Alexander Hamilton once wrote: "The roaring of the sea and wind, fiery meteors flying about it in the air, the prodigious glare of almost perpetual lightning, the crash of the falling houses, and the ear-piercing shrieks of the distressed, were sufficient to strike astonishment into Angels."

That would have been a fitting description of Hurricane Kristen's destruction, Hawke thought. When the team had returned to the area after the worst of the storm had dissipated, flying search and rescue was like flying in a war zone, just without enemy fire.

It was surreal, entire blocks of houses without roofs and flooding as far inland as 10 miles in some areas. The team lost count how many rescues, supply runs and medevacs they performed over the course of the next four days. The storms destruction went further inland than they first thought it might because it picked up to a Category 4 just before landfall, causing more flooding than anticipated. In a single word, it was apocalyptic.

Toni, Doc, Dom and himself worked with a small team Michael had sent from Tala Star which coordinated with the Air Force at Kessler. Even the airbase took damage. Communication was spotty because so many phone lines were down so Hawke had relayed messages home via Tala Star, not wanting to tie up a sat phone that might be used for more important things. Caitlin and the kids would listen to his messages that Karen would call them with and send their own back.

The TV at home was almost constantly on the weather station following the storms aftermath and they even glimpsed a Santini Air JetRanger in some of the footage. They weren't sure who was piloting it though but it wasn't hard to spot the patriotic helicopter. It had really excited the kids.

It was hot and steamy after the storm; the forecasters and news people went on about the elderly without power and how dangerous it was for them. Hawke's family was proud of him, Dom and the others for what they were doing to help everyone there.

Emily had started physical therapy and though she was in some pain she seemed happier now that she could get up and move around more. She missed her daddy terribly though and so did Caitlin and Le. They couldn't wait until he came back home.

For Hawke, it was unusual to have such a driving desire to go home. He'd done rescue before, had spent days on end doing this sort of stuff and never had this longing to go home before. It was a new experience for him having so much waiting for him. A wife, children, a baby on the way, hell he missed the dogs too. Now he understood the other men who had those things waiting at home. They didn't want to shortchange the people they were helping but now he understood their need to get the job done and go home. Especially after the devastation they witnessed, they (including himself) wanted to go home and kiss their wives and hug their kids.

Earlier that day he and Doc had rescued a small family out of a flooded-out neighborhood. It was a woman and two kids, one still in diapers. Her husband was missing. He had gone to help an elderly relative and not come back. They weren't sure if he was stuck with the relative or if something worse had happened. Hawke had asked where her husband had gone and she gave him an address. He and Doc dropped them at the airbase where a shelter had been set up and they headed back out to see if they could find the man. They did, he was on the second floor of a flooded home with a bedridden uncle who was in desperate need of medical treatment. Doc and the man, named Derrek had gotten the older man, his Uncle Fred up to the roof, they'd had to break through with an axe.

It took almost two hours to get there, get the men out and get back to the base and they were practically running on fumes by then but made it.

When they got the man back to his family, Hawke had felt a lump in his throat the size of a grapefruit from witnessing the emotional reunion.

Just as he and Doc started to head back to the chopper the little boy named Jimmy came running up to him. He thanked him for bringing his daddy home and hugged him and Doc both. Hawke had nearly broken down at that, he reminded him so much of Le.

Once they were back in the chopper, Doc looked at him. "Well that made all of this more than worth it, didn't it?"

Hawke nodded and cleared his throat. "Yeah, that kid reminded me of Le too. Doc, I miss the hell out of them. I never thought I'd feel like this."

Doc smiled at his friend and patted him on the shoulder. "Life has a funny way of creeping up on you like that. I'm missing Max like you wouldn't believe. I've gone away plenty of times on charity missions and stuff but it gets harder and harder to leave every time. You might have the right idea, Hawke. I may just need to marry her and get a start on that family we've talked about. Seeing that family today, the love and the worry and all made it more real for me, ya know?"

"Kind of like that story I read hit me?"

"Exactly like that. Life is too short to keep putting things off until tomorrow," Doc said.

Hawke smiled, that is what he had learned last winter and hadn't regretted it a moment since.

"Well come on, let's see if we can get some more happy endings like that," Hawke said as he started the preflight checks to take to the air once again. The Air Force team had already refueled them and Doc got on the radio and asked for the next mission, they were relayed coordinates for the next emergency call and were soon off again.

Hawke would be coming home this morning and Caitlin was rushing around the house trying to get Emily and herself ready until Le told her he could help. He made them breakfast which was just cereal and some fruit she always kept cut up in the fridge for snacks but it saved her having to do it or cook.

Emily was still trying to learn to use her crutches, they had to do a minor amount of surgery to remove dead skin around the puncture wounds but thankfully none of the muscle was affected. She could have skin grafts or just live with the scars, it was up to her but she hadn't decided yet. She kind of thought the scar might be cool. Le told her he'd keep the scar but he was a boy, he didn't wear dresses and stuff to look pretty. He said when she got older she might want to have the scar hidden because of that. She still wasn't sure what she thought about it.

So, Caitlin was braiding Emily's hair while the girl brushed her teeth and then they were soon downstairs. Le had everything set out on the bar and they poured the milk and ate their breakfasts.

Caitlin was famished this morning for some reason, she guessed the baby was hungry or something so she ate a little more than usual which made Le laugh when she poured more cereal into her bowl to finish up her milk.

"What?"

"I've never seen you get seconds on anything. Baby making you hungry?" Le asked.

"Oh, gosh yes," she admitted. "I think I've grown three inches since String left," she said remembering that she could not wear even her largest jeans anymore. She was in maternity clothing now for sure. She had on a navy-blue dress with a white bow at the chest. There was no mistaking she was pregnant now. It was amazing how quickly her body was changing. In just a week and a half she was already starting to look much more round that was for sure.

"Everyone ready?" she asked as they put their bowls in the dishwasher.

"Yep!" Emily said as Le helped her down from her stool and handed her the crutches.

"I already fed and watered the dogs and let them out for their morning run while you all were getting ready, so we're set," Le told them.

"Oh, thank you, Le," Caitlin said with relief and hugged him with a kiss on his forehead. She thought for a moment he might have grown a bit, she didn't have to bend down quite so far to kiss his forehead.

"Come on, let's get to the hanger to see daddy and grandpa and your aunts and uncles," she said.

The kids headed out to the car and they were off for the 20-minute ride to Santini Air.

Hawke honestly couldn't wait to get to Van Nuys, once they crossed into California airspace he pushed the JetRanger even more, pulling as much speed from the engines as possible. Doc who was riding with him laughed and Hawke just grinned at him. The two young men wanted to get home. Doc had picked up an engagement ring in Biloxi in fact and couldn't wait to get back up to Crystal Lake.

Little did he know that Maxine had already come down to the hanger to greet him this morning. She left one of her employees in charge and came down because she'd missed Doc terribly.

"String, you realize that chopper isn't the Lady, right?" Dom said over the radio.

"So, I want to get home, Dom, don't you?" Hawke said into the radio.

"Sure, sure I do. I'd like an intact engine when I get there too," Dom grumbled at him but thought it was funny how much Hawke wanted to get home. The young man had been different on this mission than in the past. Now that he had people at home, a family he loved and missed the young man had been chomping at the bit to get back to them.

It seemed like Hawke had talked to anyone who'd listen about his family and really listened when other guys talked about theirs at the airbase. The guys even shared pregnancy stories with him and warned him of cravings and mood swings and back aches and swollen feet. It was funny watching them in a cafeteria and break area because his boy really seemed to pay attention. Oddly enough, Doc did too come to think of it.

When the five helicopters cleared into the airport and three headed for the Santini Air hanger and the other two for Tala Star it was a feeling of pure joy that ran through all of them. They were home. As much as they loved their work and loved helping people, this was where they belonged.

Hawke and Doc's chopper landed first followed by Dom and Toni in each of theirs. They barely had everything shut down when they saw the group in the hanger doorway. Caitlin and the kids were smiling and waving and even Maxine was there! Doc jumped out at the same time Hawke did and they ran in the light rain to their loved ones.

Caitlin was really starting to show, Hawke realized as the dress she wore was caught by the wind and he could see the baby bump clearly. His heart jumped in his chest as he realized how much he loved that woman and that baby inside her. Emily looked happy, standing with her crutches and he could swear Le was taller.

His arms wrapped around Caitlin, tight but not too tight, he didn't want to squash the baby after all but the kiss was anything but light. They let each other know just how much they missed each other with their passionate kiss. Emily didn't even make a face at Le this time about their kiss.

Doc had run straight into Maxine's waiting arms too. "Max, what are you doing here?"

"I missed you and wanted to welcome you home," she said with a smile.

Their kiss was passionate as well, almost forgetting the world around them until they heard Emily squeal when Hawke picked the girl up.

Doc drew back to look at Max and then heard Dom and Toni greeting the others. Why wait? They had family and friends here.

Suddenly, he released Max and dropped to one knee as he withdrew a small black velvet box from his pocket. "I was going to wait to do this at the Inn but…I'm tired of waiting. Maxine Dayton will you marry me?"

Max just stood there with a shocked look on her face for about two seconds and then suddenly shouted "Yes! A thousand times yes!"

Everyone was laughing and smiling as Doc put the ring on her finger and then stood and kissed her deeply.

"I guess you couldn't wait any longer then?" Hawke asked with a grin.

"Nope, man I'm glad you came down to greet me," Doc said kissing Max on the cheek. She was admiring the ring on her finger and Caitlin and Toni came over to see it.

"Oh, what a lovely ring," Caitlin said. "Congratulations, Max I'm so happy for you both."

Toni smiled as well. "That is a nice rock, Max. I guess he was thinking about you a lot while he was away," she said with a grin.

"I'm so surprised by it but at the same time we've been together for years so I should have assumed one day," Max said a little dazed.

"So, you gona do a short engagement like Cait here?" Toni asked.

"I don't know, Doc and I need to discuss it but I do weddings all the time, it might be fun to just elope," Max said with a laugh.

Both women gave her a hug and Toni looked at Caitlin. "You are really starting to show now," she commented. "Looks good on ya, Cait."

She thanked the other woman and Toni headed into the hanger to the ladies' room. It had been a long flight and she'd regretted that second cup of coffee the last 100 miles.

Dom gave both Doc and Max hugs and told them how happy he was for them.

They needed to get back to Crystal Lake and Hawke and his family needed to get home too. They made plans to get together to celebrate their engagement soon.

Within the next hour, Hawke was finally back at the house in Sun Valley with his family. He'd settled on the couch with Caitlin on one side of him and Emily in his lap with Le right up against him on the other side. Emily told him it was a daddy sandwich and he laughed at her.

They spent the rest of day asking Hawke about the rescue missions and even some more he hadn't shared with them about the 'fix' mission in the storm itself. He tried to do justice to explaining what that was like but it was hard to find all the right words to describe it, especially the time inside the eye.