Story 5 A Day to Remember

by robertwnielsen

With Angelica Horn safely behind bars, Caitlin and Hawke consummated their relationship, and String proposed to Caitlin, much to everyone's pleasure. Plans began in earnest for the joyous event.

Story 5 – A Day to Remember

A/N – Disclaimer: I do not own Airwolf – Either Bellisario or Universal does. This is the first story in a new story arc, focusing here on the impending marriage of String and Caitlin. References are made to the following episodes – Daddy's Gone a Hunting, American Dream, And a Child Shall Lead, and Fortune Teller, as well as my previous stories, and Sirius7's From Nightmares to Dreams. Events in this story occur approximately five months after the events of From Nightmares to Dreams, and certain characters from Rachel500's You Are Cordially Invited also make appearances. I recommend, although it's not required, that you read my previous stories to get the complete sense of the arc – What Now, Moving Forward, Revenge is a Dish, and Finding Happiness. – robertwnielsen

Summary: After the events in From Nightmares to Dreams, Stringfellow Hawke and Caitlin O'Shaunessey finally gave into their feelings and began a relationship. The relationship was not without its tribulations, however, as several attacks on Airwolf and the eventual ransacking of Caitlin's home lead Hawke to take Cait up to his cabin, in order to attempt to keep her safe. Her nightmares, specifically the ones where she believed she had killed Hawke, and then that Hawke had lied to her about his feelings for her, were finally quashed when Cait confronted Angelica Horn, the daughter of the evil billionaire who had kidnapped and brainwashed Hawke in order to steal Airwolf. Once Angelica was safely behind bars, Caitlin and Hawke consummated their relationship, and she found herself experiencing a new, much more pleasant, dream – A dream in which she became Mrs. Stringfellow Hawke. Hawke finally began the process of making her dream come true by asking Cait to marry him, and plans began for the joyous occasion.

And now, A Day To Remember

The Cabin

"Of course, we need to make arrangements for musicians, caterers, etc.," Caitlin O'Shaunessey said to her fiancee, Stringfellow Hawke, as they finally began making plans for their wedding. She found herself marveling at how far they had come since that first nightmare back at her old house just five months ago. Even then, I wasn't sure we'd ever get here, she mused to herself. Hawke could still be stubborn about certain things, even though he had finally abandoned the notion that had kept them apart for so long – that everybody he loved, or might love, would die. But if he wasn't stubborn about some things, Caitlin mused, he wouldn't be the man I love. The man I want to spend the rest of my life with.

"Hold on a second, Cait," Stringfellow Hawke said. "We're having the wedding up here, remember? I agree about musicians, but I thought Dom & your mother could handle the food part. Remember, we're not having a huge wedding; just your family, Dom, Michael, Marella, and some friends."

"You really trust my mom's cooking that much, huh?"

He smiled at that. "Yeah, I do. That reminds me, I've gotta talk to Saint John about a few things pretty soon."

"Well, why not invite him and Dom up here for dinner some night?"

"Good idea. But, we need to discuss something."

"And, that is?"

"The night before the wedding – you know, it's tradition that the bride and groom don't see each other before the ceremony." Caitlin looked dismayed at the prospect of spending even one night away from the man she loved, and she let him know as much. "Hawke," she exclaimed, emphasizing the use of his last name so he would know how much his words had disappointed her, "you would really do that to me? And besides," she continued, "if we are together, even though it's against tradition, I won't be worried that you've gotten into any sort of trouble on some crazy bachelor night."

Hawke grinned as he replied, "Somehow, Cait, I don't think you'd have to worry about that – I think my brother cares too much about us and our wedding to let something like that happen, but I tell you what. Let's not worry about that for a while – we still have some time left to iron out those details." He kissed his fiancee warmly, even though he knew full well that they were not done talking about this yet. I know better than that. This isn't done by a long shot, he mused quietly to himself.

The Lair

Airwolf sat in total darkness, except for the shaft of light coming through the chimney, and waited for her master and his friends to come and liberate her once again, to take the sky as only she could. Suddenly, deep within her CPU, a program activated, and began altering vital information.

Record Change: Name Change of Pilot/Engineer

Name: Hawke, Caitlin

End program

Its task finished, the sleek bird of prey returned to its silent vigil.

Knightsbridge

"That's correct. When Hawke and Caitlin are married, I want those records classified Omega 5. Just like all the others. Clear? Thank you." Michael Coldsmith Briggs III, otherwise known as "Archangel," had planned to do this ever since the night of the proposal. Archangel felt he owed them at least that much, after everything they had done for him, including saving his life in East Germany last year. He wished he could squash the sudden feeling of dread that was tickling the hairs on the back of his neck. I've been around Hawke too long, he mused to himself silently. Next thing I know, I'll be hearing radio waves coming in, too.

FIRM Maximum Security Detention Facility

Angelica Horn sat in her cell, still sore from the beating Caitlin had laid on her several weeks ago. I may not like her, but that little bitch can fight, Angelica was forced to admit, and that, I can respect. She had to give credit where credit was due – Hawke and Caitlin had beaten her at a game she thought she controlled. I'll have the last laugh, Angelica thought grimly. Somehow, I'll make both of them pay for what they've done.

Angelica began to understand what had driven her father into the depths of depression which ultimately claimed his life. His obsession had been Airwolf – hers was Stringfellow Hawke. She could not believe that Hawke had spurned her advances – with the brainwashing he had undergone, he should have been putty in my hands, Angelica mused. I just can't understand why he preferred that little mouse over someone like me.

The Lair, the next morning

"So, String. What are you thinking?" Dom queried from the engineering console. His friend had been unusually quiet, even for him, all the way from Santini Air. Dom supposed part of it was Hawke's discomfort at not including Caitlin on this little check ride. As Airwolf's startup sequence began, Hawke answered, "Oh, Caitlin and I had a difference of opinion about a wedding tradition."

"And which tradition might that be, String?"

"The one that says a bride shouldn't see her groom before the ceremony. She doesn't want to be away from me for even that one night."

"I thought her nightmares were a thing of the past, String," Dom said as the helicopter began her slow rise up the chimney. "What's to worry about now? You guys will have the rest of your lives to be together – I don't see why one night should make that big a deal."

"You're preaching to the choir here, Dom. It's not me you need to convince, it's Cait." As Airwolf cleared the Lair, Hawke called for turbos, and moments later, the chopper was accelerating towards the speed of sound.

"So what's the run, String? Something for Archangel, or just a routine maintenance flight?"

"The latter. Plus, I just needed to talk to you man-to-man about all of this. She seems to be over the nightmares...but I wonder if she's not afraid she'll have a relapse."

"Well, I'm not a shrink, and I don't pretend to be one," Dominic chuckled, "and her head is the last one I'd try to analyze. You want my advice, though?"

"Nope."

"Good. 'Cause here it is. Don't tick her off even before you guys get married – that could be big trouble down the road. I'm not trying to tell you what to do, I'm just saying."

"Okay, Dom, I get the point. I told her I'd think about it – and I'll bet she's taken that as a sign that I might be persuaded to her way of thinking."

"Would you?"

String's silence gave Dom all the answer he needed. "That's what I thought." A few moments later, Dom piped up again.

"Hey, String, I just thought of something."

"Yeah?"

"What are we going to tell Cait's family about..."

"Archangel? Yeah, I've thought about that, too – Obviously, we can't tell them who he really is, without revealing what we do with Airwolf, etc. I'll probably just tell them that he and Marella are both friends of my family, and hopefully, that will be that."

"And what if somebody asks him what he does for a living?"

"That's his problem, Dom, not ours. Although," Hawke continued, "I suppose I'll have to get my story straight with him – just so I don't say one thing, and he says another. That could be a mess, couldn't it?"

Dom chucked and replied, "That's putting it mildly, buddy. Hey, String, check your center panel."

String glanced at his instrument panel. "I don't see anything, except the normal system readouts."

"I could have sworn I saw...oh, never mind. Probably just these old eyes playing tricks on me. You know what they say – when a man gets my age, his eyesight's the second thing to go."

"Well, Dom, remember what I told you before – you've always been younger than me!" Both pilots had a good laugh at this, as Hawke swung the chopper back towards home.

Hawke's Cabin

That's just like Hawke, telling me we can't be together on the night before our wedding, Caitlin groused to herself after String had left. Then on top of that, he goes off flying with Dom and his girlfriend, and doesn't bring me along. Ooh, sometimes that "all boy's club" of theirs really bugs me. Hawke knows I can fly her just as well as they can – after all, she mused, he and Dom taught me everything I know.

Just then, she heard a commotion outside, and was pleased to see Hawke and Dominic as they walked through the front door. "Hey, welcome back, you two," she said, smiling at Dom while giving her fiancee a warm, if slightly forced, embrace. "Everything okay with your girlfriend, String?"

Dom stifled a chuckle. Cait never had been comfortable sharing String with Airwolf, and had let him know about it on more than one occasion. "Yeah, everything's fine, Cait. We just took her up to wring her out a little bit, that's all."

"Well, next time bring me along, will you guys?"

"Yes, ma'am," String replied, with a mock salute. Dom gave him a look that said, See? I told you so.

"What was that look about, Dom?" Cait queried.

"Like I said before, 'I ain't telling!'" Cait chuckled as she recalled her first encounter with Airwolf, after the helicopter had blown up the Pope County Jail. "Well, String, I guess I'm gonna head back to civilization. Keep what I said in mind, will ya?"

"Sure, Dom. Don't I always?"

Dom rolled his eyes at his friend and walked out the door. "What was that about, String?" Caitlin queried as the chopper started up.

"Nothing important. We were just talking about...things."

" 'Just talking about things'? String, in the time I've known you, you have never 'just talked' to anyone about 'things.' Well, except me, maybe. So give, already. What were you guys talking about?"

"Sorry, Cait. A couple needs their secrets, you know. Keeps things interesting."

Cait wasn't one to give up easy, however. "You guys were talking about me, weren't you? You brought up our little discussion yesterday, didn't you, Hawke?" Her voice had suddenly turned cold, and the use of his last name indicated to Stringfellow that he was in big, big trouble.

"All right. You know I can't lie to you, Cait. Yes, I did bring up that subject to Dominic while we were doing our check ride – and before you ask, that's the reason I didn't bring you along. I wanted Dom's opinion, without any extra feedback. And besides," he added, trying to lighten the mood, "you looked like you were having another pleasant dream, so far be it from me to interrupt anything." She couldn't help it – she had to smile at that comment. She made a mental note to tell Hawke about her dream later.

"So, Dom agrees with me, right? You shouldn't be worrying about that silly old tradition."

"Um, actually, no. Dom agreed with me more so than you. His exact words, I think, were 'You guys will have the rest of your lives to be together. I don't see why one night should make that big a deal.'"

Caitlin considered Dom's words, but String felt she wasn't quite convinced yet. "So, what else did you guys talk about?"

"Archangel. Dom was worried, and I have to admit I was too, about what would happen if one of your family members asks him what he does for a living, and how we know him."

"And what did you two geniuses decide?" She rolled her eyes at the word "geniuses," apparently showing that she didn't quite believe her own words.

"I think, for lack of a better term, we're just going to refer to Archangel as a 'friend' of my family – and if anybody asks him what he does for a living, we'll just have to trust his common sense."

"Well, his is the only common sense I trust more than yours or Dominic's, String," Caitlin grinned at him. "I doubt we have anything to worry about. But, we can talk to him if you want."

"That's a good idea."

Later that Night

"So, Michael, you can understand what I'm concerned about?" String asked his boss as they sat around the fireplace after a wonderful veal Parmesan dinner – which, Cait noticed, String had not hesitated in partaking in.

"Yes, I do, Hawke, and for the record, I've been doing some thinking about that. I agree that any mention of your and Cait's involvement with the FIRM could provoke some not-too-pleasant feelings among some of Cait's family members, especially if they all have the same temper she does." Michael smiled at Caitlin, and quickly added, "No offense."

"None taken, Michael. I realize I can be kinda difficult sometimes – that's probably why String and I get along so good – he told my mom that I'm probably the only person in the world who has a harder head than he does!"

"And, he's probably right about that, Cait. But, back to business. For that day, I'll just pretend to be a friend of your father's, and if anybody asks what I do for a living, I'll just say I'm retired from military service due to injuries. As for money, well, I can thank my rich uncle for that, at least for one night. Sound fair?"

"Sounds very fair, Michael. Actually, that was a lot better than anything I had come up with," String had to laugh, which caused everyone else to laugh along with him.

"Oh, by the way. Your marriage records have been buried and sealed with an Omega 5 classification – just like all the records after the Horn incident. Which reminds me, Cait. Still having those nightmare problems?" Hawke realized he hadn't mentioned anything about Cait's nightmares to Michael since before they got engaged.

"Nope. They've decided to take a hike, and I won't miss 'em whatsoever," Cait smiled at her fiancee, and Michael began wondering if the reason Cait was no longer having those nightmares was because of String's involvement in her life. I always knew there was something about them, Michael mused silently. Aloud, he said, "That's good to know. Wouldn't want you in Airwolf without proper rest."

"I don't think any of us should be doing anything in Airwolf without proper rest, Michael." Archangel sensed the hint in Hawke's statement, and gestured for Laura, the pilot who had flown him up to the cabin, to follow him. Slowly, he limped out to the white FIRM chopper, and a few minutes later, they heard the engine start up and the helicopter soar into the distance.

"Well, guess I better be heading out, too, String. See you later."

"See you later, Dom." String hugged his old friend good-bye, and Dom left to start up his chopper to head back to Santini Air.

FIRM Maximum Security Detention Facility

Angelica felt the anger growing inside of her. Her father was dead, her life was in turmoil, all because of one man – Stringfellow Hawke. Someday, Hawke. Someday, I'll make you pay for everything you've done...everything you stole from me. She couldn't decide who she hated more – Hawke, or the other. In Angelica's mind, that imposter soldier was the reason that Hawke was not with her anymore – whoever that was had injected Hawke with some kind of counter-agent to reverse the effects of the brainwashing that her father's "doctors" had administered, and caused Hawke to turn on John Bradford Horn and his daughter.

I've got to get out of here, she thought to herself. There's got to be a way to get out of this place – no prison is totally escape – proof. I just have to wait for an opportunity to present itself. Unfortunately, she was surrounded by guards and medical staff nearly every minute, except when she was asleep, and even then, there were armed guards at her door, which was locked from outside, and their orders were simple and direct – Shoot to kill. There was no way out of there, at least none that was easily, readily apparent. Still, Angelica anticipated the time when she could escape from this prison, and confront the ones responsible for putting her there.

Hawke's Cabin

"String, it's beautiful up here!" Maggie O'Shaunessey, Caitlin's mother, had been flown up by Dominic early the next morning. "I was having second thoughts about you having your wedding up here, but now I realize, this is perfect! And," she added with a sideways glance at her daughter, "so romantic."

Caitlin blushed, knowing that her mom was getting a little too close to the truth about more than one issue. I can't tell her I've lived up here for the past four months, and that we're already sleeping together, Cait worried to herself. Mom would have a fit. "Why do you think I fell in love with String?" Cait asked her mother, who smiled knowingly.

"You know, String, I have to tell you – Cait was right about something she wrote me once about you."

"What's that, Maggie?"

"That smile of yours does light up a room." Caitlin blushed as she remembered writing that to her mother shortly after meeting Hawke. He had smiled at her when she handed him a loose bolt from the Stearman he was working on, and the look of that smile had startled Caitlin. Fortunately, she mused to herself, in a few more weeks that smile will be all mine. And, I can't wait.

"Well, thank you, Maggie. Caitlin has certainly given me a lot to smile about these past few months," Hawke replied. "So you'll probably be seeing more smiles, from both of us."

"I'm glad, String. I wouldn't want my daughter married to some old Gloomy Gus," Maggie kidded with her future son-in-law. Sure enough, as Hawke and Caitlin slipped their arms around one another, Maggie saw both of their faces split by smiles that looked, for all intents and purposes, like something that would need to be surgically removed.

Knightsbridge

"Captain, I want you to understand what's going on here," Archangel was on the phone with one of the FIRM's security squads' commanding officers. "I want agents stationed around the perimeter of Hawke's cabin, and out of sight of the guests. I'll let you know the date – I don't even know yet, myself. And, I don't have to remind you how important both Stringfellow Hawke and Caitlin O'Shaunessey are to the FIRM."

"No, sir. You don't. We'll take care of everything, and be ready for your orders."

"Thank you, Captain." Michael felt this was another present he could give the couple who had become two of the few close friends he had. He would have men from his top security squad surround the perimeter of the cabin during the ceremony, out of sight of the guests, but fully armed and capable of eliminating any threat. Also, the airspace around the cabin would be declared a "no-fly zone" until after the ceremony had concluded, and a FIRM security chopper would orbit out of visual and hearing range (of everybody except Hawke, and maybe Cait), Michael mused to himself.

Something else began gnawing at a corner of his mind – something unrelated to the wedding or any personal agenda: Airwolf. The deal was, Hawke would hold Airwolf until we either found Saint John, or found irrefutable evidence that he was dead. Well, he's back now. So what do we do about Airwolf? Archangel recalled something he had told Hawke the first night after Hawke had hidden the top-secret chopper. Hell, even if you were to give it back, there's no way the President would ever let the FIRM use it. He wondered if there was a way, other than continuing the original arrangement, whereby he could let Hawke continue using Airwolf for FIRM business, while Hawke retained responsibility for the aircraft itself. There's got to be a way, Michael thought to himself. If we force him to give it back, the FIRM will never see Airwolf again. And, Airwolf with Hawke, Dom, or Cait at the controls is one of the best field tools the FIRM has. Well, I'll figure something out – I always do.

Hawke's Cabin

"Okay, String, let's talk some more about this night-before-the-wedding thing," Caitlin said to him, even though Hawke rolled his eyes back into his head in an effort to change the subject. "I don't understand why you don't want us to be together the night before the wedding, for heaven's sake."

"Because it's tradition, Cait," Hawke repeated for probably the thousandth time since this whole conversation had been brought up. "Tradition says that it's bad luck for the groom to see his bride before the wedding. And, with as much bad luck as I bring to this relationship already..."

"Stop. Stop right there, Stringfellow Hawke. You know I don't completely believe in luck – except maybe the luck we make ourselves. Look, String. I wouldn't be marrying you if I felt like you were a bad influence, or a jinx, on me. Now, I know you want to hang on to some stupid, antiquated tradition about a man not seeing his bride before their wedding. I don't buy it. And," she added with a suddenly serious twist to her expression, "it's like I told you before. If we're upstairs, next to each other, where we belong; then Saint John or no Saint John, I don't have to worry about some out-of-control bachelor activities putting any damper on our wedding day. Understand me, Hawke?" Caitlin cooled her voice deliberately at the last word.

"Yes, ma'am," Hawke replied, with a mock salute. "All right, all right. I won't push for us to stay separate the night before we get married. Heck, I know when I'm beaten. You're probably right about one thing – I might be able to trust Saint John, but Dom...he could make things interesting. So, we'll just do what we always do." He noticed Cait's eyes took on a particular gleam at that statement. Oh, great. What have I gotten myself into this time? Hawke found himself asking the ceiling.

"Hawke. I have something I'd like to discuss with you. Laura's on her way up in the chopper right now," Michael said over the secure link a few hours later. "Caitlin can come too, if she wants."

"Thanks, Michael – and she probably will, if this is about what I think it's about." Hawke had the feeling that he already knew what the conversation would be about – a deal regarding a certain black helicopter. "I'll see you when I see you."

"I'll be waiting, Hawke."

At that moment, Caitlin came over from the large dining room table. "What did Michael want?" At that moment, both she and Hawke turned their heads at the sound of the FIRM chopper approaching.

"I think it has something to do with that 'black battleship with the rotors', Cait." Hawke replied. "I have this feeling Michael wants me to give her back."

"Why?"

"Why?" Hawke attempted a Texas accent, which was met with a disapproving groan from his fiancee. "Because, the main part of the deal I had with him about Airwolf no longer applies, that's why."

"Oh. You mean about you returning Airwolf when Saint John came home?"

"Exactly. Since Saint John's come back, I imagine Zeus and the Committee have been jumping down Michael's throat to try and get Airwolf back," Hawke said as Laura opened the door. "Well, let's get this over with."

Knightsbridge, about two hours later

"Hawke. I wanted you to know I gave special consideration to the deal we made when you first recovered Airwolf from Moffett. And, I also considered the very high probability that, as I told you then, even if you were to give it back, the President would most likely never let the FIRM see Airwolf again."

"So?"

"Zeus has given me full authority and autonomy over decisions regarding Airwolf. He finally decided to leave me alone, to do my job. And, I know that Airwolf in the hands of you three is the best field tool that the FIRM has. So," he paused for dramatic effect, "for our purposes, she's all yours."

"Seriously? You're saying you don't want Airwolf back?"

"Not in the official sense, no. You'll all three still be working for us on an as-needed basis, but as far as the FIRM taking Airwolf back, you can rest easy. Now, that doesn't mean that another agency, like the NSA, the Department of Defense, or the National Security Council, or even Bogard's Department of Public Security might not try to take her, but with me acting as the go-between, things should be a lot easier for you from here on out."

"Thank you, Michael. That...means a lot to me. Ah, sorry. To all of us,"Hawke said, suddenly aware of the glare coming from Caitlin.

"Any time, Hawke. Just take care of that bird for us."

"You got it."

As they rode back to the cabin in the chopper, Hawke couldn't believe what had just happened – after three years of ducking everybody from the FIRM to the Boy Scouts, one giant burden had just been lifted from Hawke's mind. The FIRM would not be trying to recover Airwolf from Hawke, as long as they kept doing what they were doing – flying her whenever, and wherever, she was needed.

The Lair

Access Program

Status Change Confirmed

Primary Authority over Use – in hands of Hawke, Stringfellow, Santini, Dominic; and Hawke, Caitlin, responsible to Archangel, Michael.

End Program.

Hawke's Cabin

"That was...not what I was expecting," Hawke said, as he and Caitlin sank onto the couch. "Michael basically told us...Airwolf is ours, in a manner of speaking."

"Yeah, I guess he did," Caitlin replied, sliding closer to her fiancee on the couch. "Wonder why he gave up without a fight, after all this time?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Cait," Hawke replied, scratching his head at the sudden turn of events. "But, I can't say it comes as unwelcome news."

"Me neither. At least this is one worry taken off your back," she smiled at her fiancee, "so we can concentrate on more important...'things.'"

"And what sorts of 'things' did you have in mind?"

"Oh, like you told me once before, String," Cait answered him playfully, "I'm sure we'll think of something."

Airwolf, the next morning

"All right, let's get this lady in the air!" Dominic exulted, happy to be making yet another check ride in his beloved Airwolf. As he waited for the rotors to come up to liftoff speed, Hawke glanced over at his co-pilot, Caitlin O'Shaunessey, and said, "While I don't share Dom's enthusiasm, I am glad we're all doing this one together." He saw the barest hint of a smile under Cait's flight helmet, and thought, At least we brought her along this time. She never would have forgiven me if we hadn't. Finally, the rotors reached liftoff speed, and Airwolf began its majestic climb out of the chimney. Once they had exited and could see the morning sun through the cockpit windows, Hawke called for turbos, and Airwolf rocketed away from the Lair, quickly building speed.

"That's it, sweetheart, you're doing just fine," Dom called from the EDCC chair. Caitlin and Hawke exchanged a knowing glance, and each seemed to the other to be thinking, Dom takes his love for this machine just a tad too far, doesn't he? Suddenly, Airwolf banked sharply to the left. "Whoa! What happened, String?"

"I don't know. She just turned hard left all of a sudden." Hawke moved the cyclic and the collective, but neither one responded to his inputs. "Dom, did you kick on autopilot?"

Dom checked the "Engage" switch, but found it dark. "Nope. Autopilot's not engaged. What's going on?" Just then, Airwolf shot into the sky. Hawke quickly tried moving the cyclic and collective again, and this time found them responsive. "I'm afraid we're gonna have to cut this one short, people." Hawke stated grimly. "We might have another logic bomb on our hands."

Although neither Caitlin, Hawke, or Dominic could see it, a message appeared on one of their central displays: Momentary assumption of flight control was in error. Not logic bomb related.

Once they had safely landed, Hawke said, "Dom, you know the drill. First thing tomorrow, we strip all the armament and electrical."

"Wait a second, String. If this is another logic bomb, we're gonna need Karen's help again."

"Whose help, Dominic?" Caitlin's glare cut through both Dom and Hawke like a hot knife through butter.

"Dr. Karen Hansen, Cait. She helped us a while back when Airwolf engaged a logic bomb program planted there by Moffett. Of course, she neglected to tell us she was with the FIRM, and that she had a homing beacon."

"Yeah," Dominic stated, remembering what had occurred after Dr. Hansen had taken his place in the EDCC, and he left the Lair with the homing device, leading Michael's agents to an out-of-the-way gas station. "I was so disappointed. Nobody wanted to see the two – headed snake!" Caitlin had been absent when this had all occurred, so she knew nothing of these events. Hawke said, "Cait. You've got to stop worrying every time another female's name is mentioned, for crying out loud."

"I'm sorry, String. It's just that where you're concerned..."

"I know. But sometimes..."

"It's not easy. What is easy with us?" Cait had to smile at her question, as she knew it was the truth.

"Good to see you again, Dr. Hansen," Hawke said to the young scientist. "And, before I forget, this is my fiancee, Caitlin O'Shaunessey." Karen shook hands with the other redhead. "A pleasure to meet you, Caitlin. I don't recall seeing you the last time I was down here, though."

"No, I was away for other reasons," Caitlin found it hard to dislike the other woman. Trusting her, on the other hand; that's another story, especially where String's concerned.

"So, Dom, you say Airwolf just turned sharp left, the autopilot wasn't engaged or anything?"

"Right, Doc. And that's what makes this one so scary. We have no idea what happened. Can you help us?"

Karen grabbed her connection cables and said, "Well, that's why I'm here. Let's get to work."

Four hours later, Dr. Hansen couldn't believe what she was seeing. Millions of lines of Airwolf's program code had been altered. Certain references were deleted completely, others had been changed; and still others were left alone, save for a minor syntax change.

What have you done, Moffett? Dr. Hansen couldn't believe that so much of Airwolf's primary code had been re-written. She worried to herself that Airwolf might never fly again.

Three Days Later

YES! Finally this is making sense! Well, sort of. Dr. Hansen exulted to herself, as Dom, Hawke and Caitlin were still asleep at the far end of the Lair. It appeared that Moffett had not written these changes into Airwolf's code – according to all of Dr. Hansen's instruments, Airwolf herself had orchestrated these changes. But, how can a machine re-write its own software code? Unless... Dr. Hansen knew of machines that possessed artificial intelligence, which allowed them to reprogram themselves based on experiences and changes in their environment, but she'd never actually worked with one...until now.

Just then, she heard Hawke beginning to stir. As he woke up, Karen walked to meet him and whispered, "Hawke? Can I talk to you in private? It's about Airwolf."

"Sure." He made sure not to wake Caitlin, and he and Dr. Hansen walked out of the Lair into the early morning sunshine.

"No blindfold this time?"

"Nah. Michael and I have a new agreement – he's not chasing after Airwolf anymore, and I trust you enough to know that you're not going to go blabbing to the NSA , the FBI, or the Pentagon about where you've been." She smiled at him and said, "Thank you, Hawke. And I promise, this place will remain my secret. I don't think your fiancee trusts me all that much, though."

"Who, Caitlin? Don't worry about her, Karen. She's okay, really. She just gets a little uncomfortable if another woman's around." Hawke was glad Cait was still sleeping inside the Lair – the last thing he wanted right now was to go around in circles with his fiancee about yet another female in his life.

"Well, I can't say I blame her, Hawke," Dr. Hansen grinned. "By the way, before I forget, congratulations. Even though I only just met Caitlin, I think she's good for you." Hawke wasn't sure how to take that. "But, now to the reason I wanted to talk to you. I think you're right about something going on with Airwolf."

"In what way?"

"I think she's developing...artificial intelligence."

"You've got to be kidding. Like in those science fiction movies?"

"Something like that. Come on, I'll show you some of what I've found so far." She and Hawke trudged back inside the Lair, to find Cait and Dom awake and working on breakfast.

"About time you guys showed up. So, Doc. Did you fix our baby?" Karen chuckled as she remembered Dominic's affection for the helicopter.

"Not quite yet, Dom. But, I think I can guarantee you that Airwolf is, for lack of a better term, bettering herself."

"Bettering herself? What kind of cockamamie sci-fi talk is that?"

"Actually, Dom, it's not as 'cockamamie' as you think. You've heard of 'thinking machines,' from sci-fi movies and what not? Well, from everything I've been able to gather, Moffett programmed Airwolf's computers to learn from her experience in combat, and to build a library of defensive and offensive tactics that she could call on in emergencies. To coin a phrase, her computer actually learns how to learn. Then, it can teach itself, and learn from its own mistakes."

"So what does she need a crew for?" Caitlin asked, confused.

"The AI that I've discovered is different from what you and I might consider intelligence. Plus, it's in an early development stage – probably similar to a preschool-aged child. You three are essential to the development of that intelligence."

"I still don't get it," Dom answered. "Why would a super-intelligent machine need humans at all?"

"Dom, the AI considers you...all of you...for lack of a better term, as her safety net. She treated Moffett and the original crew the same way when they first started flying Airwolf. Plus, the intelligence would, from everything I've learned so far, only assume control if it detected a potentially life-threatening situation. For example, if you had MiG fighters behind you, and the pilots were incapacitated, the AI might take over and either deploy weapons herself, or simply pull into a power climb, which would allow the two attackers to destroy each other." Megan winced as she recalled the last power climb she'd been in on board Airwolf, and felt confident in her assurance that if it happened again, it would be for the safety of the humans aboard, and not as part of a plan to destroy them.

"But, we can still fly her, right?"

"Well, I'll have to do some tests periodically, but for right now, yes. I declare Airwolf safe to fly."

"Well, that's a relief. But, why did she suddenly take control and pull that hard bank the other day?"

"That's something I haven't exactly figured out yet," Dr. Hansen admitted, digging into a plate of scrambled eggs. "But, I'm working on it. It's like the saying goes, 'To err is human. But, to really screw things up, you need a machine!' "

Caitlin suddenly fixed the scientist with an icy glare. "Is that what you two were doing when Dom and I woke up and I noticed that String had left?"

"Yes, Caitlin. I didn't want to wake either you or Dom, so I asked String to take a walk outside with me when I heard him moving around. If you don't mind a little constructive criticism, you need to learn to relax. I'm a computer programmer, not a psychiatrist, but even I can see you'll drive yourself crazy within five years if you don't. Besides, I don't have designs on Hawke – Yes, I like him, but if I tried living with the man – he'd drive me insane! And if you can live with him without going bananas, you're a better woman than I am, Caitlin! But you can trust me on this, Caitlin. Hawke is my friend – nothing more."

Caitlin felt herself relaxing; if only a little, at Karen's words.

"Thank you, Karen. So, you think the Lady's all right to fly?"

"Should be – but she may have some "growing pains" for a while, as the AI begins to manifest itself. But, they shouldn't interfere with regular operations."

"Let's hope not." Hawke stood up, sighing with relief. "Well, Dom, let's button this Lady up and get out of here – Cait and I have a wedding to plan."

String's Cabin

"Caitlin, you barely said a word all the way back here. And that's not like you. What's wrong?"

"Oh, String, I don't know. I think Dr. Hans...oops...Karen's right. I do need to learn to relax. I just get so paranoid sometimes, especially where other women and you are concerned. I don't know why I do that. Do you think I'm still feeling insecure about..."

"No." Hawke interrupted her before she could finish her sentence, as he knew what name Cait was about to say. "I don't think you're feeling insecure. I just think that you do have a rather active imagination, and sometimes, it tends to run away with you." Of course, he mused to himself, I gave her imagination plenty of fodder before we got together, flaunting all those other women in front of her like that.

"I'd rather you were running away with me," she grinned suggestively at him.

"Any particular place you have in mind?" Hawke thought he knew the answer, but he decided to ask her anyway.

"Not really," she replied, "as long as we run there together."

"That's a promise, lady. That's a promise."

Santini Air

"So, have you set a date yet, String?" Dom was understandably curious to know when the wedding was going to be.

"We're thinking sometime in the next few weeks, Dom," String replied, but nothing's been decided yet. Oh, and before you ask, we made a decision on that...other matter you and I were talking about."

"You mean Cait got you to see her point of view, right, String?"

He saw Cait coming out of the corner of his eye and whispered, "Right."

"Right what?" Dammit, String cursed himself. Her hearing's getting better all the time.

"Nothing, Cait. Nothing."

"Okay." She may have said okay, Hawke mused to himself, but I know her better than that. She doesn't buy it. Not one bit.

The Lair

"Well, shall we pick up where our last little test jaunt left off?" Hawke asked his friends as they climbed back aboard Airwolf. From the engineering console, Dom piped up, "Let's pick it up, String! Let's pick it up!" Hawke chuckled to himself and exchanged a knowing glance with Cait in the co-pilot's chair as Airwolf's systems came on line and the rotors spun up to takeoff speed. Finally, Hawke grasped the collective and the sleek black machine rose gracefully from her hiding place.

A few minutes later, as they wound around some of the large rock formations near the Valley of the Gods, Dom said, "Well, she feels like her old self. Whataya say we kick on the turbos, huh, String?"

"I say let's go for it."

"Oh, I was hopin' you'd say that! Turbos ready."

Hawke punched the button on the cyclic and Airwolf's speed increased immediately as the powerful turbines engaged. Soon, as they approached the sound barrier, Dom noticed something strange on his console. Two words had mysteriously appeared there: I'm sorry.

Dom shook his head, as if trying to clear a cobweb out of it, but the words wouldn't go away. There they sat, blinking. Dom thought, this is crazy. Airwolf's a machine, she can't do this. Quietly, he tapped out a message on his keyboard: Sorry for what, sweetheart?

For the incident the last time we flew. Did I hurt any of you?

Dom suddenly realized – the AI that Dr. Hansen had discovered was communicating with him! He tapped, No, baby. We were startled, but not hurt.

Quickly, the AI responded back: I am relieved. Thank you.

I've gotta be dreaming. This isn't happening. Airwolf can't communicate with me. And yet, the evidence was irrefutable – Airwolf was communicating. I've gotta remember to tell the Doc about this the next time I see her. Dom filed the information in his own memory so he would not forget. "Well, looks like everything's okay...wait a second." Hawke heard the ID scan program kick in a few split seconds before Dominic did. "Incoming traffic. Looks like a Hughes 500...armed with missile launchers and 20mm cannon. And this is weird, String. She looks like she's on an intercept – Hey, DUCK!" Dom's scanner had picked up a missile heading straight for Airwolf, and String pointed her nose straight for the deck, as Dom deployed Sunburst decoys to lure the missile away from Airwolf. "Where's that chopper, Dom?"

5:00 high, range 8 miles. Too close for a Sidewinder shot."

"Guns!"

"Right. Guns 1&2."

Where is he now?"

"You should be seeing him any minute now..."

"Got him, Dom." Hawke squeezed the trigger and within a few seconds, the chopper was destroyed in a ball of fire. "Where do suppose that guy came from?"

"Good question, String. Look out, another chopper coming in!"

"Where?"

"6:00, range 10 miles. Sidewinder in the air!"

"Sunburst!"

"Sunburst." The decoy shot aft from Airwolf's launcher, and within a few moments, the missile plowed harmlessly into a nearby cliff.

"Coming around, Dom." Airwolf swung around on her tail rotor, to face the second chopper head on. The two choppers closed on each other rapidly, until String threw Airwolf into a sharp left bank, and muttered to himself, "The hard part about playing chicken is knowing when to flinch." He quickly asked where the attacker had gone, and Dom quickly responded, "9 miles, 3:00! Careful, String, rocket coming in!"

"Sunburst."

"Sunburst." The missile sped past the glowing decoy, and continued towards Airwolf.

"It didn't take that Sunburst!"

"It's a sniffer!"

As he pulled Airwolf into a quick loop, Hawke called out, "Gimme a Hellfire."

"Done."

Quickly, Hawke touched the firing stud, and was rewarded when Airwolf's Hellfire destroyed the approaching Sidewinder. Another missile quickly dispatched the attacking helicopter.

"I've had enough fun for one day," Hawke said. "Let's go home." He glanced back at Dom and Caitlin, who both nodded in agreement.

After they had landed Airwolf and secured the Lair, Dom drove the crew back to Santini Air, then took Hawke and Cait back to the cabin via chopper, as was the norm. "'Bye, Dom! We'll talk to you soon, and let you know our plans!"

"Thanks, String! Cait, see you later!" The chopper quickly lifted from the landing dock, as Hawke and Caitlin watched it disappear into the distance. "What plans were you talking about?" Cait asked him as they walked back to the cabin.

"Our wedding plans. What did you think I was talking about?"

"I don't know, that's why I asked," she replied. "We haven't even set a date yet, have we? I really want to get this done, String. I want to be your wife so much."

"Well, let's figure this out, then."

It took them about an hour to make their decision. The wedding would be in three weeks, on July 24, 1988. "String. It finally feels real." Caitlin wiped some stubborn tears from her face as she realized that her dream would finally come true.

"Oh, it's real all right," Hawke answered, smiling. "Come the end of that day, you'll be Mrs. Stringfellow Hawke."

Mrs. Hawke. Mrs. Caitlin Hawke. Oh, how I've wanted to hear that. Caitlin's heart sang. "But, we've got so much to do! We've got to get the musicians, and of course Mom will have insisted on decorating around here, and..."

"Okay, okay. You and your mom can get started with some of those details, and I'll work on things with Saint John and Dom. Cait, relax. We've come this far...we'll make it the rest of the way."

FIRM Maximum Security Detention Facility

No...it's not possible! Daddy's dead! Angelica Horn had received a letter that would have tortured her to the depths of her very soul – if Angelica Horn truly had a soul. Someone had written Angelica a letter saying that her father, John Bradford Horn, might still be alive. That's impossible, Angelica insisted to herself yet again. I saw Daddy die. I was there when he shot himself! She remembered standing there, frozen with fear, as her father had explained what he was about to do.

"Angelica, I am truly sorry. After everything that's happened, I know you must hate me."

"No, Daddy! I could never hate you! You're my father, for heaven's sake! Please, Daddy, don't leave me!"

"I'm sorry Angelica. But I have nothing left. No reason to live, no family..."

"That's not true, Daddy! You still have me! You'll ALWAYS have me! And revenge. We must get revenge on Hawke and the ones who helped him escape!"

"Again, Angelica, I am truly sorry. Good-bye." With that, the gunshot had torn a sizable chunk of her father's head from his skull. She could not accept what her eyes were now trying to convince her of – A letter from one of the doctors at the former Horn compound, which stated that somehow, her father was alive. The letter went on to say that there was a plan in the works to break Angelica out of the detention facility where she had been imprisoned for the past few months. Angelica knew that what she had just read was, for all practical purposes, impossible. However, she also knew her father. If anyone could pull this off, and break her out of here, John Bradford Horn was that man.

Hawke's Cabin

The next three weeks passed by in a whirlwind. Dom was basically forced to shut Santini Air down, since he was so busy shuttling Cait's mom, Erin, Saint John, and heaven knew how many other people (Dom had lost count after about the fourth or fifth trip back in one afternoon) back and forth from the cabin. He had even recruited Saint John to help, with all the musicians, photographers, and other pieces to the puzzle of the wedding. Blessedly for all concerned, there had been no developments which required the use of Airwolf, and Hawke knew that if anything did come up between now and the date of the wedding, Caitlin would go into an absolute panic.

Like she's not halfway there already, Hawke mused to himself one morning, after he, Saint John, and Dom had all been fitted for their tuxedos. I don't know which is worse, he mused, as he watched his bride-to-be bounce from one chore to the next; this, or the way I watched her come apart after the Horn affair.

And, she had come so far in the months since he snuck into her house to sack out on the couch after he had checked himself out of the hospital, aside from the episode on the night he proposed; which, he thought; wasn't really an 'episode' at all – just a very carefully (and cleverly, he added to himself) designed ploy. Even Caitlin's mom had to corral her hyperactive daughter on more than one occasion, and tell her to let someone else handle some of the chaos that this wedding was swiftly becoming. At one point, Maggie threatened to rope and hogtie Cait to get her to sit down for more than five seconds at a time. We better only have to do this once, Hawke mused to himself as the final days ticked away. Neither one of them could survive it if we had to do it all a second time. Finally, though, the last preparations had been made – the dresses were finished, all the flowers were in place, the invitations had been sent and answered, (thankfully, Hawke mused, everybody's going to be here), and there was nothing else to do. The day Caitlin O'Shaunessey had dreamed of for five long months had finally arrived – the day she would marry Stringfellow Hawke.

Events after the rehearsal, however, went almost exactly as Stringfellow had expected they would. After dinner, Maggie had adamantly insisted that she take Cait to the hotel where her mother and the rest of the family were staying, and Caitlin had just as adamantly insistedthat she would stay right here, thank you very much, Mother. Maggie looked at her son-in-law (she figured the wedding was only a few hours away, so what harm was there in thinking of String that way) with pleading eyes, but String's expression said to her, Sorry, Maggie. I've been down this road once already. Twice, in fact.

Finally, Maggie threw her arms up in frustration, and Saint John turned to his brother and commented quietly, "Geez, String. Now I know where Cait got it."

String laughed and said, "Yeah. She came by it honest, didn't she?" He grinned first at Maggie, then back at his brother as the O'Shaunesseys left to head back to their hotel – without Maggie's youngest daughter, courtesy of a separate chopper provided by Archangel.

As Caitlin headed upstairs, String turned to Dominic and his elder brother and asked, "So, gentlemen. Anything special planned for my last hours of freedom?" Hawke figured he knew the answer already, but that he'd ask just for Cait's sake. After all, Stringfellow mused to himself, she's the one who's worried here.

Saint John glanced up the stairs and saw Caitlin, who had stopped and turned towards the three men. He subtly winked at her, and she winked back, as she had a good idea what the elder Hawke brother was going to say.

"Nothing, String. You're going to go upstairs and go to bed." Saint John emphasized the last word, mainly for the woman at the top of the stairs. "The last thing that lovely lady of yours wants tomorrow is you so hung over that you can't even see straight, or so tired from doing who-knows-what that you can't concentrate!"

"She talked to you, didn't she, Saint John?" Hawke tried to steel his voice, to impart an air of anger to his older brother, but he knew it wasn't going to work.

"Yeah, she called the hangar just before we came up here. I tried to convince her to see your point of view, but you and Dom know better than I do how she is when her mind's made up."

"Yeah, I do know," Hawke said with a grin. "It's one of the things I love about her, you know."

"Yeah. We kinda noticed. All right, it's time for us to get out of here, but we'll see you in the morning, right, little brother?"

"You got it."

Hawke watched his brother and Dom head out to the landing dock, and take off for Santini Air, then turned to head upstairs.

As he undressed for bed, Caitlin whispered, "I'm sorry, Hawke. I just had to do it. You mad at me?"

In spite of his feelings, Hawke chuckled as he remembered Cait asking Dom that same question when she got off the phone with her mother after the hijacking. "What good would it do if I was?" String asked as he slid into bed next to Caitlin.

She snuggled up against him and answered, "Absolutely none."

As he slid his arm around her shoulders, Hawke replied, "That's what I thought. Good night, Cait."

"Good night, String."

The next morning, Caitlin's mother and the rest of her family were the first to arrive at the cabin – they may not have been successful in getting her away from Hawke last night, Maggie had told her youngest; but by George, she would take Cait away to get her ready for the wedding. Reluctantly, Caitlin agreed, and she was hustled out of the cabin as String watched, smiling.

The next choppers to arrive brought, to Hawke's surprise, not Saint John and Dominic, but Michael, Laura, Marella, and, in a separate chopper, a squad of 12 heavily armed men.

"What is all this, Michael?" Hawke queried his friend.

"You didn't think I was going to let this go on without proper security, did you, Hawke? Don't worry about it. Those gentlemen will be well out of visual range during the ceremony, and they'll disappear once the reception begins, provided there are no incidents of any sort. I've also arranged to have the airspace around the entire cabin declared a no-fly zone as of 1330 hours. That should give your guests plenty of time to arrive, shouldn't it?"

"Let's hope so, Michael. Otherwise, somebody's liable to be very disappointed." Or very dead, Hawke mused, having seen the efficiency of the FIRM's security teams firsthand on a number of occasions. Hawke heard a second chopper coming in, and was relieved to see Dom and Saint John exit a short time later, and the chopper fly back to Santini Air, presumably to pick up the next group of guests.

"Morning, little brother!" Saint John exclaimed as he and Dominic burst into the cabin, Hawke's tuxedo in hand. He and String went upstairs to get ready for the ceremony. Once he'd finished dressing, Stringfellow stood at the mirror, fiddling with his tie, until finally Saint John said, "Here, let me help you with that. I never could teach you to tie these things right." He grinned as he expertly coerced the thin, gray silk tie into a perfect knot. "All those years in the military gave me something, I guess." Saint John grinned as he drew his younger brother to him in a warm embrace. "You're sure you really want to do this?"

"Yeah, Saint John, I'm sure. It took me a while to realize it, but damn, I love that girl. I'm just glad she was patient with me while I got my head screwed on straight."

"Heck, String. I think she knew what she was getting into when she came to Santini Air looking for you – obviously, she'd done some homework on you after...well, you know." Stringfellow knew exactly what Saint John was referring to – the incident back in Pope County, Texas when String and Dom had first met the feisty redhead, which String had described to Saint John a couple of days after he and Caitlin got engaged.

Suddenly, String noticed Michael walking up to join the conversation. "Hello again, Hawke." Michael marveled at his young friend's expression, which seemed to the older man to be the most contented and relaxed he had seen Hawke in a long time. "So, are you nervous?"

"Nervous? Why would I be nervous today?" Hawke couldn't understand why Michael would think he was nervous about his decision.

Michael answered, "If you showed us a little emotion about getting married, it might prove to the rest of us that contrary to popular belief, there's actually a human being in there, Hawke."

"Michael's right, you know," Saint John chimed in. "I don't think Cait would appreciate being married to some kind of robot. I mean, I don't know her that well, but from what I've seen in the short time I have known her, she's a very passionate person. Especially where you're concerned!" String had to laugh out loud at that comment.

"You don't need to tell me that, Saint John," Stringfellow answered with a smile. "I figured that out, oh...about a day or two after she came to the hangar, give or take a couple of hours. But seriously, both of you. I know deep down that this is the right decision, so what reason would I have to be nervous?" Neither Saint John nor Archangel could come up with a suitable answer to that question, and the three of them grinned at each other as they descended the steps back to the main living room area of the cabin.

"If you don't mind me saying this, Hawke – the day you met Cait was probably the best day of your life, even if you didn't know it then." Archangel smiled, as they met up again with Dominic, who had retrieved champagne glasses for everybody.

"In one sense, you're right, Michael. But remember, for the better part of two years, I pushed her away from me. All because of that stupid belief of mine..."

"...that everyone you love, or might love, will die." Michael remembered saying those words to Gabrielle the first time he had come up to the cabin to brief Hawke about Moffett's having stolen Airwolf. Who knows? Maybe if I hadn't sent her on that mission, Gabrielle might be in Cait's shoes today. But, I'm not so sure that would have been such a good match anymore. Michael remembered his prime pilot – very refined, with a strong air of dignity and grace. Not that Cait doesn't display those qualities when she wants to, Michael mused, as he had seen them for himself at numerous FIRM social events, but that spirit of hers really brought out some of the best in Hawke. Plus, I think Cait's a lot more stubborn than Gabrielle ever was, and that might come in handy for both of them.

"Well, Michael, I guess I can't be right all the time," String answered with a grin, "after all, I've got my brother back, thanks to you and the United States Navy."

And you may be getting someone else back, too; Michael mused to himself. Aloud, he said, "Your friend Bobby was right."

String looked confused. "About what, Michael?"

"You do look good when you smile!" Dominic and Saint John laughed as Hawke, still smiling, said, "You know, Michael, you're the third person to tell me that in the last few days – Caitlin and Maggie have both told me the same thing."

"Well, I'm glad Bobby and I weren't the only ones who noticed," Michael replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to make some security checks – but, don't worry. I'll be back soon."

As Michael left the cabin, he almost ran into Bobby Phelps, running up the dock. "Whoa, slow down there, young fellow! You're liable to hurt someone!" And, when he recognized the young man, he quickly added, "Bobby! String and I were just talking about you!"

"You were? I'm sorry, I'm just excited!" Bobby was clutching what appeared to be a large, wrapped frame tightly to his chest. Michael tapped Robert on the shoulder and asked, "A new drawing?"

"Yeah – I think it's his best drawing yet, personally."

"Really? I don't suppose it's of something, or better yet...a pair of someones...we know?"

Robert's return glance, a look that Michael read as You really have to ask?, confirmed what Michael already suspected.

"String!" Bobby banged through the front door of the cabin, nearly dropping the large package he was carrying. "Where's Caitlin?"

"Hi, Bobby! She'll be here later, buddy. She's getting herself all prettied up for the wedding." Hawke grinned as he leaned closer to his young friend. "Although, just between you and me, she's wasting her time. She's already beautiful. What do you think?"

"Yeah." Bobby smiled at Hawke and said, "She's real pretty. Just like in my picture!" He handed String an exquisitely wrapped package, and String said, "I tell you what, buddy. We'll put this away until Cait gets here – I have a feeling she's going to want to see this picture as much as I do." Hawke smiled as he stashed the package behind the bar, and then came around to shake hands with Robert. "Robert, it's good to see you again."

"Well, I'm glad Bobby and I could be here, Stringfellow. When I first met you, Dominic, and Caitlin, I had no idea that you and Caitlin would wind up together, and getting married. Although," he continued, smiling at his son, "I think Bobby might have suspected something."

"I think he did, too." Hawke gave Robert a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Remember when Bobby told me I look good smiling? Cait gave Bobby a look that was almost like she was telling him, 'You're right, he does.'"

"I do remember that, Hawke. And you know what? Bobby was right."

Saint John gripped his brother's shoulder. "See, String? You need to learn to smile more often. People seem to like you better that way."

"And who do we have here, Hawke?"

"Sorry, Robert. Robert and Bobby Phelps, meet my brother, Saint John Hawke."

"Pleased to meet you, Saint John."

"It's my pleasure, Robert. And, Bobby. I saw that picture you drew of String and Tet – that was very good."

"I can draw one for you!" Bobby smiled at String's brother as they exchanged a high five.

"Sure, little man. Anytime."

"Hawke!" Hawke glanced toward the door and saw Nhi Yong and Sam Roper, along with their son Stringfellow, walk into the cabin.

"Excuse me, Robert. You too, Bobby."

"Sure, String."

"Sam! Glad to see you. And Nhi Yong, it's good to see you, too."

"Hey! What about me?"

Hawke looked down at the young man who shared his name. "It's good to see you too, String." He smiled at the young man who he had once thought was either his or Saint John's son. "You're not giving your mom and dad a hard time, are you?"

"No, sir!" Young Stringfellow grinned up at his parents, but didn't see the look that Sam and Hawke exchanged, which seemed to say, Right. We know better than that!

"And, where is your beautiful bride?" Nhi Yong asked.

"Being made even more beautiful, I guess," Hawke smiled, "if that's humanly possible." He and Nhi Yong laughed at his assertion. "Her family came and picked her up this morning."

"She didn't go easily, I would guess."

"And you would guess right," Stringfellow exchanged another friendly embrace with Nhi as he moved on to greet Nguyen and Mai Van Minh, who were just walking through the front door.

"Hawke! It is wonderful to see you on this most joyous occasion, my friend!"

"That it is, Nguyen. Certainly a happier occasion than the last time we saw each other."

"Let us not talk about that today, Hawke. Today is a day for rejoicing, as you and Caitlin begin your life together."

"Thank you, Nguyen. And, Caitlin and I are both honored that you both are sharing this special day with us."

"It is the least we could do, Hawke, after everything you have done for us." Hawke embraced both Nguyen and Mai, even as he heard another chopper approaching the cabin. "That must be the O'Shaunessey's."

Michael was standing at the window watching the group exit the chopper. "You guessed right, Hawke. Might I suggest we make a hasty, yet discrete exit?" Hawke, Saint John and Michael slipped out the back entrance as they heard Maggie, Erin, and Caitlin arguing all the way from the dock.

Once they were safely outside, and had circled around to the front of the cabin after hearing the front door close, Hawke said, "Good grief, they're still going at it. I'd bet they haven't stopped since they left this morning!"

Even Saint John could hear the squabbling. "Well, if Cait's nervous at all, it's understandable, I guess," Saint John said. "Sometimes when a person gets nervous, they can get a little short-tempered. And..."

"...if you're already short-tempered in the first place, that can be dangerous!" Stringfellow finished his brother's sentence as he saw Megan Ravenson, his friend the psychic, walking towards them.

"Megan!"

"Hi, String! I can't believe this day is actually happening." She and String exchanged a quick and friendly embrace. "Now, I know I told you this before, but I am so happy for you and Caitlin."

"Thanks, Megan. Oh, before I forget, Megan Ravenson, this is my brother, Saint John Hawke."

"Pleased to meet you, Saint John. I've heard so much about you."

"Then you have me at a distinct disadvantage, Miss Ravenson, because I have heard little to nothing about you. String's kinda quiet about things like that."

Megan exchanged a knowing glance with String, as she sensed that Saint John hadn't been introduced to the "other Lady" in String's life yet. "I helped him out once. I have some psychic abilities that he found useful for something he was working on. He's got some too, you know. Abilities, that is."

"Oh? In what respects?" Saint John was intrigued by this assertion.

"Well, that super-hearing of his, for one. And, that heightened sense of danger that seems to protect him from any sort of harm, at least so far."

Saint John laughed. "Well, I'll agree with you on the hearing part of it. I always said he had better ears than most of the spy equipment we had in the Army! As to the other, I think I'll leave the jury out on that one." All three laughed, as Caitlin's sister Erin came over to them and said, "Everybody take your places. We're ready to get started. Come on, String. You too, Saint John." Megan went to sit next to the Ropers, while String stood at the end of the platform next to the judge, and waited for the bridal march to begin. Just before Erin went to get in line with Saint John, she turned to Hawke and said, "String. If I haven't said this already, welcome to the family. Cait's really lucky to have you."

"And I'm really lucky to have her, Erin."

"But, I'm only gonna warn you once. You ever do anything to hurt my little sister, so help me, I'll beat your brains in myself. Cait's not the only expert in hand-to-hand combat!" Erin was smiling when she said it, but Hawke took her words very seriously.

"Let's hope I never do anything that stupid," Hawke replied, since he had no doubt Erin could do it. He gave Erin a quick kiss on the cheek before going to stand with the judge who would perform the ceremony.

Soft violin music began playing as a young girl Stringfellow did not recognize began walking towards them, distributing cream and yellow rose petals as she went. Then he remembered – Marella had mentioned something about Michael's daughter Angelina, and her wish to be flower girl for this event. Fiona came next, followed by Erin with Saint John. There was a slight pause, and String caught his breath at the sight of the woman he loved as she paused and waited for the march to begin.

As the familiar strains of the bridal march began, Hawke noticed tears already glistening in Caitlin's eyes, as she walked on her mother's arm. She wore a beautiful halter neck dress of pale cream silk, with a cream wool shawl draped around her shoulders to protect them from the slight breeze blowing off the lake. When they reached Hawke and Saint John, Maggie gave Caitlin's hand to String and whispered, "Thank you, String."

"The pleasure is all mine, Maggie." String responded, taking Caitlin's hand and turning to face the judge.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of Caitlin O'Shaunessey to Stringfellow Hawke." The judge began, and Caitlin recognized the words from her dream. "These two young people have traveled a long, and sometimes frustrating road, to reach this moment, this day, together." Caitlin caught a slight smile on Hawke's face, and instinctively knew what he was thinking, as she thought it too – You have no idea.

"Stringfellow Hawke, do you take Caitlin O'Shaunessey to be your wife?" String smiled and replied without hesitation, "I do."

"Caitlin O'Shaunessey, do you take Stringfellow Hawke to be your husband?" Caitlin beamed up at Hawke, and through tears of love and happiness, answered, "Yes. I do." Hearing the words Cait had whispered in her dream those many weeks ago actually brought a tear to String's eye.

"May we have the rings, please?"

Saint John withdrew both rings from his coat pocket and handed them to the judge. String recited the rest of his vows as he slipped the gold band onto Caitlin's finger, then she did the same with Hawke's ring as she recited her vows.

"By the power vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you man, and wife." String pulled Caitlin close to his body as the judge continued, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present Mr. and Mrs. Stringfellow Hawke. Stringfellow, you may...Oh, never mind." The audience laughed and applauded wildly as Hawke had taken the initiative and begun the traditional wedding kiss before the judge had even finished. Dominic turned to Maggie and said, "Typical String. That's something he and I have always had in common."

"What? You don't have any patience either?" Maggie grinned and elbowed Dominic playfully in the ribs. They had been introduced earlier in the day, and Maggie found she had quite a bit in common with Hawke's surrogate father. She looked at Dominic and said, "You know, Dominic, I must tell you. You did a fine job with both those boys. Their parents would be so proud of them today."

"Well, Maggie, you did a pretty fine job with Cait, as well. Let me tell you, I was so relieved when I found out that she and String had finally decided to get together – and even happier when I found out he was going to ask Cait to marry him."

Maggie grinned at Dom, as String and Caitlin finally broke their kiss and turned towards their guests. "That makes two of us, Dominic. That makes two of us!" Maggie grabbed Dominic in a warm, friendly embrace, and there was nothing Dom could do but hug her back.

Later, after the guests had just about finished their first (in some cases) plates of food, Saint John stood and tapped his glass with his fork repeatedly, to get everyone's attention.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. May I have your attention, please? Attention, please." He turned towards his brother and new sister-in-law, and said, "I know the happy couple has not planned anything to say, which, knowing String the way I do, doesn't surprise me in the least." The guests, especially Stringfellow's friends, chuckled in response. "However, even though I've only known Caitlin for a short time, I must say that I'm surprised she doesn't have anything to say. I guess she's just caught up in the moment, and I don't suppose I can blame her." The chuckles now came from Caitlin's family. Seriously, though. String and Caitlin, I can only imagine what a road it's been to get to this point, and all I can really say is – congratulations to the both of you. Caitlin, welcome to our family. It seems strange having a sister-in-law, since String and I have never had a sister. So, again, welcome to our little family, and I wish you both a long, happy, and prosperous life. To the bride and groom!"

"To the bride and groom!" The guests echoed Saint John and raised their glasses in a toast, as Cait turned to String and kissed him again. Then, Maggie stood up. "First of all, Saint John, I want to say that as Caitlin's mother, I could not agree with you more. The fact that Caitlin doesn't seem to have anything to say is not only surprising, it's downright shocking." This brought sustained laughter from both sides of the clearing.

"Stringfellow, I told you before that I was shocked when I found out you had asked Cait to marry you. I once again offer you my humblest apology. And, I also want to thank you for allowing me to stop worrying about whether Cait would ever get married!" "Cait, honey, you couldn't have picked a better man, and I wish you both all the best that life has to offer." Applause mixed with the tinkle of glasses as the guests raised them once again to the newlyweds.

As Dominic stood, Hawke thought he saw a tear in his old friend's eye. "For those of you who don't know, I raised both String and Saint John after their parents died. String, I know you hate speeches – both making them and hearing them, so I'll make this as quick as I can. I hoped and prayed that this day might someday come practically since the day Cait walked into the hangar while you were working on that old Stearman. And," he added, smiling, "I'm just glad that God has kept me alive long enough to see it! I just want you two to have all the best – everything that you deserve. In the words of an old pilot's prayer, I wish you both 'Godspeed, and good tailwinds.' Congratulations again, and I love you both."

Just before they kissed again, Caitlin and String locked eyes with an expression that said, And we love you too, Dom.

Finally, after the last toasts had been made, the guests and the wedding party moved out onto the makeshift dance floor. Caitlin and Hawke took the first dance, as was customary, but soon the floor was crowded with couples, and one pairing in particular caught Caitlin's eye.

"Look over there, Hawke," she said, nudging her husband subtly. "Look at Mom and Dominic. I haven't seen her so happy since Daddy died."

Hawke glanced over and said, "You're right. I guess I hadn't been paying them much attention – I've been more focused on other things – like my beautiful wife."

"Flatterer." Caitlin smiled at her new husband's praise.

"And where you're concerned, not afraid to admit it, Cait," he smiled as they continued to twirl around the floor. "Say, you never told me – the day that Dom and I went on our little check ride, exactly what were you dreaming about, anyway?"

"You and me...and this. Oh, String. Everything about today was perfect." She stopped herself, as her happiness bubbled over inside her again, and she felt a few stray tears trickling down her cheek.

"What were you and your mom arguing about when you came in?" String had to ask before he drove himself insane. He'd caught bits and pieces of it, but not enough to really understand what was going on. But then again, I wasn't really listening, either.

"Well, I wanted to come find you before the ceremony started, but Mom and Erin kept telling me to wait."

"Saint John said he knows where you get your stubborn streak now."

"Well, like you once said, Hawke – at least I come by it honest."

"I wouldn't have it...or you...any other way...Mrs. Hawke." It was the first time Caitlin had heard him say those words, and they literally took her breath away.

"You okay?"

"It's just... I still can't believe it – I'm Mrs. Stringfellow Hawke. I feel like I'm in a dream or something."

Very subtly, Hawke moved his right hand from around Caitlin's waist and very gently pinched her left arm. "Ow! What was that for, Hawke?"

"Just to let you know – this isn't a dream. It's all real, Cait. Very real." Her momentary irritation at him disappeared as that smile crossed his face again.

"You remember the first time you smiled at me, when you were working on the Stearman and kept dropping that stupid bolt? Ever since that day, I hoped that someday I would be the one to make your face light up like that, without you having to drop tools or something like that."

Hawke chuckled at the memory of that meeting. "Yeah, I remember you said, 'You know, you could wear this around your neck.'" Caitlin smiled shyly when she remembered his expression. "As for the other, I only hope I have brought as much light into your life, as you have into mine."

She leaned her head against his chest and sighed, "You have, Hawke. You have. When you came to Texas that first time, you saved my life. I...I don't want to think about what those men would have done if you hadn't shown up."

"Hey, that's all over now. They're gone, and we have the rest of our lives to look forward to."

Finally, the guests started to leave, after once again offering their congratulations to the happy couple. Finally, it was down to Caitlin and Hawke, Dom, Michael, Marella, and the Phelpses. Michael turned to Robert and said, "You guys better get a move on – there aren't that many choppers left."

"Well, I keep telling Bobby we need to go, but he's insisting that Caitlin and Hawke open his gift before we leave."

Cait looked at Hawke, and they made a decision. "Come on, you guys." They all walked back to the cabin, and Hawke went behind the bar first to pick up the package.

"Okay, Bobby – you asked for it." Caitlin and Hawke each grabbed an end and began tearing the paper off, and were shocked to see what Bobby had done – a hand – drawn photograph of both Stringfellow and Caitlin, she in her wedding dress, and he in his tuxedo, leaning against each other with their heads gently touching. He had even put a blue sky background around their likenesses, and signed it at the bottom, "Congratulations, String and Caitlin. Your friend, Bobby Phelps." Even Marella and Archangel were shocked at the detail in the young boy's drawing, not to mention the accuracy - he had captured the look of Cait's wedding gown and Hawke in his tuxedo without ever getting a look at either one. Caitlin made sure that String had a good hold on the picture and gave Bobby a huge hug, saying, "Thank you so much. It's beautiful. You couldn't have given us a better gift."

Bobby looked at her. "You really like it?"

"No." Bobby's face fell, until Caitlin grinned at him and said, "I really love it." That brought a huge smile to Bobby's face, and he rubbed his hands together so hard that Caitlin worried he was going to hurt himself. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and another hug, then went to take the portrait from Hawke.

Hawke knelt down and embraced his young friend. "Bobby, I thought you'd need us to sit for that portrait?"

"Remember when you visited and said you were getting married?"

"Yeah."

"I just remembered what you looked like, and drew it. Just like with that house."

Hawke smiled as he remembered how Bobby drew the house where his father had been held, after only having seen it once. "I'm impressed, buddy. This means a lot to both of us. And, I feel just like Cait – I love it." He hugged his young friend again, then gave Bobby's father a hearty handshake. Finally, the cabin was empty, and Hawke and Caitlin collapsed on the couch, deliriously happy but spent.

"What a day," Hawke breathed as he loosened his tie. "I hope it was everything you dreamed it would be, sweetheart."

Caitlin looked at him and replied, "It was more. It couldn't have been better."

"Well then, I guess there's only one thing left to do," he said with a wickedly bright gleam in his eye. As Caitlin squealed with delight, Hawke quickly scooped his bride up in his arms and headed towards the bedroom.

Later That Night...

Caitlin found herself back at Spahn Ranch, and waited for Angelica. She had a little surprise for her old nemesis.

"So, you've come back for more? I'll have to give credit where credit is due – you may only be a little mouse, but you do have fangs. You can definitely fight. And that, I can respect." Angelica decided to go full blast with her favorite weapon against Caitlin, unaware that it wasn't loaded anymore.

"So, where's Hawke? Did he get tired of you after all?"

Caitlin inwardly smirked at her nemesis. I know something you don't, bitch. "No, Angelica, Hawke let me do this alone. I hate to tell you this – actually; no, I don't – but you just don't bother me anymore. So, when I've said my piece, this will be the last time I ever see you." At Angelica's confused look, Caitlin continued, "You should know better than anybody, Angelica – Hawke always keeps his promises. Well, today, Hawke made a new promise to me: To love, honor, and cherish me," she hesitated for a brief second, as she knew what her next words would do, then continued, "as long as we both shall live. When she saw Angelica's confused expression, Caitlin felt a small stirring of pity, even in the dream. But she remembered everything the other woman had put her through, and continued,

"That's right, Angelica. I am now Hawke's wife. And I know that Hawke will never leave me – because he made me that promise. And I have no doubt that he will keep that promise. So good-bye, Angelica. There's no place for you here anymore." As she watched the vision of her nemesis vanish from her dream for the last time, Caitlin brought herself back to reality, and smiled to herself as she snuggled tighter against her husband. Thank you, Stringfellow Hawke, she whispered in her mind. Thank you for everything.