Chapter 10

As hard as String tried to change her mind, Caitlin ended up sleeping on the couch that night. In the morning he heard her moving things around. She tried to be quiet as not to wake him. He came downstairs to find her packing up all of her things.

"Caitlin, what are you doing?" he asked.

"I think it is best that I move out," she replied.

String moved over to her and gently grabbed her arm. "Please don't do this," he said. "Tell me what happened. What changed?"

Caitlin stepped back away from him. She couldn't handle his touch. "There's nothing to say," she said. "Please, don't make this any harder than it already is for me."

String could tell that she had been crying. Her face was wet and her eyes were slightly swollen.

"No," he said. "It's not going to end this way."

To her surprise, String walked over to the desk and took out a pair of handcuffs. He quickly grabbed her arm and slipped it on her wrist. Then he placed the other on his.

"Damn it String," she said. "Unlock this right now."

String took the key and dropped it down his pants.

"Oh, you don't think I'll go for it?" she asked. "Don't you dare try me."

"I'll let you go once we've talked this out," he said.

Caitlin pouted at first. She didn't like being controlled by anyone, not even String.

After a few minutes she finally gave in. "Fine," she said. "What do you want to talk about?"

"What do you think I want to talk about?" he asked. "I want to know why you're leaving. If it has to do with Horn, I don't understand how you can believe anything that man said."

"I don't believe everything he said," she replied. "Just what I heard with my own ears."

String pulled her closer to him. She tried to back away but with the cuffs on she could only move so far.

"What is it?" he asked. "Please tell me what you heard."

Caitlin turned away from him before responding. She couldn't look him in the eyes. It hurt her too much. "Horn was recording your phone calls," she said. "I heard you tell Michael that you changed your mind about marrying me. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't heard it myself."

String grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her towards him. "Caitlin," he said. "Look at me."

She slowly moved her eyes towards his. She could see the seriousness in them.

"Caitlin," he continued. "You apparently only heard part of the conversation. I told Michael that I was afraid you'd think that I changed my mind about marrying you."

"Why would say that to Michael?" she asked. "That makes no sense."

String sighed. "Come on," he said as he pulled her to towards the stairs leading to the loft.

"Why?" she asked.

"Just come on," he replied. "I need to show you something."

"Well, it's not like I have a choice in the matter," she replied. "Please let me out of these handcuffs."

"I will soon," he said. "Just come on."

The two walked up to the bedroom loft and String led her to the nightstand beside the bed. He opened it up and pulled out the package that Michael had given him the night before.

"Here," he said. "Open it. This is what I was talking to Michael about."

Caitlin slowly opened the small package. To her surprise the engagement ring that once belonged to Hawke's grandmother was in the bottom of the tiny box.

"String?" she asked. "How in the world do you get this back?"

"I guess you could say it was luck," he replied. "Or maybe destiny."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, there wasn't much left of Redmond's body but they found his pants and it just so happened that the ring was caught on a thread inside of it," he replied. "It took Michael forever to get it back to me but he had it cleaned and repaired and now it's as good as new."

Caitlin stared at the ring as tears fell down her face.

"Of course," he replied. "None of it will matter if you've changed your mind about marrying me."

Caitlin was quiet for a few moments and her silence worried String. Finally, she took the ring from the box and put it on. "Yeah, I guess I'll still marry you," she said with a grin.

"Well, I guess we can take these handcuffs off now," he said.

Caitlin smiled as she pushed him back onto the bed and jumped on top of him. "Not so fast," she said. "I kind of like being cuffed to a Hawke."

String grinned back at her. "Works for me," he replied before kissing her passionately.

The End