A soft soothing voice brought her back to consciousness. That and a gentle nudge against her arm.
Liona sat up and a feeling of nausea gripped her; shock and pain and a horribly sick hum seemed to vibrate through her body. Then she remembered…
The simulator, Airwolf hooked up to it, Winchester, the sharp pain in her neck. Her hand snapped to the spot that still felt tender. Wait, that's not my neck, she thought as she looked down at her hand soothing over a sore spot on her upper right arm.
Her eyes darted around. Damn, they'd gotten to her again.
She noticed the metallic twang in her mouth; the taste made her gag. Blood.
Now what do I do?
Liona took in her surroundings and she noticed she was now in a different room. She was on a couch in a room with a large tv screen, a wooden desk, chairs – one of them toppled over – and…
"Liona? Liona, it's me, Marella!"
Someone was talking to her; the voice and the name that was mentioned were vaguely familiar.
Her blood still spiked with adrenaline, Liona leapt to her hands and feet in a defensive crouch.
Her mind felt so fuzzy! She shook her head to get rid of the cobwebs.
"It's alright, Liona. No one is going to pounce on you again. I'm so sorry for what happened…"
Sorry for what happened? What the hell had happened?
Liona could feel her heart hammering and a dull throb of panic beating at her temples as her gaze locked on the source of the voice. It was Marella. Marella?
"What, what's going on?" Liona demanded.
"Zeus messed up," Marella replied, a smile hovering on her lips. "He thought to manipulate Hawke into dancing to his tune. He thought wrong."
Hawke… She's talking about String! He's here?
"Marella, please, my head feels… I- I can't think. What's going on?"
Liona pressed a hand to her head and squeezed her eyes shut as if that could stop the throbbing in her head.
"Here take this."
A white capsule and a glass of water was thrust into her hands.
"I'm afraid the side-effects of the sedative that was administered to you are, well, less than pleasant. But, like the drug, they should be short lived. Especially if you take that."
There was only a moment's hesitation, then Liona swallowed the pill along with a gulp of water. "What happened?" Liona asked again, though calmer this time.
"The deal Mr. Hawke had made with the FIRM, to give back Airwolf in return for solid information on his brother, St. John… it wasn't working out. Michael found out that Zeus was responsible for making sure that any information regarding St. John was outdated and obsolete."
Liona felt a stab of anger in her chest. "What! Do you have any idea-"
"Yes, I do," Marella said, cutting her off. "When Michael found out, he confronted Zeus about it and warned him that if he was able to figure that out, then sooner or later so would Hawke. And when that would happen…"
"Heads would roll!" Liona spat. "How could you?"
"Not we, Liona… Zeus! He found out about your involvement with Hawke. More importantly, the ever increasing value of your role in his life. He wanted to use you as a bargaining chip.
"You see, it's no longer in the FIRM's best interest to find St. John. The FIRM would lose access to Airwolf and, now that the Department of Defense is more interested in further developing the Apache attack helicopter, Zeus would have to come up with a pretty big incentive to get them interested again. The truth is, he can't."
All that Liona got from what Marella was saying, was that the FIRM had been using String without ever intending to stick to their end of the deal. It made her absolutely livid!
"You've been using him!"
"Yes, but, Hawke has been using us too. That was the entire deal. Until Michael found out that Zeus is backpedaling. Without the Airwolf designs, Zeus can only offer a prototype and no pilot to fly it. Even though we now know that the designs are saved in Airwolf's computers and she can be recreated again, it will take years before we have pilots ready to be able to fly an Airwolf the way String can."
Suddenly Liona understood. "Zeus was afraid that String would stop flying Airwolf missions once he'd find out the FIRM is not really trying to locate St. John. And… he wanted to use me to make sure that-"
"Yes. Airwolf is much more valuable to the FIRM if St. John is never found. Because that way they have access to both Airwolf and its pilot. Hawke would eventually find out that Zeus has been playing him, so Zeus needed a contingency plan."
"Me." Liona sighed deeply and shook her head with disgust. After all the pain and loss String already had to bear in his life, this 'Zeus' had been planning to add even more.
"What will happen now, Marella?" she asked softly. "Because I can tell you right now that if he plans on keeping me here, I will never allow myself to be used against String. I'd sooner take my own life!"
"That won't be necessary," Marella said with a smile. "Hawke is currently busy negotiating new terms with Archangel and Zeus. Actually, they are finished right now if I'm not mistaking."
Liona tried to see through the myriad of cracks and lines in the window, but she could only see blurry images beyond it.
"Here."
Something soft got pushed into her hands. When Liona looked down, she noticed it was clothing of some sort. White. She snorted.
"That window is, eh, a direct result of Hawke's display of temper when he saw what was happening in the med bay. He assumed the worst."
The vague blurs started to get some color: gray and white, and the shapes became larger as they got closer.
"I think it might be better if he sees you in something else than a yellow, blood stained shirt by the time he arrives. If you go through that door on the right, it should take you to a facility area where you can have some priv-"
"No need," Liona said as she placed the white bundle on the couch and then pulled the bloody shirt over her head. She wasn't going to wander around this place all by herself. Plus, this was faster.
Marella muttered something that sounded like, 'Oh dear' and just as Liona was stripping out of her jeans, the door to the room they were in creaked open, revealing Michael.
"Good Lord in Heaven!" he barked and a crimson red flush spread from his cheeks all the way to the roots of his hair before he quickly turned himself around.
String was the next to appear, just as Liona stepped from the jeans and threw them onto the couch. He stopped dead in his tracks, at first gaping at her, before a lazy grin slowly spread on his face.
"Why are we stopping… Holy mackerel!" Like Michael, Dom suddenly turned around.
Liona picked up the garment from the couch, and, as she unfolded it, discovered it was a simple white dress.
"Gimme a sec," she told String, "and let me slip into this. I'm afraid I made a bit of a mess of myself."
"Yeah, I noticed," he said. Her eyes snapped to his when she noted the strange undercurrent in his voice. He was standing there, feet apart, holding a blue file in front of him.
"As you can see, Hawke," – Michael's voice sounded oddly strangled – "Liona is perfectly fine and… looking very, very, eh, healthy."
"Is she still…" Dom asked.
"Yeah."
Liona rolled her eyes at Dom and Michael's behavior. String never acted so prudish whenever she undressed. There was a slight muffled sound to her right, but when Liona looked over towards Marella, she found the woman merely standing there, waiting patiently while Liona pulled the dress over her head and wiggled it down, a pair of high heels dangling from her fingers.
"I'm not wearing those," Liona stated calmly.
"But these would look so great! They go really well with the dress, which looks amazing on you by the way."
"Try running in those. No, thank you."
"Let me find you something else then. Be right back!" With those words Marella quickly dashed from the office
"Eh, does this mean it's safe to turn around yet?"
The fearful tone made Liona laugh. "Yeah, it's safe for your delicate sensibilities, Dom."
"Why you!" Dom turned around, his face like thunder, until he saw her there, smiling at him. He simply spread his arms and with a happy shriek Liona launched herself into them. "I was worried about you, sweetheart. We both were," he whispered.
"You were worried? I was scared to death!" Liona admitted wholeheartedly when she released Dom.
Michael tapped his cane against the carpet and he offered her an apologetic smile. "Liona, on behalf of the FIRM, I would like to offer my sincerest apologies for the way you were treated. I had no idea that Zeus would go this far to protect our, eh, assets."
"I just want to get out of here." Liona looked over at String, without acknowledging Michael's apology. He may not have been behind this, but she still didn't like him a whole lot right now.
String smiled at her and looped his arm around her shoulders, pointing behind her. When Liona turned around, she saw Marella approaching them with a dainty pair of white sneakers.
"We will," he told her, "right now."
Without looking back, Liona let String guide her through the complex. "Michael did warn us," he said. "He knew somethin' was going on; somethin' that had to do with you. It's why Dom and I wanted to take you with us, to keep an eye on you."
"I know he's your friend, String, but right now I really don't want to talk about him, or Zeus, or the FIRM. I'm angry enough about how I was abducted and taken against my will. But, thinking how they wanted to use me as leverage against you…"
The way String simply pulled her closer to him was enough to melt her anger away. Most of it anyway. She smiled when he gave her a quick kiss right before he opened the door and walked through. It was a short lived smile that died on her face when the wide expanse of the rich grounds loomed in front of her. Liona felt faint as she caught hold of the door jamb with a vice like grip.
"Liona?" String turned around, a worried look in his eyes when his gaze settled upon her.
Shaking her head, her nails digging into the jamb, Liona refused to budge. "I- I can't." She breathed hard.
"What's wrong, Lio?" he asked, taking a few steps toward her.
"I can't. It's too far."
String looked back over his shoulder, in the direction were Airwolf was waiting for them, just a few yards away. It might as well have been miles.
"What's the hold up?" Dom asked from behind her.
"I dunno, somethin' has Lio spooked. She's not budgin'," String replied.
"Liona, you can let go of the door jamb. Just, take a few steps back and you'll be safe inside."
The soothing voice of Marella killed some of the anxiety Liona was feeling. Very, very carefully, she pulled her fingers away from the door jamb and with a shuddering breath, she stepped back.
"I'll have a word with him, don't worry, we will find a way," Marella said as she brushed past.
"Are you okay, honey?" Dom asked her, a worried look plastered on his face.
Liona shook her head. "No, I- I don't know what's happening to me, but I can't go out there, I just can't!"
Marella moved so she stood between the structure and String. When she spoke, she did so with a clear voice. "I'm afraid that Zeus' manhandling of Liona has triggered an emotional and physical response to the trauma of being abducted when she was still so young. These issues must have remained dormant while she felt safe up at the cabin."
"I don't get it," String said, "she wasn't like this after we saved her from Dumaine's man in the desert.
"True, because you brought her straight back up to the cabin again. Where she feels safe. Look, why don't you try and see if you can bring in Airwolf a bit closer?"
"Dom?" String asked.
"I'm on it, kid," Dom replied. He briefly turned to Liona and he gently squeezed her shoulders. "Don't you worry 'bout a thing, sweetheart. We'll see you through this." With those words he walked around her and made his way outside.
Soon after, Airwolf gave a low whine when she hummed to life and Dom hovered her closer to the entrance of the ranch and gently set her down.
"Now what?"
"Well, this could simply be a panic attack. That's what I hope at least. If not, it could be the onset of agoraphobia. The wide open space currently feels like a threat to Liona. We have to help her work through that fear."
A slow smile spread on the woman's face and she walked up to String, placed a hand against his chest and whispered something in his ear. A look of comical shock crossed his face. It was that same expression he once gave Sarah LeBow when he wasn't sure if she'd really shot Michael's ear or not.
"You think that will do it?" he asked with humor in his voice.
Marella looked back at Liona with a wide smile on her face. "Worth a try, don't you think?"
"What's worth a try?" Liona called out. She turned around to face Michael who was standing behind her, casually leaning against one of the bales of hay. When he pushed away, not even one straw of hay clung to his immaculate suit.
"Don't ask me. Marella is the one with the masters degree in psychology. I have no idea what she's up to."
When Liona looked back out, she saw String jogging over to Airwolf and after a brief moment return back to Michael's assistant. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes and he couldn't quite keep himself from smiling.
"Hey Lio," Dom's voice suddenly boomed out across the ranch, "this one's for you, honey. Now pay attention to Marella." He laughed out loud right before a song started playing, very loudly…
Liona could hear female background singers chant along to a perky, cheerful melody. She raised her brows in surprise when she saw Marella walking to the door in the time with the music. Except… she wasn't walking exactly, but almost… dancing?
The lead singer started to sing.
"I've found a place to live – I got it the hard way.
A permanent address to give – I got it for always.
Nobody can tear me loose.
They tell me there's no escape.
On Heartache Avenue."
Marella walked, or danced, back to String, while smiling at Liona over her shoulder.
"Oh, Michael!" she then called out, trying her best not to laugh. "Show us your moves… sir…" she quickly amended.
Liona snapped her head back to look at the man standing behind her with an amused look on his face. "You really want me to make a fool of myself?"
"Just this once, sir. For Liona."
"Yeah, come on, Michael," String said, laughing at him. "Show us what you've got."
A small smile hovered on his lips when Michael looked up at her, tucked his cane underneath his right arm and tipped his hat to her. "Well, here's looking at you, kid." He walked past her, through the door, did a suave turn and a debonair walk while twirling his cane.
"Leave me alone 'cos I'm here where I belong.
I feel at home on the street where love is gone.
It's a hard luck story of Heartache Avenue."
"That's all you're getting from me. I believe it's your turn, Hawke."
String strode over to her, a wide smile on his face. Liona realized he was actually enjoying this. She furrowed her brows and took a step back. String crooked a finger at her, beckoning her to come closer. She fervently shook her head. He stepped inside, gently taking her in his arms.
"I don't want to, String," she pleaded.
"No one will make a grab for you. It's just you and me, dancin'."
"I don't dance," she countered, but she didn't pull away from him.
He gave her one of his lazy smiles, his eyes warm and shining. "Me neither. Come on, stand on my feet and keep your eyes on me. We'll not dance together."
She looked down at his booted feet. "I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to cause so much trouble."
His subtle laugh made her look up again. "Why are you telling my boots you're sorry?" He circled his hands around her waist and lifted her to stand on his boots. Liona wrapped her arms around his neck when he started swaying with her.
It was odd, swaying like that to a song that sounded so upbeat. When String took a step back towards the door, Liona stiffened in his arms. "It's okay, just keep your eyes on me."
He turned a few times, stepped back, stepped forward, stepped to the side… Liona did as she was told and kept her gaze fixed on his eyes. There was a brief moment where she panicked, feeling the cool evening air brush against the skin left bare by the dress, but a light brush of String's lips against hers made her focus solely on him. His eyes were blazing softly and they expelled all feeling of cold fear from her body, even the thought of it drifted away until nothing remained but the glowing embers of feeling secure.
The song shifted to something entirely different; a melody so achingly bittersweet, it brought a lump to her throat.
"I never dreamed
you'd mean a thing to me.
But when I needed your lovin',
you gave me love
the way it outta be."
She buried her face in his neck and she could feel his arms tighten around her.
They swayed slowly, then moved to a gentle rocking until at some point they stopped moving altogether.
"I love your face,
I love your quiet ways.
If I could paint you in colors
You'd be a rainbow
on a summer day."
String pulled back to look into her eyes. There was an openness in them, a vulnerability, that took her breath away. Without saying a word, he drew back one of her hands from around his neck, placed a kiss against her finger tips, then pressed her hand over his heart… and held it there.
"And when I feel
the way I'm feeling
can't help believing you
made it so easy.
They can't take that away."
Liona stared at his hand, clasped over hers. She swallowed hard and slowly let her eyes travel up. His Adam's apple moved up and down and a muscle twitched in his cheek. Their eyes met and she realized that he was telling he loved her, without actually saying it.
Without breaking their eye contact, Liona slipped her hand from beneath his, then took his hand that still rested against his chest. His lower lip dropped a bit when she kissed the tips of his fingers, then placed his hand over her heart and held it there.
She told him she loved him too.