To Save a Hawke, Epilogue

Disclaimer—Still don't own 'em.

A/N: I know I said Chap. 6 was the final chapter, but after I read Mogo Girl's Betrayal, I realized there was something missing from this story...but, this really, truly is the final chapter...just closing out a few loose ends. This epilogue occurs about four to six weeks after Chap. 6. Enjoy—robertwnielsen

Santini Air

What is going on with him? Caitlin Hawke asked herself for about the billionth time in the past month. Ever since she and Hawke had rescued each other from Caitlin's high school stalker, Chad Ashburne, Caitlin had noticed String becoming more and more distant. Almost like—like he was when we first met—before he figured out how much he loved me, Caitlin thought sadly. I—I sure hope he's still not feelin' guilty about what happened with Chad. I mean—String and I have only made love once since this whole thing happened—and that's really not like him.

"Dom, you got a minute?" Caitlin asked her friend and boss, Dominic Santini.

"Uh-oh," Dom said, almost instinctively knowing what was on Caitlin's mind. "This is about String, isn't it?" Dom had been silently worried about Hawke's mood the past few days, and was relieved that he and Cait could discuss it privately.

"Ya know me too well, Dom," Caitlin said, flashing one of her "million-dollar smiles" at him. "But, yeah. I mean, he's just been so, I dunno—distant lately. And I've gotta admit, that hurts. I thought I made it perfectly clear to String the first night after we got back that I was okay—and he knows it—but something's buggin' him, Dom, and he stubbornly refuses to talk to me about it."

Stringfellow Hawke, stubborn? Nah, Dom thought, stifling a chuckle. He laid a hand on Cait's shoulder and said, "Cait. I'm afraid this is somethin' you two are gonna have to work out for yourselves. I've told ya before—I can't read String's mind, any more than I can read yours. But," he said, looking around the empty hangar, "if you two wanna get outta here and go try to figure this out, be my guest. Oh, and," he added, winking at Caitlin, "take whatever time you need, because I don't like String's mood any more than you do."

"Thanks, Dom," Caitlin replied as she drew him into a friendly embrace. Just then, she saw String over Dom's shoulder and walked over to him.

"Hey, String," Caitlin said after she kissed him. "Dom said he doesn't need us for anything else today—so, do you want to get outta here? Head home?"

"Sure, Cait. Whatever you say," String replied emotionlessly. He glared at Dom, but quickly slipped his arm around his wife's shoulders as they walked over to a helicopter to head for the cabin.

"String," Caitlin said once they were in the air, "are you okay?"

"Sure, Cait," String replied, even though he felt anything but okay. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," she replied. "Just the fact that you've been moping around the hangar—and home—for the past couple of days—no, actually, make that the past month. You've barely said a word to anybody. Even—and especially—me. I thought—I thought we were past all that, String," she said, and she knew she hadn't been able to disguise the hurt in her voice.

We are, Cait, String thought. At least we were until Ashburne kidnapped me, then you offered yourself to Ashburne as his prisoner in exchange for me. I—I can't help it, Cait. I should've known what that weirdo was doing right from the start. Aloud, he said, "Cait. I—I don't want to talk about it. Okay?"

Caitlin's eyes sparkled with anger. "No, Mister Hawke, it's not 'okay!' I know you're flyin', so you don't like to talk—but mark my words, mister, as soon as we land, you and I are gonna have it out about this, once and for all! Understand me?"

"Yes, dear," Hawke replied, recognizing Caitlin's anger when she called him 'Mister Hawke.' She hasn't done that for years, String thought as the cabin came into view. Well, he thought as he set the chopper down on the dock, here goes. String found himself glad that Saint John had taken their son Jimmy for the night. I don't ever want Jimmy to see us fighting—if I can help it, Hawke thought as he shut down the chopper's engine and climbed out. Once Caitlin had joined him on the dock, he girded himself for the verbal assault he knew was coming. Get ready for World War III, he thought.

Caitlin didn't disappoint him. "All right, Mister Hawke," she snapped angrily. "Suppose you tell me why you've been moping around for the past month! Jimmy's even noticed this sour mood of yours, for Pete's sake! That's one of the reasons—actually, it's the main reason—that I asked Sinj to take Jimmy tonight! I told you that first night—I'm fine. Ashburne didn't rape me. Yes, he tried to—but he didn't. You got there and stopped him in time. So why have you been treating me like I'm some kind of damsel-in-distress, instead of your wife, for cryin' out loud? You haven't even made love to me since the night we escaped, for Pete's sake!" String knew he was in deep trouble, so he hesitated as long as he could before he answered.

"Caitlin," he finally began, "I—I just feel like I should've done something—been more aware of what a weirdo this Ashburne really was. I should've seen somethin' that night at your ten-year reunion. You know I've always tried to protect—" String immediately knew he'd made a poor choice of words, and his suspicions were confirmed a moment later.

"Oh, for cryin' out loud, Stringfellow Hawke!" Caitlin snapped, the venom in her voice even causing Hawke to take a step backwards. "I am not some damsel-in-distress who always needs rescuing, whether it's by you, by Dom, by Saint John, or by anybody else! Let me tell you somethin', String—I never told you this before, but I was in a similar situation back in Texas—there was a guy on the force—David Blackmon was his name—and he was actin' real similar to the way Ashburne was—always flirtin' with me and what not—and then one night at shift change, Blackmon tried something—just as I was about to get in my car, he grabbed me from behind and tried to drag me over to his car. But do you know what I did?"

"I can imagine," String said, picturing a swift karate kick right to Caitlin's attacker's groin, as soon as she broke free from his hold on her.

"Yeah," Caitlin said, allowing a small smile to tease her face. "I kicked him in the balls so hard that I bet they still hurt! And think about everything I've been through since we've known each other, and since we've been married, for cryin' out loud!"

"Okay, Cait," String said, hoping he wouldn't anger his wife any more than she already was, "but—" the moment the word left String's mouth, he knew it was a mistake.

"Stringfellow Hawke, if I've told you once, I've told you a million times—'but' me no 'buts,' or I'm gonna kick yours! And you know I can do it, too, don't you?" she demanded.

"Yeah, Cait, I do," Hawke replied, remembering the night at John Bradford Horn's compound when String had attacked Caitlin, and she kicked him hard enough in the chest to leave an imprint of the boot she was wearing there for two weeks afterward.

"So? Doesn't that mean anything at all to you?" she demanded angrily. "Look, String. I know you've got some neanderthal idea in that gorgeous head of yours that the husband is supposed to protect the wife, compounded by that confounded curse you think you have on yourself—but, String, how many times do I have to tell you—I'm perfectly capable of takin' care of myself! And, for those times that I do wind up in over my head, I've got you, Sinj, Dom, and The Lady for backup! Do you get what I'm sayin', here?"

Sighing resignedly, String said, "Yeah, Cait, I do get it. But—"Darn it, I did it again, Hawke thought, seeing Caitlin's expression.

"Hawke," Caitlin said impatiently, "don't make me repeat myself, 'cause you know I hate doin' that! But, listen," she said, her voice softening to the familiar Southern drawl that String was so in love with, "if it helps, you're doin' a lot of the same things that Daddy used to do when I was a kid. I mean, he was always protecting me, 'cause he loved me. And, I know you love me too. But, I'm not a little girl anymore, String. And I don't need another father in my life! Besides," she said with a grin, "if I did need another father, I've still got Dom, y'know!" String smiled and nodded as he remembered how Dom had become almost a second father to Caitlin. "What I need," she said as she moved closer to him and slipped her arms around his neck, "is my husband. The man I fell in love with. And besides," she said, "you promised me that first night that you'd forget about this whole thing, and I'm holdin' you to that promise, Stringfellow Hawke!"

Then something else occurred to her. "String, let me tell you something else. Chad didn't come after me because I'm married to you. He would have come after me even if I was married to Larry 'Bud' Melman! That's how obsessed with me he was! Yeah, he had a grudge against you for slugging him at our ten-year reunion, so I understand that part of it, but he used that as part of his bigger plan, to get to me—which he would have done even if I wasn't your wife! And another thing," Caitlin added, staring deep into Hawke's eyes, "I don't know of anybody else but you and Dom who could've gotten me out of that mansion, with all the firepower Chad had around him. Okay?" Her impish grin spoke volumes to Hawke.

"Okay, Cait," Hawke said as he slipped his arms around Caitlin's waist and pulled her close to him. "And as usual, you're right. I did promise you that I'd forget about what happened, and I haven't exactly kept that promise. I guess I'll just have to work on that. But I can tell you this—I'm never going to stop worrying about you, Cait, just like I know you'll never stop worryin' about me."

"String, it's okay that we worry about each other," Caitlin replied. "Although, you do seem to take worryin' about me to an extreme sometimes. But, I know it's only because you love me, the same way I love you. Don't ever forget that, okay?"

"I won't, Cait," String replied, sighing with relief. He raised his right hand as if he were taking an oath, and repeated, "I promise you, Caitlin, I won't forget that." Caitlin smiled at her husband, but the look in her eyes finally caught Hawke's attention, and he pulled her to him in a passionate kiss. When they separated, Caitlin said, "Y'know, String, Dom told me that we could take all the time we need to work things out, so—?"

"Sounds like a perfect idea. And, I think I have a lot of things to make up for, don't I, Mrs. Hawke?" Hawke replied as he scooped Caitlin up in his arms and headed into the cabin, straight for the sleeping loft.

"Why, yes, Mr. Hawke. I believe you do," Caitlin replied in her most alluring, seductive Southern drawl as String set her back on her feet when they reached the sleeping loft. Caitlin quickly moved into String's arms, and there was no more time—or need—for any further talk.