Due to the lack of time to write, this was originally supposed to be just a one shot. But, it took a different twist and came out a bit longer than planned. I am working on a follow up story called "Favor Returned". I hope to have that up during the Thanksgiving holiday.
Part 2 of 2
Caitlin pushed hard against his chest and Hawke let go of her. His mind was racing. There was so much he needed to tell her, so much he had regretted not sharing with her all these months. But, he couldn't. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but he had to keep it all to himself. Michael knew and it angered him that Caitlin was used as a pawn behind his back. Hawke knew what was going down when he saw Caitlin and Lisa covered in blood. It broke his heart that Lisa chose for it to go this way. He had hoped she had changed her mind and would stay a little longer. Just long enough for….."
"Take me home Hawke," she insisted further. "I just want to go home."
Hawke stared into her eyes. "I'm sorry. Please stay," he whispered softly, electing to take a softer approach. "I really need to talk to you. There's something you need to know."
Caitlin moved over to the chair and sat back down. Hawke joined her in the other seat.
"Look, I'm sorry I was so angry with you," he replied, realizing that he had no choice but to finally be honest with her. "It wasn't fair for me to take this all out on you. It's not your fault, it never was. I'm just so angry at Lisa for leaving this way and Michael for dragging you into it."
Caitlin stared at him, unsure of what to say.
"As you know, Lisa is painter," he continued. "She was commissioned to work for some pretty dangerous people. The problem was she overheard quite a few things that she wasn't supposed to hear."
"So that's why she needed to leave," said Caitlin bluntly. "It makes sense. So why did you pretend to have a relationship with her?"
Caitlin nearly held her breath waiting for his answer. She had hoped all along that they were not a serious couple but after six months, she had given up hope.
"It was to protect her husband," he replied while watching for her reaction.
"Husband?" she replied, unable to hide the shock look on her face.
"He was working undercover with the very same men she was running from," replied Hawke. "They just didn't know the two were connected. He was working for the Firm. She told me that her husband wouldn't give them the information they wanted and wouldn't continue his job unless she was safe. So, she stayed with me. It wouldn't make sense for her to be there unless we were a couple."
"How would they know if you were or not if you stayed at the cabin?" asked Caitlin while still taking in all Hawke was telling her.
"It's a long story but the cabin is bugged," he replied. "We just always made sure we put on a good show when we were in there."
Caitlin stood up and walked outside of the tent. The image of them even pretending to be a couple bothered her. Hawke followed her as she stood looking at the clear, star filled sky.
"Why couldn't you tell me?" she finally asked. "Why lie? Does Dom know the truth?"
"Yeah," he replied sadly. "He does. But there's more to it."
Caitlin turned and looked at him. She studied his face and the sudden pain that seemed to radiate from his eyes. "Does this really have anything at all to do with St. John or was that just Michael's way to get me involved without telling you?" she asked.
Hawke sighed deeply. "It has everything to do with St. John," he finally admitted. "Lisa is St. John's wife."
For the first time in her life, Caitlin found herself speechless. Now it all made sense.
"Oh my God Hawke," she replied. "Where is he? Did you get to see him?"
"No," he replied sadly. "She promised me she wouldn't leave until she convinced him to come and talk to me. She broke that promise when she had you pretend to kill her. I had no choice but to act like I bought into it because not doing so would have put Lisa and St. John's lives at risk."
"I'm sorry," she replied softly.
"No, I'm sorry for dragging you out here," he replied. "I was so angry at you for lying to me and for not trusting me and coming to me about what was about to happen. I guess I had hoped she would have told you more to convince you but I guess just thinking she had information on St. John was enough."
"I would have done anything to help you find your brother," she replied. "I thought I was helping. I had no idea that I messed things up for you."
Hawke sighed again. "Now they are both somewhere out there and I'll probably never see them again," he replied, trying hard to hide the tears welling up in his eyes. "I just wanted to see him one last time. He was so close and now he's gone again."
Caitlin shivered as the temperature began to fall and the breeze picked up. "Take me home Hawke," she whispered, trying to hold back her own tears. She suddenly couldn't bear to look him in the eyes. If only she had told him what was going to happen. Now, she felt that she helped to ruin his only chance to be with his brother.
Hawke pulled her into his arms but she tried to pull away. He held her tighter. "Cait, it's not your fault," he assured her. "Yeah, I was upset but you had no idea. You thought you were helping. I appreciate that."
As bad as she felt for not being honest with him, she suddenly felt betrayed that he wasn't able to trust her either. Her mind was racing and all she wanted to do was to get away from him so she could get her thoughts together.
"Please take me home," she begged. "Please. I can't do this right now. I just want to go home."
"Caitlin it's not safe," he insisted.
"What are they going to do Hawke?" she asked. "I supposedly killed someone who they wanted dead. If anything they'll want to thank me."
Hawke shook his head. "I'll take you back to the cabin," he replied.
"I thought you said the cabin was bugged?" she asked. "How will that help?"
"Then we'll put on our own show," he told her as he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her towards to helicopter.
"What?" she asked. "How will we do that?"
"Just wait and see," he replied.
Hawke quickly started up the helicopter and within minutes they were on their way back to the cabin. "What about the tent and all?" she asked.
"I'll come back for it all another time," he replied. "It'll still be there."
Caitlin sat quietly as they headed towards the cabin. She wasn't quite sure what kind of game Hawke was going to play when it came to his home being bugged but she trusted him enough to know it would be okay to go along with whatever he came up with.
As they landed on the dock, her nerves suddenly got the best of her. Hawke could see that she was looking a little pale.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Uh, I'm fine," she lied. "Exactly what are you planning?"
"Don't worry, I'll be sure it give you an out if you don't' want to play along," he told her. "Do you trust me?"
"Yeah," she said sadly. "I wished I trusted you sooner and then maybe things would have turned out differently."
"I can say the same," he assured her as he grabbed her by the hand and helped her out of the helicopter.
The two were quiet as they climbed the steps and entered the cabin. She looked at him and waited for him to speak but he didn't.
"So, we're here," she replied. "What is it that you wanted?" she asked coldly, hoping this was how he wanted to play things.
"I told you what I wanted," he replied. "I want to know the truth about why you had to kill her."
Caitlin stared at him, unsure of how to answer. "She was the one who tried to kill me," she replied. "I was just protecting myself."
"You were jealous of her," he yelled. "Admit it!"
Caitlin bit her lip as he moved closer to her. "Okay, maybe I was," she replied. "But, I'm not a killer. She was jealous of me."
"Yes, she was," he replied softly as he grabbed her and pushed her against the cabin door.
"What are you doing?" she asked nervously, unsure of what exactly was going through his mind.
"You were right," he replied. "She never loved me. She was using me because she knew I loved someone else."
Caitlin nearly lost her breath as he moved his body as close to her as he could get and stared deeply into her eyes.
"You can walk out of here right now or prove to me that her death is best for both of us," he told her.
"What?" she asked shocked at first and then it seeped into her brain that Hawke was just putting on a show for the bug.
"I'll stay," she whispered before he leaned in and kissed her passionately.
Caitlin felt her heart race as she thought again about what he had said. He had told her she could leave. "Was that the out he had mentioned?" she thought. "Why would he bother to give her an out if it were all pretend?"
Hawke pushed her harder against the door and she suddenly felt his hands begin to move down to the edge of her shirt. Slowly, he pushed it up and then pulled it off of her.
"Hawke?" Caitlin whispered.
"Shh.." he replied, putting his finger on her lips before reaching in again and kissing her so deeply that it took her breath away.
"You were always my focus," he replied softly as he gave her a slight smile, hoping she'd understand what he meant and what he wanted.
She stared at him a moment trying to allow what he had said to seep into her brain. Then, taking a leap of faith, she reached and began to unbutton his shirt. He helped her remove it as he pulled her over to the sofa. Once there, he quickly moved to undo her bra before pushing her down onto her back, kissing her softly as he did so.
"I want you so badly," he finally admitted. "Please tell me you feel the same way."
Caitlin answered by smiling and reaching down, unbuckling his belt.
He slid the belt off and stood up. "Let's take this upstairs," he told her. "I don't want to do this down here."
Caitlin couldn't believe how comfortable she felt. Here she was standing before Hawke, topless and things never felt so right. She loved him and she had always hoped that he felt the same way.
"Okay," she replied as he took her hand and helped her stand. Before heading to the stairs he stopped and picked up small vase. He turned it over and she watched as a bugging device fell out. Hawke quickly stepped on it, demolishing it. Then he took her hand and led her upstairs. Once there, he took another vase and once again dumped out and demolished the bugging device.
"I did a sweep awhile ago," he told her. "It was just these two."
Caitlin's heart nearly leaped out of her throat. "What this all part of the rouse?" she thought.
Suddenly she wrapped her arms around her chest, covering herself. "Oh, I guess the charade is over then," she said as she moved to go back down the stairs.
"Caitlin!" he nearly yelled. "Wait." He jumped in front of her, keeping her from leaving the bedroom.
"The only part that was a charade was you killing her," he said softly. "Were you acting when I kissed you?"
Caitlin couldn't stop the tears that were now forming in her eyes. "No," she replied softly.
"I wasn't acting either," he assured her. "I love you Caitlin. You and St. John were all Lisa and I talked about. I wanted so badly for him to meet you. She promised me so much. If only…."
Caitlin pulled away from him again. "If only I had come to you and let you in on what she had planned. Maybe you could have stopped her."
"I wouldn't have been able to change her mind," he replied. "I can't change what happened. As we were flying out here I was thinking about that. At least I know St. John is alive and he has a wonderful woman by his side. Now it's my turn to be happy."
Hawke grabbed her by the arms and gently led her over to the bed. "Let me love you Cait," he said softly. "I need you."
Caitlin wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips before moving down and nibbling on his neck. In turn, he grabbed her around the waste and pulled her down with him onto the bed.
"I love you too," she whispered. "Tonight, I'm all yours."
Hawke smiled. "I was so hoping that you'd say that."
