Brothers In Arms
A/N: I do not own or make any profit off of the Airwolf name or any of the characters involved within. My stories are for entertainment purposes only.
Chapter 21
3 Days Later:
Hawke was surprised to find Dom and Cait in what appeared to be a somewhat heated argument when he entered her hospital room carrying a vase full of daisies. In the few days since her surgery, Caitlin had been improving at great strides and her old feistiness was definitely coming back.
Sensing the interruption, Cait looked over at Hawke and laughed. "More flowers?" she said as she shook her head. "Hawke, if you bring me any more I'm going to have to get another room just to hold them all!" she said as she looked around at a least a half dozen other vases that decorated her room.
"I could take them back," he said as he turned to leave.
"Don't you dare, Stringfellow Hawke!" she said as she held out her hands to take the vase from him. "They're beautiful."
Handing over the vase with a smile and a quick kiss, Hawke looked to Dom who still seemed a little miffed. "So, I evidently interrupted something. What's up with you two?"
"String, you need to talk some sense into that girlfriend of yours," Dom said as he put his hands on his hips. "Only a couple days out of major surgery and she keeps trying to talk shop with me. Tell her she needs to be resting and not hounding me about those invoices again!"
"Oh come on, Dom, " Caitlin spoke up, her voice tinged with obvious frustration. "I'm going out of my mind from boredom here and if I have to watch one more stupid soap opera I will go crazy. Not to mention that if we don't do something about getting those invoices paid I'm not going to have a job to go back to! Tell him Hawke!"
Backing away from the bed, Hawke just shook his head. "Nope, not me. I told you before you two would have to work this out on your own, I'm out of it!"
"Chicken!" both Dom and Cait said in unison as they looked at Hawke. The response seemed to break the tension and both of them broke into laughter.
"Well if you two are finished ganging up on me now, I need Dom anyways," Hawke said as the laughter died down.
"Sure, what's up kid?" Dom asked.
"Well with Caitlin feeling better," Hawke said as he came back over to the bed and took her hand, "I figured it was time to go and have a little chat with Stone. I was hoping you'd come with me."
"Are you sure, Hawke?" Caitlin asked as she looked up at him with concern.
"Yeah, it's time. Michael's not sure how long he's going to be able to keep the FBI and others out of it so if I'm going to see him, it's going to have to be now."
"Do you have to see him at all, String?" Dom asked, his brow furrowed with concern. "Archangel said they got their confessions from him, everything's being put back right with St. John's and the other men's records and families."
"I know, Dom, but I need to hear him say it for myself and he still has to answer in some way for what he did to Caitlin."
"I appreciate that, String, but I don't want you doing something foolish on my account," Caitlin said as she squeezed his hand. "Dom's right, maybe it's just better we let the government deal with Stone. They have more than enough to make him pay for the rest of his life."
Turning to Cait he took bent down and kissed her cheek. "No, Cait, I have to do this. I promise I won't do anything to get myself in trouble but if I'm ever going to get past all of this I need to close the book on Stone myself, see him get what he deserves with my own eyes. Understand?"
Looking deep into Hawke's piercing blue eyes, Caitlin did understand. She knew he'd never truly rest until he'd finished what he started. It was the same sentiment that kept him so driven in his search for his brother.
"I understand, String. And you know I'll be here waiting for you two when you get back. Just be careful, okay?"
"Why do you think I'm taking Dom?" Hawke said with a grin. "He'll keep my head on straight."
"You're darn tootin' I will!" Dom said with his own gap-toothed grin. "Cmon kid, let's go before this little gal here starts talking about those damn invoices again!" Dom slapped his Santini Air ball cap on his head and headed for the door.
"We'll be back first thing tomorrow morning, I promise," Hawke said to Caitlin. "Want me to bring you anything when I come?"
"Just you," she responded with a smile.
TBC…
Sorry for the super short chapter but I needed a bridge to get to the meeting with Stone and, honestly, I've got two different ideas in my head about which way to go with the next chapter and I have to make up my mind. We'll have to see what the muse decides