Sorry for the delay...work has been hectic.

Chapter 10

Six Months Later

Caitlin watched as Cameron and Dom climbed into the Santini jeep. She smiled as she thought about the last six months of her life. So much had changed. Cameron had settled in after they all met and had gotten to know his adoptive grandparents. Both she and Hawke felt that they should always be an important part of his life. He started school near the hangar so that she or Hawke could pick him up and take him. Now, summer vacation was starting and Dom was taking him on a two week fishing trip.

Caitlin sighed softly as she watched the jeep slowly disappear down the road.

"What's wrong?" Hawke asked as he noticed her smile fade.

Caitlin turned and stared at him. "Oh, I was just thinking about how much everything has changed," she replied. "Isn't it funny how life can turn on a dime? So much has happened in the last six months. It's taken me this long to process it all."

Hawke smiled. "Yeah, but it's been great," he replied while slipping his arm around her shoulders.

Caitlin shook her head. "Yeah," she agreed. "You know, I don't think I have ever seen you as happy as you've been the last six months. You smile more."

Hawke chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I do," he replied. "I really like being a dad. Cameron is amazing. Guess I got lucky to have had a kid with such a great mom."

"I'm still learning," she replied softly. "Thank goodness he's a patient kid."

"He gets that from his dad," Hawke joked. "I was kind of hoping you'd join me up at the cabin this week though."

Caitlin pulled away from Hawke and grabbed the broom that was sitting in the corner of the hangar. "Okay," she agreed. "I'll go."

Hawke smiled. "Good," he replied. "I think we have a lot to discuss."

Hawke helped Caitlin clean up the hangar and then drove her home to get a few things for the weekend. She had moved into a larger apartment so that Cameron could have his own room. Hawke took Cameron to the cabin on the weekends or whenever school was out. Their joint custody had been working out well but Hawke wasn't ready to give up on having more with Caitlin.

Hawke couldn't help but notice that Caitlin was quiet the whole trip up to the cabin. She replied when he spoke to her but she seemed more distant than usual. Once they settled in, he cooked them dinner and they both sat out on the front porch to eat and enjoy the fresh air.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked.

"Huh?" she replied, her mind elsewhere.

"Is something wrong?" he asked again. "You don't seem like yourself.

"You mean I'm not being a blabbermouth?" she teased. "Sorry Hawke, I guess I'm feeling a little lost right now."

"Why?" he asked, confused.

Caitlin sighed. "Hawke, I've spent all these years trying to make up for the mistake of getting pregnant," she replied. "I worked extra hard at everything I ever did. It made me a leader in college and it's what defined me. But now, it doesn't seem like a mistake at all. Does that make sense?"

Hawke put his plate down and stood up. "Come on," he said as he extended his hand to her. "Let's go for a walk."

Caitlin took his hand and together they walked down to the lake. Hawke was quiet until they reached the edge of the water.

"I use to sit down here all the time and stare at the water," he told her. "I tried hard to make sense of the things that happened in my life. Losing my family consumed me. I felt lost."

"You've been through a lot," she replied. "It's understandable."

"You know Dom always complained that I never smiled much anymore," he continued. "But that seemed to change when you came to California. When you were on that plane and we couldn't find you, I couldn't give up. Dom told me not to get my hopes up and yet, I just knew you were still alive. I guess that's when I realized just how important you had become to me."

Caitlin smiled. "I love that you consider me family," she admitted. "I know it's been hard for you to open up and let others in."

Hawke pulled Caitlin to him and hugged her tightly. "Caitlin, I think what seemed like a mistake that we made is really destiny," he replied. "I always thought I had this black cloud over me and I was destined to be miserable all of my life. But then you came along and something changed. It wasn't until Cameron that I realized that we were meant to be together. You can't deny you don't feel it too."

Caitlin pulled back slightly and stared at him in the eyes. She loved his eyes and how he looked at her sometimes. She could see that same fondness in them now. But was it love? She wasn't sure.

"Hawke, I've always felt drawn to you," she replied. "I have since the day we met. Airwolf wasn't the only reason I came to California you know."

Hawke smiled. "Yeah, I figured that out," he admitted. "So why are you so hesitant now?"

"Because you've always treated me like some kind of sister," she replied. "I guess I don't want you to feel obligated now that Cameron is in our lives."

Hawke took her hand as they walked back up to the cabin. "I know," he replied. "I understand how you feel. It makes sense. But, just because I didn't show it, doesn't mean that I haven't had the same feelings. I guess I was just afraid."

"Stringfellow Hawke afraid?" she asked jokingly. "Really?"

"Come on now," he said. "I get scared sometimes. You know when we were on that island and faced that virus I was just as afraid of what was going to happen to us as you were. I'm not all that invincible. I'm human."

"I know," she admitted as they picked up their plates and took them inside the cabin before settling down on the sofa. "But what if we start something we can't finish? How is that going to affect Cameron? It's not just us anymore. We have him to think about."

Hawke wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him as she sat with her back facing him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Caitlin, I really do believe that destiny brought us to this point," he told her. "But we have to have faith to take that next leap no matter how scary it might seem. I want us to be a family. I was hoping that by giving you space the past six months that maybe you'd finally be ready."

Caitlin closed her eyes and sighed softly. "I do love you," she admitted.

"I love you too," he replied, hugging her tighter.

Caitlin sat up turned to face him. "How ironic is it that you were my first," she whispered. "Sometimes I still can't believe it was really you."

"I want to be your last," he replied as he pulled her into a kiss.

Caitlin wrapped her hands around his neck and lay back onto the sofa, pulling him down with her.

"Then shall we continue where we left off at the hospital?" she whispered, softly biting her bottom lip.

Hawke grinned. "I thought you'd never ask," he replied before kissing her again.

End :)