Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story. They are not my own. I only cherish them.

My stories are set in real-time. Dom is a Vietnam vet and String and St. John were in Iraq post 9/11.

Chapter One: The Request

Cait was just getting ready to jump into the shower after returning from an evening run when she heard a knock at her door, looking through the peep hole she was surprised to see Michael standing there his white limo parked out front. Panic started setting in. He had never shown up at her home before, this had to be bad.

Two hours after she let Michael into her home Cait was was in the shower thinking over what Michael had just asked her to do. It was going to be a long sleepless night.

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"String, get in here." Dom yelled as he looked at the incomplete flight logs he held in his hand.

String raised his head up smacking it on the jet ranger that he was working under. As he wiped his hands he muttered a few curse words as he walked into the office.

"What's so important that you had to drag me from my work?" String said as he rubbed the spot where he hit his head.

Dom shoved the incomplete paperwork in his face. "This, I don't know what's gotten into you lately but this half ass work has to stop."

String ignored him and poured a cup of coffee which raised Dom's blood pressure even more. Thankfully Cait walked in and String hoped he would focus on her being late and not his carelessness when it came to paperwork. Dom left String alone and redirected his bad mood onto Cait.

"It's about time you came in." Dom started to say more until he noticed how blood shot her eyes were.

"I'm sorry Dom, I overslept. I'll work over tonight." Putting her purse in the desk drawer she headed out to the jet ranger with a vacuum cleaner to get it ready for a charter flight that afternoon. Dom was unable to scold her anymore after her apology.

"String did you notice her eyes? Looks like she didn't get any sleep last night."

"Yeah, I did. Maybe she had a fight with the guy she's dating."

Dom looked out to the tarmac where the jet ranger sat. "They have only been dating a few weeks, what would they have to fight about that would cause Cait to lose sleep and come into work late, she never does that."

String sat his empty coffee cup down and headed back to work. "Its not my place to meddle in Cait's love life."

Dom wasn't too pleased with String's lack of concern for Cait. He noticed that String was paying less and less attention to her lately. He didn't know why and he knew asking him about it would get him no where. String was starting to withdraw again even from him. He thought it had to do with the Firm not finding any reliable leads on St. John. So far all the leads turned out to be false. Just people out to get Airwolf. Last month he chased a lead from the FIRM that they all thought was a solid one. It turned out the person they went to retrieve out of Afghanistan was not St. John but the son of a Senator that was using String and Airwolf to bring him home. Dom remembered the look on Strings face when he found out it was not his brother. What really bothered them all is the fact that they would have taken on the mission without being lied to. String nor Dom would knowingly leave a fellow solider on enemy soil. After that String said he was done with the FIRM's leads. He wasn't going to get his hopes up again but he would still continue on his own looking for his brother.

As Cait was vacuuming she went over Michael's request. He needed a decision from her by the end of the day. If she was going to do this she needed a reason to be gone for at least two days. There were a lot of jobs booked. Dom wouldn't go for her taking time off unless it was a good reason. She was trying to think of one. She had been noticing that String had been giving her the cold shoulder lately. She couldn't imagine what she had done to deserve it. If he knew what Michael had in mind for her to do it would end their friendship for good. String never gave anyone a second chance once he didn't trust them.

It was noon when Cait was done with her chores. She decided that she was going to do what Michael asked of her. She found Dom in the back room looking for parts.

"Dom, can I talk to you?"

Dom stopped what he was doing. "Sure sweetheart, what's on your mind?"

Cait bit her lower lip. Lying wasn't something she did, and lying to Dom was especially hard to do.

"Dom I'm going to need a few days off." She waited for Dom to explode but he didn't.

"Oh" He said lifting one eyebrow. " This time off, you mind if I ask what it's for?"

Turning from him so he couldn't look her in the eyes she continued. "My sister called me last night, she thinks her husband is cheating on her. She asked if I could come home for a few days."

" Can't your folks work this out with her?" Dom stood in front of her so he could read her face. It was flushed red.

"No Dom, she doesn't want Mom and Dad to know about it unless they have to. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

"Sure kid, you can have the time. I guess String and I can manage for a few days."

Cait kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks Dom, I hope String won't be too upset with me leaving you two high and dry for a few days."

Dom patted her back. "You just leave him to me. It sounds like you got problems of your own."

String was returning from the charter flight he was on when he saw Cait drive off. He found Dom on the phone and waited for him to finish the call. "I thought Cait said she was going to make up the time she was late?"

"Yeah, about that. She said she needs to go home to Texas for a few days."

String went over to her desk picking up a stack of unfinished invoices. " So what about all this work. I suppose you and I can manage our work as well as hers? What was so important that she had to go home?"

Dom shot him a dirty look. "She said her sister was having marriage problems."

String slammed the coffee pot down after he poured a cup. "And that's a reason to take off a few days?"

Dom stood up, he had had enough of his attitude. " Look here boy, I don't know what's eating you lately but I can tell you I've had it up to here."

String rubbed both hands over his face. "Sorry Dom, I know I've been hard to be around lately."

Dom rolled his eyes upwards. "Boy you are the king of understament."

String grinned then his face turned serious. "Do you really believe that's the reason Cait needs time off?"

"No, but if she's not telling the truth it must be for a good reason."

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Cait walked out of Michaels office with a folder in her hand. He wanted no electronic trail. Everything she needed was in this file. Now she needed to wait until Dom and String left the hanger for the night so she could take one of the jeeps. Her car wasn't made to make the trip to the Lair.