Crossover – An Alternate Ending

A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter 2

"You're in love with him, aren't you?"

Inge had been with Caitlin for several hours after Hawke had dropped her off at Cait's apartment on his way to Knightsbridge to speak with Archangel. While the red head had been more than civil and polite to the Czechoslovakian scientist, Inge could definitely feel the tension in the air. Not to mention the fact of how Caitlin had turned a cold shoulder to Hawke when he had left. While Hawke had been too wrapped up in his own thoughts to notice anything, Inge immediately recognized the tell-tale signs of another woman who had been deeply hurt.

"Excuse me?" Caitlin turned from where she was making coffee in the kitchen and looked at Inge with surprise.

"You're in love with Hawke and you think he doesn't have a clue."

"I'm sorry but I don't see how any of that is your business," Caitlin said tersely as she approached the counter that separated the kitchen from her living room in her apartment. "Hawke brought you here so you would be safe, not for any other reason and certainly not to discuss my love life!" Turning her back on Inge, Caitlin reached into one of the cupboards to take down two coffee cups. "Now, how do you like your coffee?" she asked hoping to change the subject as quickly as possible.

Cait busied herself in the kitchen to keep from looking at her houseguest as Inge took a seat in one of the barstools at the counter. "Black is fine, " she said quietly.

Caitlin filled the cup and placed it on the counter in front of Inge before heading back to the coffee pot to fill one for herself. Turning back around she inadvertently locked eyes with the dark haired woman. Neither spoke as they both seemed to be trying to figure out what to say.

Finally, Inge broke the silence. "Look, Caitlin, you're right…it is none of my business but I can tell that Hawke hurt you by bringing me here, even if he didn't mean to, and I feel responsible in some way. Anyways, I may be here for a while and we should at least talk about this before things get any more uncomfortable than they already are."

Caitlin glared at the woman who sat across from her before realizing that it wasn't Inge that she was really mad at, it was Hawke. She could hardly blame the other woman for falling for Stringfellow Hawke, it wasn't hard to do especially when he played the hero and protector as he did so well. She should know, she had been on the receiving end many times herself and even though she always outwardly insisted that she could take care of herself, secretly she was quite smitten with the over-protective Hawke.

Cait just nodded her head and motioned for the other woman to follow her over to the couch. Making quite a production of stirring some sugar into her coffee so she wouldn't have to look at Inge, Caitlin sighed and then quietly began to speak, "You're right, we should clear the air and let me say first of all, that I'm not mad at you. Heck, I hardly know you. I guess you were just an easy target for my anger."

Inge started to speak but sensed that Caitlin just needed someone to listen. Staying quiet, she waited for the red head to continue, "You see, when Archangel told Dom and me that he thought that Hawke was dead, it was like I stopped breathing. I've been working with Dom and Hawke for two years and I guess I just thought that eventually Hawke would see how I felt about him but it never happened and then I was told he was gone and I realized that I had just lost the only man I had ever really loved and he would never know." A tear slipped down Caitlin's cheek as she spoke. She found it hard to believe that she was spilling her guts to this woman she hardly knew but yet it felt so good to finally talk to someone about it and she couldn't seem to stop. Saying the things out loud that she had kept to herself for so long was cathartic and it seemed to be helping her figure things out as she listened to her own words.

"When Dom and I found you both and I saw Hawke walk out of the mine shaft alive and well, it was as if I could finally start breathing again."

"I know. I saw you when you came out of the helicopter," Inge said as she reached over and gently placed her hand on Cait's in a show of support. "I don't think I've ever seen such a look of pure love on anyone's face, before."

Blushing with embarrassment, Cait pulled her hand out from under Inge's and reached for a napkin to dab away the tears on her face. "Yeah, well, evidently you're the only one because Hawke didn't seem to be all that excited to see me!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that…I saw how you two kissed, how he held you."

Shaking her head, Caitlin got up and walked away from the couch. She wanted to keep talking but she didn't know if she could do it face to face with this woman. "I kissed him, you mean. He didn't have much choice the way I ran into his arms like that. I made a real fool of myself!"

"No, Caitlin, you didn't. I watched him. The look on his face softened the minute he saw you. And I know you felt how he responded to your kiss, I could tell just from where I was standing. Look, can I be honest with you?" Inge asked as Caitlin turned around and looked at the woman on the couch. Caitlin nodded in response without saying a word.

"When Hawke took me up to his cabin, I knew that there was something sparking between us but I kept flashing back to seeing the two of you outside that helicopter, thinking about the way he kissed you, the way he looked at you. I hoped that he would look at me like that." Inge dropped her head, no longer able to look at Caitlin. "But he never did. I won't lie to you, Hawke and I, we spent time together, we were physical but never once did I feel the love or see the contentment in his face that I saw when he looked at you. What Hawke and I shared was a physical need, two people who had been through something traumatic and needed each other, but that was it. There were no declarations of love or commitment. We both knew that I wouldn't be staying forever."

Caitlin walked back across the room and joined Inge on the couch again. Now it was her turn to reach out and lay a comforting hand on Inge's arm. "Inge, you don't have to tell me this. Whatever happened between you and Hawke is your business, not mine. He's a grown man, he can do what he wants with whomever he wants. I have no say over his love life."

"Don't you see Caitlin, that's just it…you are his love life."

Laughing nervously, Caitlin stood and picked up the now-empty coffee cups and carried them over to the kitchen. Placing the cups on the counter she started to pour out more coffee, trying to figure out Inge's last statement. "I'd sure like to know how you came to that conclusion because he sure has a funny way of showing it!" she finally said as she brought the cups back over to the living room.

"Caitlin, it's obvious. Hawke and I were together for five days at his cabin and during that time we did a lot of talking. He told me all about his brother, St. John, about Gabrielle, his parents, all kinds of things."

"Hawke talked to you about all of that?" Caitlin asked with an incredulous look on her face. Hawke was a lot of things but a talker wasn't one of them, especially when it came to his personal life.

"Well, not at first," Inge conceded as she took a sip of her fresh coffee. "But after a while it was as if he just needed someone to listen, to get things off his chest. And sometimes a stranger, especially someone you know you're not going to ever see again is the easiest person to talk to. Kind of like you and I are doing here, right?"

Caitlin nodded as she realized what Inge was saying was true.

"So, he spoke and it wasn't long before it became apparent to me that I was never going to be anything more than a physical fling to Hawke. Not that I was against that, you understand. As I said, it was something we both needed at the time but I knew that anyone that Hawke really cared about….anyone that he truly loved…he would never allow himself to get that close too. Are you following me, Caitlin?"

It was at that moment that it finally dawned on Caitlin what she should have seen from the start. Hawke had obviously distanced himself from her in order to keep her safe from his "curse". It all made sense, every time she had felt that they were getting closer, he would pull away and she never had understood why…not until Inge had spelled it out for her. She felt like such a fool for not seeing it before. It had taken a complete stranger to see what had been right in front of her face for so long.

Inge smiled as she saw the realization come across Caitlin's face. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Cait. You were too close to the situation and coming to know Hawke like I have the last few days, I can bet that he did everything he could to hide his own feelings."

"There's no doubt about that!," Caitlin said with a laugh that suddenly stopped as she came to another realization. "But what do I do about it now? You know, before you and Hawke got here today I had made up my mind to leave after this was all over. Maybe that's still the best thing. If I tell Hawke that I'm in love with him, he'll just pull away like he always does. If I stay I don't know if I can just stand by and keep seeing him with other women. It hurts too much. No matter what happens, I lose."

"No, Caitlin, I'm the one who loses…" Caitlin spun around to see Hawke standing in her doorway. She had been so engrossed in what Inge was telling her that she hadn't heard him and Michael, who could be seen behind String, come in.

Caitlin wanted to speak but the words wouldn't come out as she looked at Hawke's steel blue eyes practically staring a hole right through her. Both seemed frozen in place as they silently stood speaking volumes with their eyes, both too frightened to say anything out loud and break the moment.

Michael quietly slipped around Hawke and walked over to Inge, offering her his hand. "Ms. Janek, since these two have evidently forgotten the rest of us, then I'll inform you that you're free to go. Just a couple of hours ago, The Firm's security forces were able to capture the Russian crew that was after you and your father and you should be safe now. I came back with Hawke to provide you an escort to the airport so you can get back home to Czechoslovakia or wherever you want to go. Of course, I hope that on the way, you'll agree to speak with me about the laser technology that you and your father were developing."

"Yes, of course," Inge said with a smile as she accepted the spy's offered hand and rose from the couch. "I have a feeling that Caitlin and Hawke have some things they wish to discuss in private anyways."

Hearing their names, both pilots turned their attention to Michael and Inge with puzzled looks on their faces. Michael just laughed as he started to lead Inge towards the door. "Hawke, you and I can talk later," he said as he passed by the pilot with a nod and a wink. "And don't worry, I think we can find our own way to the door."

TBC….

A/N…there will just be one more chapter, more of an epilogue of sorts. Thanks for reading!