Vengeance, Chap. 1

Disclaimer—Don't own anything, except a couple of characters

A/N: This story will serve as a sequel to Survival, and will make mention of some of the things that happened in that story, as well as To Save a Hawke. Events in Vengeance will take place approximately eight months after the events of Survival. Thanks as always to Mogo Girl, OldSFFan, av981638, Riabhach, and geauxtigersgirl for your reviews—robertwnielsen

Summary—Hawke's actions during "Survival" have not gone unnoticed...and won't go unpunished. Can he protect his family from this new threat?

"Cait, you amaze me," Stringfellow Hawke told his wife. She miscarried the baby last year, not to mention what happened with Ashburne, and she's sitting there with our daughter like she doesn't have a care in the world.

"Really?" Caitlin asked him, surprised. "In what way, String?"

"Look at everything you've been through recently, Cait," Hawke said hesitantly, knowing what he was about to bring up. "Kidnapped by your old high school stalker and damned near raped, then losing the baby last year. And yet both times you bounced right back, like nothing happened. Amazing," Hawke repeated as he watched Caitlin breastfeed their daughter, Saoirse Marie Hawke.

"Well, String," Caitlin said as she looked up at her husband, "think back to when my plane got hijacked when I was flyin' to Texas for Erin's wedding. Remember? I was back at work the next day, like nothin' happened," she said, and Hawke nodded, remembering how quick Caitlin had recovered from that ordeal.

"Not to mention every other time I've danged near been raped or killed," Cait continued, smiling at her husband. "And that includes that time with Bogan—I didn't dwell on what his boys tried to do to me then, either. And, they got a lot closer than Ashburne did, I don't mind tellin' ya—especially Blackmon, remember I told you about him?" Hawke nodded—he did remember how Cait had described one of her fellow THP officers getting a lot closer to raping her than Ashburne had. She continued, "But the next day, I was back at work—in fact, I was one of the ones who helped put Blackmon in jail—he'd been going after other women who worked with the Patrol, and when he attacked me that time, we had all the evidence we needed to put him away. I'm surprised you haven't figured that out about me yet, String. I just choose not to dwell on things like that—life's too short to go runnin' around scared, or sad, or whatever other feeling you might be thinking of. Especially," she said, her eyes turning decidedly mischievous, "when there are a lot more pleasurable things I could be thinkin'.Or doing, if y'know what I mean." She quickly stood up and detached Saoirse from her breast, then got her ready for a nap.

Once Saoirse had closed her blue eyes, Caitlin turned to Hawke and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Like I said, String, there's just so many more—pleasurable things I could spend my time thinkin' about, y'know?" The way she slanted one eyebrow, along with the impish grin that crossed her face, left little doubt in Hawke's mind what Caitlin was thinking about.

"I think I know exactly what you mean, Cait," String said with a peculiar twist to his boyish grin as he scooped his wife up in his arms.

"Now," Caitlin said as she curled up in Hawke's arms later, "willya stop worryin' so much?"

"I'll try, Cait," Hawke promised her. "But it's not gonna be easy, because I love you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Cait replied, "and I love you too, String. I worry about you too, y'know. How many times have I thought I lost you, even before we got together?" Hawke nodded, knowing he'd nearly died several times, especially during the encounter with John Bradford Horn a couple of years ago, and the dogfight with Harlan Jenkins, who was flying an updated version of Airwolf. I'm just damned lucky that one didn't kill me, Hawke said to myself, remembering how it had felt when the laser aboard "Redwolf," as the upgraded chopper was informally known, had struck Airwolf's hull.

"I know, Cait," Hawke said as he pulled her closer to his body. Just then, they heard Saoirse Marie crying. "Darn it," Caitlin said as she pulled away from Hawke and slid out of bed. "Be right back," she whispered, smiling at him. Hawke nodded and said, "I'll be waiting," as Caitlin went to check on their daughter. Hawke smiled as he watched Caitlin with Saoirse Marie, feeling a contentment he hadn't felt in a long time.

Meanwhile...

A man sat in the shadows of his office, smoking an expensive cigar as he read the newspaper accounts of how Stringfellow Hawke had killed Kenneth Langhorn after the attempted robbery at Santini Air, as well as the attempt on Caitlin Hawke's life. Suddenly, the man slammed one fist against the mahogany desk. "Bunglers!" he shouted, almost dropping the cigar.

"Mark my words, Stringfellow Hawke," the man hissed at the photograph, "I'll see you. I'll see you very soon. And, when I'm finished, you and your wife will pay for what you did to me!" He stubbed his cigar out on top of the newspaper photo of Hawke's face, watching as the photo disappeared in the heat. "I promise you—you both are going to pay!"

Who is this mystery man, and what vendetta does he have against String? Answers will be coming in Chap. 2!