Hawke watched Caitlin all day long. He had been thinking a lot about her being sick, her lack of appetite, and tiredness. He kept coming back to one conclusion and wasn't sure how he felt about it. Given her recent behavior of pushing him away, he wasn't sure what he could do about it either. But if his suspicions were true, he'd push to marry her. Maybe not the best way to do it, but he already loved her and couldn't help but love whoever else might come along.

The ringing phone startled him. He snatched it up. "Santini Air."

"Hawke, I have a lead on Carrie Carter."

"Where?"

"Chomping at the bit are we?" Michael was somewhat amused at Hawke's single-mindedness.

"Michael, you know what I'm capable of when it comes to my family. Now, I'm only going to ask you once more. Where?"

"The Carters own a very private very secluded villa in the Caribbean. Traffic in and out has steadily increased over the last month until yesterday when all shipments ceased until further notice."

"Sounds like they were preparing for a guest and the guest finally arrived."

"That was our conclusion too. Officially we have no reason to pay the villa a visit, but…"

"Unofficially, I let you know what I find."

"I'll send the exact coordinates once you're on your way."

"Thanks Michael. I won't forget this."

"Thank me when that woman is no longer a threat. Good luck."

Hawke replaced the receiver and glanced out to the tarmac where Dom and Cait were doing a last check on an old Jenny. He sauntered over to the biplane.

"Hey Dom, you think we might have some time to do that systems check on the Lady?"

"What systems check? Everything was working fine the last time we took her up."

"Well you know. We need to see if that electrical glitch has worked itself out." He gave Dom a meaningful look then glanced at Cait.

Slowly Dom caught on. "Oh, oh yeah, I remember that uh electrical glitch."

"Oh, no you don't," Cait piped up. "I haven't been in Airwolf since you guys left me in the hospital. It's my turn to go joyriding."

"Cait," Hawke said. "This isn't joyriding. We have to work out a technical problem. I need Dom to help me fix it."

"I can run the EDCC as well as he can. Come on Hawke you always try to leave me behind."

Hawke looked at Dom for support. Dom looked at String then at the look on Cait's face, daring him to take Hawke's side.

"Uh, I'll just go and start to lock up. You two can figure it out yourselves."

"Coward," Hawke shot at his retreat.

"I'll make it worth your while." Caitlin took a step toward him head cocked to one side a definite gleam in her eyes. "I'll take all the students we get for the next month."

Hawke rubbed his chin calculating.

"Okay all the students for the next two months."

Hawke couldn't help the grin that broke out on his face. She always looked so cute when she was trying to cajole him into getting her way. But, he couldn't let her go, not this time.

"The next three months, but that's my final offer."

"I tell you what Cait. You be ready to go to dinner tomorrow night at eight. If you're a good enough date, then I'll let you go next time."

"Yeah, like you'd actually show up for that deal."

He closed the space between them and put his hands on her shoulders. She was caught by the seriousness in his eyes.

"I'll be there."

Her pulse raced. Was he really asking her out on a date? No, there had to be some catch.

He started to grin again as he could see the questions in her eyes.

"Wear something nice. I don't get dressed in a suit for just anyone."

He turned and walked away before she found her voice for an appropriate retort.

~~AW~~

"I'm detecting a subtropical jet stream," Dom called out. "Change course by three niner niner. Watch out for the clear air turbulence."

"Changing course."

"Recalculating eta. Eta two hours. So, how did you convince Cait to stay home?"

"Easy. I made her an offer she couldn't refuse," he said with a bit of humor.

"Oh? And, might I ask what that was?"

Knowing what his answer would probably do to Dom, String decided to have a little fun.

"Well, first I had to top her offer. After all she did offer to take all the students for the next three months."

Dom let out a whistle. "Three months? Boy, she really wanted to come."

"Yeah, and then I had to make sure it was good enough that she wouldn't get too mad when she found out where we went."

"I can't see her being too happy about being left out of this. The only one she probably hates more than CC is Angelica Horn."

"I figured that."

"So what could you have possibly offered her that she'd forgive you for taking her chance at CC?"

"Oh," he paused for effect, "I just asked her out on a date."

Dom choked into the microphone.

"What's a matter Dom?" String said barely able to contain his chuckle. He took a quick look over his shoulder at the astounded man. Dom's reaction certainly didn't disappoint. "Are you having a heart attack? Should I have brought Cait after all? I can always go back."

"No," Dom finally squeaked out. Then with a steadily stronger voice he said, "No that won't be necessary. You really asked her out? On a date?"

String looked back at Dom wearing an ear to ear grin.

"Yeah, I really asked her out on a date."

A hundred different things went through Dom's mind at once. What prompted the sudden change? Well it's about time. Who finally knocked some since into you? Hallelujah!

Finally it all came down to, "Don't screw this up boy."

"I don't intend too, Dom. There's too much at stake," String answered thinking about Caitlin's condition.

~~AW~~

Hawke crept down the marbled hall of the Carter Villa. The scans from Airwolf showed that four people were present. The three grouped in the kitchen he figured to be servants or guards. The fourth alone in what had to be a bedroom he guessed to be his target. He opened the door and stepped in quickly closing it behind him.

Carrie Carter was sitting at mirrored vanity. She saw Hawke enter her room and took note of the gun he held now pointed at her. Her first instinct was to scream for security. Considering she only had one armed guard, a chauffeur, and a cook, she decided on another tactic.

"Hawke," she said not turning around. "I knew you just couldn't resist me." She dabbed perfume between her breasts before she stood. The short silky lingerie she wore clung to her body. She started seductively toward him.

"It was such a shame how we were interrupted before." She stopped barely a foot from him. "At least here there will be no distractions," she began to pull the spaghetti straps of her garment from her shoulders.

"I wouldn't," Hawke said raising his gun. "You better put something a little warmer on. It can get awfully cold in prison."

"Oh, Hawke why resist my assets. We could have great fun together," she said leaning closer.

He stepped away from her and grabbed a long silky robe from the bed. He threw it to her.

"Put that on," he commanded.

She let it fall to the floor.

"Why? There are already too many things keeping us apart. But, at least some of those won't be around for much longer."

As she stepped over the robe making her way to the bed, her foot caught and she stumbled into Hawke. He tried to catch her. As soon as his gun was not pointed directly at her she put all her weight and effort into knocking it from his hand. She screamed as they tumbled onto the bed and began to beat at him with her fists. She kept yelling for her security throughout her efforts.

Hawke recovered quickly. He pushed her one way while he rolled the other to retrieve his gun. The bedroom door opened as Hawke disappeared over the side of the bed.

"He's there," CC yelled enraged. "Shoot him."

The security guard started around the bed. Hawke had lost his gun in the blanket that came with him as he slid onto the floor.

He grabbed the blanket and threw it at the security guard. They threw a few punches at each other. CC tried to retrieve the guard's gun but was knocked down by the struggling men. She hit her head on the bedside table and fell unconscious to the floor. Hawke finally managed to knock out the guard with the lamp from that same table. He found his gun under the edge of the bed. He started to pick up CC determined to carry her all the way to Airwolf if necessary.

"I wouldn't do that," a heavily accented voice said from the doorway.

Hawke looked up to see another man with a gun standing in the doorway. The man motioned Hawke away from CC. "I may only be the chauffer, but I still know how to use this."

Hawke backed away to the middle of the room while the chauffer came around to check CC for a pulse. Apparently satisfied that she wasn't near death, he motioned Hawke toward the door.

"I think we have a nice place for you to rest until the mistress recovers. Maria," he said as they passed through the kitchen on their way outside. "The mistress and Carlos need your assistance."

They slowly walked outside. As they passed into the shadows, Hawke slowed, turned quickly, and knocked the gun from the man's hand. They started to struggle.

Shots were fired at them from the direction of the house. The guard had recovered and was now pursuing Hawke.

A jeep drove up headlights illuminating the yard where Hawke and the chauffer were fighting. A machine gun fired a warning shot from the jeep.

Hawke managed to roll away from the fire. The chauffer wasn't so lucky and lay where Hawke had last hit him.

Hawke quickly got to his feet and ran through the cane field to try and avoid the jeep. He'd just made it to the clearing where Dom waited with Airwolf when the jeep caught up with him.

Dom laid down some cannon fire stopping the jeep in its tracks. Hawke ran desperately for Airwolf.

He took off from the clearing swiftly. Firing a Maverick to obliterate the jeep. He headed for the villa.

"Dom run scans. Can you tell where CC is?"

"There's no one there String. I've got one vehicle on the road headed to town."

"That must be them. I'm going after her."

"Wait String we've got bigger problems. I'm detecting four MiG's coming our way."

"Why would MiG's be here?"

"Well we are awfully close to Castro's place. And, he likes to keep tabs on the neighborhood. Are we gonna' fight them?"

String debated for a moment. "No. We better get out of here. I don't think Michael would like it too much if we started a war with Cuba."

"Boy wouldn't you like to see his face if we did?" Dom chuckled.

"Yeah," String turned Airwolf home.