Crossover – An Alternate Ending
A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only.
A/N: So I think most of us are on the same page for this episode…that Cait got royally ingnored by Hawke and that this is one of the biggest instances in which it was evident how much she loved him (see end scene at the hangar!). I rewatched it again the other day and wondered what might have happened if Hawke had taken Inge to Cait's place to stay like he had suggested. This is my take on what could have happened. I think this will be a one-shot but we'll see what happens.
Chapter 1
Michael "Archangel" Coldsmith-Briggs, deputy director of The Firm, had just left Stringfellow Hawke's cabin informing Hawke that he would need to move Inge Janek to another location as soon as possible as he had most likely been tracked by the surveillance dust that had been unknowingly spread on his suit jacket.
Five days earlier, Hawke had gone to Baja, Mexico and picked up Inge and her father, Czechoslovakian scientists who were developing cutting edge laser technology that the American Government was interested in. Unfortunately, Russian subversives were also interested in the technology and had attempted to kidnap Inge and her father. Victor Janek had been killed in the attempt. It was only by the efforts of Dominic Santini and Caitlin O'Shannessy that String and Inge had even escaped alive themselves. The two pilots had refused to believe that Hawke had also perished as reported in the accident that had killed Victor and took it upon themselves to take Airwolf, the mach one, super helicopter that Hawke flew on missions for The Firm, and find Hawke. Dom and Cait had arrived just in time to see Hawke and Inge being fired upon by an enemy helicopter as they were trapped in an old mine entrance they had taken cover in.
Ever since, Hawke and Inge had been hiding out until Inge decided if she was still willing to work with the American Government or not, she had said she needed some time to grieve her father's death and to weigh her options. During that time, Hawke and Inge had grown quite close and a romance was definitely developing. It wasn't something that Hawke would call love at this point, maybe it was more two people needing each other because of the dangers they had gone through together, but whatever it was both would admit there had been a connection. The physical touch of each other had been comforting to them both.
Archangel had arrived at the cabin to find out Inge's decision and to let Hawke know that the government was not pleased with having to wait when Hawke noticed the surveillance dust on the spy's jacket. So now, in order to keep her safe, Inge would have to be moved.
"We're going to have to get you out of here," Hawke said to Inge as she descended the steps from his bedroom loft in the cabin.
"Yes, I heard," she said as she finished getting dressed. The couple had evidently been "interrupted" with Michael's arrival at the cabin.
"Maybe I can take you to Cait's apartment," Hawke thought out loud as he tried to think of options.
"Caitlin? She was the one that helped to fly the big helicopter that came and picked us up, right?" Inge asked as she thought about the redhead that had shown up with Dominic Santini to rescue them. "And the one that's obviously in love with you," she thought to herself as she remembered the reaction that the female pilot had had to seeing Hawke alive. As soon as that copter had landed, the red headed lady had jumped out of the cockpit right into Hawke's arms and had planted a kiss on his lips. Of course, Inge had also noticed that Hawke didn't seem to mind. Fortunately there wasn't much time to waste with the Russians still hot on their trail so it was quickly back to business for the two and nothing else had been mentioned. But there had been more than once over the last several days that Inge had thought of that moment and wondered if she had been intruding on another woman's territory when it came to Hawke. Until now, though, Hawke had never mentioned Cait again. "I don't know, Hawke, I wouldn't want her to be put in danger because of me," Inge said, thinking there was probably a better solution.
"Don't worry about it she's an ex-cop who can handle herself and you'll be safe with her. Get your things packed and I'll call her and let her know we're on our way, " Hawke instructed as he went to hook up the satellite phone he kept at the cabin without a second thought about it.
AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW
Hawke hung up the phone with Caitlin feeling that something was just a little off but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. Caitlin had readily agreed to Inge staying with her at her apartment for a few days as he knew she would but something about the tone of her voice seemed a little off to Hawke. "She sounded so serious, so matter of fact," Hawke thought to himself. Caitlin had always been the one around the hangar with a quick smile or laugh and she could always find the positive in anything but talking to her on the phone just now, Hawke had felt as if he was making a business deal with someone he'd never met instead of talking to a long-time friend and co-worker.
Before he had much more time to think about it though, Inge had come back down the stairs, suitcase in hand. "I'm ready, Hawke," she said.
"All right, let's get going. I need to get you to Cait's and then I need to go talk to Michael to see what they've come up with on the Russians that are after you. " Taking the suitcase from her hand, Hawke opened the door to the cabin, letting Inge out and followed her out to the chopper on the pier.
AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW
Cait could hardly believe what Hawke had just asked her to do. Five days ago she thought that Hawke was dead and her heart had broken in two. Only thanks to Dom's insistence that the younger man was still alive had they taken Airwolf and found Hawke, saving him just in the nick of time as he was pinned down by enemy helicopter fire.
Thinking back to when she first saw Hawke emerge from that mine entrance, Cait's eyes began to tear up. She couldn't even believe that he was still alive, she needed more proof than just her eyes could give her. Before Dom even had Airwolf settled on the ground, Cait was out the cockpit door and running towards String. Running straight into his arms, she kissed him right on the lips without even giving it a second thought. All she knew at that moment was that after thinking the man she had worked with, become best friends with and, truth be told, fallen in love with over the last two years was dead, she needed to not only see him but feel him, hear him and taste him to prove that he was still alive. She needed to satisfy all of her senses and evidently Hawke had felt that way too.
Or she thought he had. The kiss that he returned had been powerful and breathtaking. For those few moments, with her lips on his and his strong arms wrapped around her, Caitlin felt whole; like she was where she was supposed to be. And, then, within just a few moments it had all come crashing down around her. The next thing she knew, he was introducing her to Inge and they were boarding Airwolf and it was as if he forgot all about Caitlin, all of his attention being focused on the beautiful scientist.
Now it was five days later and Hawke hadn't so much as picked up the phone to speak with her until he called to ask if Inge could stay at her apartment. Cait had wanted nothing more than to say no but her conscious wouldn't let her. However, she wasn't naïve…she knew what Hawke and Inge had been up to for the last week. It had killed her a little inside each time she thought of Hawke holding and kissing another woman as he had so briefly with her in Baja.
"This is it!," she vowed to herself as she paced her apartment, waiting for Hawke to arrive. "For two years I've put my life on the line waiting on that man to notice me as something more than some tom-boy pilot who just happens to be his co-worker. I've watched him flaunt countless women right in front of my face, women who have used him and who could never appreciate all of his complex moods like I do. I've always been there for him, I've laughed with him, cried with him and together we've risked our lives for each other and still he can't see what's right in front of his face. Well this is it, I'll do this one last thing and then I'm out of here! I can't stand by and watch him love someone else anymore!"
Cait wiped the tears from her cheeks as she came to the realization of what she must do. She would miss Dom and Airwolf, and she knew she would be heartbroken for a long time by leaving Stringfellow Hawke behind but she figured that being heartbroken from afar had to be better than having him tear her heart to pieces little-by-little every day as she watched him live his life without a thought to her. After this assignment was over, Caitlin had made the decision…she would be leaving Airwolf, Santini Air, California and Stringfellow Hawke behind. She had to…..
TBC….
A/N: Okay, so evidently this is not going to be a oneshot. Just too much to say in one chapter, however I don't see it going much more than 2 or 3. Anyways, please read and review and enjoy!