring out of the corner of her eye, and demanded, "Why do you insist on doing that?"

"Doing what?" String asked, pretending to be horrified.

"Don't give me that 'doing what' guff, Stringfellow Hawke," Caitlin groused at her husband, but he could see her impish grin fighting to break through onto her face. "You know perfectly well what you were doing...and I want to know why."

"Caitlin, I'm hurt," Hawke said, and playfully pouted at his wife to illustrate the point. "Can't a husband appreciate the beauty of his naked wife?" His very sexy naked wife, String added quietly.

"Oh, I suppose so," Caitlin said, shaking her head at her husband. "As long as you don't mind a woman appreciating her very sexy naked husband's animal magnetism," she said with a grin as she reached for him.

String deftly avoided his wife's reach, choosing instead to fling something at her from his position behind her, deliberately using poor aim. I'm not trying to hit her...just get her attention.

"In the words of one of my favorite cartoon characters, String... 'Of course, you realize...This means WAR!'" Without another word, she picked up her pillow, and took a playful swing at him.

String saw the oncoming pillow in plenty of time to avoid it, and had planned for just such an occasion. In fact, he grinned to himself as he picked up his own pillow, this is exactly what I had in mind.

He retaliated with a swing of his own pillow, and was rewarded a few seconds later when he heard a very familiar "OOF!" and saw Caitlin double over, pretending to be injured. Her illusion did not last long, however, as she took a one-handed swing at her husband and connected with the left side of his face, forcing him to drop face first onto the bed.

"HA!" Caitlin screamed in triumph, moving over her "kill," but just as she did, String rolled out of the way and hooked Cait's legs out from under her, sending her onto her backside on the bed...at least, that's what String thought would happen, until she rolled through his attack and wound up on top herself.

"Hey, no fair!" Hawke laughed as Caitlin came to rest on top of him, but his boyish grin betrayed his true feelings.

"What...what brought that on?" Caitlin asked between gasps for breath. Not that I'm complaining. It was fun...something we haven't had nearly enough of lately.

"Oh, I dunno," String replied, grinning. "I just felt like we've been under so much stress these past few days...the kids, Airwolf...needed to blow off a little steam, y'know?"

"Yeah, String," Caitlin said, becoming more confident in her voice as she caught her breath. "I do know. It's been too long, you know?" She remembered how it had been when they were first married...and...I have to admit...I missed that. Like the old saying goes...'All work and no play...makes Caitlin a very dull gal.' And I don't think String would appreciate it if I got dull.

"Why do you think I started it?" Hawke retorted.

"Good point," Caitlin replied, grinning, "but...you see that I finished it," she grinned and covered Hawke's lips with her own, even as she felt the reigon between her legs growing hot and wet. May be time for a different sort of play, Caitlin said to herself.

"Okay, okay, Caitlin...you made your point," String replied several seconds later, when Caitlin decided to let him up for air, "So...you got any other intentions I need to know about?"

"Why, Mister Hawke, whatever do you mean?" She asked him in her most alluring Southern drawl, and batted her eyes suggestively at him.

"Well, Mrs. Hawke," String replied, smiling up at her, "you seem to have me at a disadvantage, here. Just...what are your intentions, Cait?" Hawke tried to steel his voice, but knew he'd failed miserably, when he glanced up and saw Caitlin's expression.

"That's for me to know, Stringfellow Hawke," she purred, as she began planting baby kisses along her husband's shoulder blade, "and you to find out. Besides," she said in between kisses, "Marella told me before we got married that sex is a wonderful stress reliever...and we've been under a lot of stress lately, don't you agree?"

"Yeah, Cait," Hawke murmured as he fell under his wife's spell once again, and remembered fully everything that made him fall in love with this woman. String decided he looked forward to finding out exactly what his wife had in store for him...and as far as sleeping in was concerned, well...there's always another day.