~~~~~~Steps~~~~~

Hawke rolled over and came instantly to wake. Pain shot through his shoulder. "Aah!" He let out a cry and tried to stifle it immediately. The footsteps from the bathroom alerted him to the fact that he hadn't been quick enough.

Cait padded quickly to the bed and sat beside Hawke. She gently but firmly pushed him back to the cushion.

"Your supposed to be resting." She admonished.

"I've been resting, Cait." Hawke looked up at her frustrated. "I'm tired of resting. You haven't let me get out of bed except for a trip to the bathroom for the last two days."

"The doctors only let you out of the hospital so soon on condition that you rest. They don't want a relapse from the infection." She stopped short of wagging her finger in front of him but was sorely tempted. "I'm going down to start breakfast. You stay put." She jabbed her finger into his chest before heading down stairs.

Hawke grumbled to himself. She was treating him just like his mom did when he'd fallen out of a tree and broken his arm at seven. What his mom and Caitlin had failed to realize though was just how determined and stubborn he was. He gritted his teeth and used his good side to push him self up into a sitting position.

Step one accomplished. Now for step two.

Hawke swung his legs over the side of the bed and braced himself to stand. He was glad Caitlin wasn't there to see his first attempt. The infection had left him weak and he sat back on the bed before he got completely up. He took a few fortifying breaths. His second attempt was more successful and he grasped the headboard on the bed to steady himself.

One step at a time now.

He made his way over to the stairs and leaned heavily on the railing. He was already half way down before he let out an involuntary grunt. Cait turned in an instant.

"What do you think you're doing?" She ran to his side and supported him down the rest of the stairs and over to the couch. He collapsed heavily onto it and panted a little from his recent efforts. "I thought I told you to stay put." She would have said more but smoke started coming from the stove. The abandoned breakfast was starting to burn. She ran to remove the food from the fire.

Hawke was thankful for the diversion. It gave him a few minutes to think.

Okay, maybe coming down stairs wasn't the brightest move.

He didn't think he be able to make it back up without a lot of help. And, from the look on Cait's face she was primed to chew him out. Oh well, at least he could maybe make it to the porch at some point now.

Caitlin practically dropped the breakfast tray in Hawke lap. She went back for the glass of juice that she'd insisted he drink every morning. He looked unenthusiastically at the slightly burnt toast. Cait handed him a glass of juice.

"Drink you juice." She started back to the kitchen to try and clean some of the splatter grease that had caused most of the smoke.

"Can't I have some coffee?" He asked plaintively.

Cait looked at him hard. He had been acting like a baby since she and Dom had gotten him back to the cabin. He was so weak he needed help to get to the bathroom from the bed, but insisted on doing it himself until he almost collapsed against her. He snapped at her more than once when she was only trying to help. Alternatively, he'd ask her to get something or do something for him usually when she was involved with doing something other than looking after him. She bit back the angry retort she wanted to give. A wicked gleam came in to her eye.

"I'll make you a deal, Hawke. You can have coffee when you can get up and make it yourself."

Hawke shot her a look over his shoulder and grumbled to himself. "Juice it is, for now."

~~~~~~~My Piece ~~~~~~

"If I want to take a walk, I'll take a walk." Hawke said forcibly as he winced at the antiseptic Cait poured on his scratched up hand.

"Hawke, if Tet hadn't of barked you'd still be lying on the ground at the back steps." She put a bandage around his hand. He was the most stubborn man she'd ever known except maybe her own father. "You've only been up on your feet solid for a day. Don't you think you're pushing it? And, why didn't you just yell?"

Hawke looked accusingly over at the hearth where his blue tick hound, Tet was curled up contentedly. "I just needed a few more minutes and I'd of made it up the steps. Besides I'd already made it back from the shed." Hawke jerked his hand out of Cait's grasp. He added venomously. "I don't need you mothering me." He stood up from the table and headed for the stairs.

"Stop right there Stingfellow Hawke."

He did as he was told at the sharpness of her voice. Slowly he turned around to face a furious Caitlin O'Shannessey. She stood with her hands on her hips. The argument had been building ever since he'd made his way down stairs the other day. He guessed she'd finally reached her breaking point. He knew he tried her patience, but just couldn't stand the restrictions to his activity. He was used to fending for himself and found that if he pushed himself in small ways he usually recovered faster than most people expected.

"You are by far the most stubborn man I know. If you don't want my help then fine, I'll just let you be, but" she pointed her finger at him and waved it from side to side. Her voice fell deeper into her Texas accent as she continued. "Don't you even think about asking for anything until you apologize. You think you're so invincible, but you've come close to dying on more than one occasion and can't seem to spare a moment's thought for those who love you." Caitlin took a breath. "And while I'm at it, may I remind you that you're not the only one who is capable of independent thought. If I want to be in Airwolf to save your sorry butt, then I'll be there regardless of your misguided attempts to protect me," she rolled her eyes, "as if I need that kind of protection. If I didn't love you so much, I'd of walked out long before this. Sometimes I wonder if you love me at all." With that she turned on her heel and stormed out the front door. It banged thunderously closed behind her.

Hawke let out the long breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He guessed he deserved that. He hadn't been showing his appreciation for all she'd done for him. It was just so frustrating. He wasn't used to someone else helping or getting in the way of what he wanted to do. He really wasn't used to someone else sharing his living space, staying over a night or two yes, but not actually living with him.

Hawke turned back to the stairs and started up.

He wasn't quite sure what to do about Caitlin. He loved her and wanted her to be with him, but it was an adjustment to have her with him 24/7. He needed a way to keep her safe too despite the fact that she didn't seem to want to let him. He took his time getting cleaned up after his little spill more out of breath than he liked. Clean pants and shirt later he headed back downstairs. Cait still hadn't come back.

She must really be mad.

He poked at the fire and looked down at Tet who let out a whine.

"I know." He said. He knew she would forgive him, but he'd probably be in the dog house for a while. He smirked down at Tet. Considering his dog acted like he owned Hawke's house that might not be so bad.

"I'll make it up to her. I promise." Tet looked at him meaningfully for a moment before settling back down for a nap.

An idea came to him and he smiled broadly. Hawke crossed over to the cabinet where he kept the short wave and called up Dom. Caitlin couldn't stay mad at him if Dom where there.

"Dom? Hey Dom are you there?" He waited a moment and tried again. "Dom if you're there pick up."

"Keep your shirt on I'm here." Dom's voice came over the speaker. He seemed a little annoyed.

"I'm not interrupting anything important am I?" Hawke asked sarcastically.

"I'm not interrupting anything important." Dom repeated back to him in a high voice. He continued more gruffly. "I'm two pilots down and Everett's on vacation still. I do run my own business you know." He referred to Hawke and Caitlin as well as his part time mechanic.

"Hey, I was just trying to see if you wanted to come up for dinner, but if you've got more important things to do…"

"Well, why didn't you say so?" Dom's manner improved immediately. "You know I always like to eat."

"Yeah, like a horse." Hawke muttered.

"Can you bring some stakes? I'm out."

"Hey what am I walking into there? You make Cait mad or something?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Please." Dom rolled his eyes. "The only time you ever request steaks is when you're trying to cheer up Cait or need I remind you of Ken Sawyer and that Robert guy."

"Listen, can you just do it?" Hawke really didn't want to get into his argument with Cait just then.

"Oh right, I'll be there in a couple of hours. Santini out."

Step one, complete. Now for step two.

~~~~~See the blind~~~~~

Caitlin had been so angry when she'd stormed out of the cabin earlier that she found herself half way to the clearing where the wildlife blind was located before she knew where she was headed.

As good as a place as any, she thought to herself.

She deliberately slowed her pace and pushed her anger away for the rest of the walk. She let the beauty of the mountain trail calm her. She needed to get some perspective. She hadn't really meant what she'd said to Hawke. She knew she'd never just leave him be while he still needed her. But, he didn't have to be so taciturn. Then again it was Hawke.

Caitlin reached the blind and decided to stay a while. She thought back to the first time Hawke had brought her there. Hawke had invited her and Dom for the weekend not long after her she'd missed her sister's wedding. But Dom backed out at the last minute, literally. They were all set to go when the phone rang. Dom answered it and begged off the weekend to see an old WWII buddy.

Hawke had brought her out to the blind the next day.

"Oh Hawke, it's beautiful out here." Caitlin said with a little awe.

"I've always thought so." Hawke smile over at her. "But it gets better if you can just be still for a while. There's a lot of nature around here and they like this place too."

"Oh you mean like deer and such. We do have nature in Texas you know."

Hawke stood behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Sit." He pushed her to the bench. She began to turn toward him when he sat next to her.

She fidgeted with her hands.

"So when do these animals show up."

"It takes a little while for them to forget we're here. Just be patient."

They sat in silence for all of two minutes.

"You know I sure appreciate you showing me this place. It really is pretty."

"No problem."

"Peaceful too."

"Yeah, I come here to think sometimes."

Caitlin looked out at the meadow and the forest beyond. Hawke leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

"So what kind of animals do you usually see." Caitlin asked wondering if she might get to see a bear.

"None if you keep talking." He looked over at her and wondered if he should keep her away from coffee at breakfast.

"I'm sorry Hawke. I my just a little wound up that's all."

He moved closer to straddle the bench they were on. He gently pulled her back to lean on him.

"Here. Close your eyes."

"But if I close my eyes how will I see anything?" She leaned against him.

"Trust me." He said.

His warm breath tickled her ear. His arm wrapped over her chest forcing her to be still against him.

"Now take a deep breathe." He instructed.

She complied and felt herself slowly relaxing into him. He let his arm drop to his side. The quiet surrounded them. She could feel his chest rise and fall with his breathe. Shortly, she started to hear birdsong. Some time passed as she began to hear other less noticeable things, muted scratchings and rustlings.

"Now," he whispered his lips close to her ear. "Open you eyes."

Caitlin did so reluctantly at first. She'd been a little caught up in her proximity to Hawke. What she saw made her hold her breathe. The scratching and rustling turned out to be two bears at the edge of the meadow. One was a small cub. The other obviously its mother.

"Oh," She said and put her hand on Hawke's knee. The momma bear looked up at her single word and ushered her baby back into the forest. Hawke rose off the bench.

"Now that you know how its done, I'll leave you to it." He said abruptly and left.

That was the beginning of what Cait liked to call their anyone but each other stage. She'd date and so would he as long as neither of them looked too longingly at each other. She guessed that had to have been the first moment when either of them had thought seriously that there might be more than a good friendship between them. Each of them for there own reasons had worked hard to preserve the friends only barrier. That is until Cait thought that she'd killed Hawke at Horn's compound.

Caitlin sighed. They'd come so far since then. She figured they still had a little farther to go.

~~~~~Compromising~~~~~

Caitlin finished washing the dishes from dinner and the dish towel over the side of the sink. After her return to the cabin, she'd been surprised not only to find Dom there but to have steaks grilling for dinner. As apologies went her favorite dinner was a start, but she didn't intend on letting Hawke off that easy. She knew he'd invited Dom as a buffer. Now that that buffer was gone and she'd used up her excuse of cleaning up after, she guessed she'd have to try to talk to him again. She left the kitchen and joined Hawke on the couch.

He slipped his arm around her shoulders and nudged her into him as soon as she sat down. She leaned against him.

"Don't think you're getting off that easy." She told him as he settled her next to him.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He kissed her head. "Cait I am sorry."

He waited until she twined her fingers with his to continue.

"I appreciate everything you've done for me. It's just..." He floundered a moment and grasped her hand a little tighter. "I'm not used to this. To having someone take care of me like this. I'm not used to having to think about how what I do affects you at least not openly, anyway. I just need some time to adjust."

Caitlin looked up into his eyes and saw the conflicting feelings.

"I know Hawke." She kissed him lightly. "Now that we're together its hard for me to just sit back and let you hurt, in any way, and not try to help. It feels like you're keeping me out, pushing me away all over again."

He hugged her to him.

"Let's make a deal. I'll let you in if you give me space and time."

"Okay, but I want a deal of my own." She waited for his full attention. "You can't wall off part of you life to protect me. If we're going to be together, we have to be together 100%."

He dropped his gaze a moment. "Look Cait I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. We've been lucky in the past. You're too big of a target. If anyone knew how I felt about you, they could..." His throat closed on the rest of the words.

Caitlin saw the fear in his eyes. Her heart went out to him.

"Okay how about a compromise? I'll find a way to be less of a target, but on my terms. And, even you've got to admit that I'm generally safer with you in Airwolf than out."

One side of Hawke lips quirked up in a grin. He could work with a compromise. Maybe he could compromise her right into a very safe place.

"Agreed. Want to sill it with a kiss?"

A twinkle lit up Caitlin's eyes. "I can think of something else I'd like to sill it with." She rose slowly from the couch and drew him up with her. She rubbed her body against his a moment and stepped towards the stairs still holding his hand.

"I like your way of thinking." Hawke said as he followed her. He liked that thinking very much.