Hawke sat on the desk and picked up the ringing phone. 'Santini Air.'

'Where've you been!' Dom's voice thundered down the line. 'I've been calling every five minutes for over an hour.'

'I'm sorry, Dom, I had to go see Michael.'

'Hmnph.' Dom grunted barely mollified. 'What did he want?'

'Well I kinda went to see him…'

'You went to see him…'

Hawke cut in before the volume rose any further. 'I got a visit from General Bening last night.'

'Bening?' Dom sounded incredulous. 'What did he want?'

'To offer me a deal,' Hawke began before filling him on the rest of what had happened including his conversation with Michael.

'So, you think he's coming after us?' Dom asked solemnly.

Hawke tried to ease the tension out of his shoulders. 'I think he's coming after us.' He admitted.

'You worried?'

Hawke sighed. 'A little. Bogard didn't have anywhere near the political clout this guy does and look how close he got to taking us out.'

Dom was silent as he remembered Bogard; he'd thought he'd lost Hawke that day in the bombing run. 'Hey, you think those logs he mentioned would be any good?'

'I don't know, Dom.' Hawke folded his arms across his chest. 'Kinda makes me wonder if he was thinking that I'd jump so quick on them I wouldn't ask the question.'

'Hmmm.' Dom cleared his throat. 'Well, what do we do now, kid?'

'I know one thing,' Hawke said, 'we're not going to just sit around and wait.'

'Now you're talking.'

Hawke cleared his throat. 'Uh, Dom?'

'What?' There was a healthy suspicion in the word.

'I can't watch Santini Air today.'

'String…'

'I need to go to Texas.'

There was a stunned silence. Hawke could feel his heart pounding as he waited for Dom to respond. He heard the growl of a car as a customer pulled up in front of the hangar. He ignored it; he'd get rid of them in a minute.

'Texas, huh?' The older pilot said finally.

'Yeah.'

'You're going to ask her to come back?' Dom checked.

Hawke rolled his eyes. 'Yeah, I'm going to ask her to come back.'

'Well, it's about time.' Dom said.

'So you're OK if I take off?'

'We haven't gotten anything scheduled.' Dom said dismissively. 'Just make sure you bring her back.'

'I'll do my best.'

'Remember to be nice.'

'I'm always nice, Dom.'

'And some charm wouldn't hurt.'

'Dom…'

The warning note got through; Dom fell silent for a second. 'All I'm saying, kid is…' he sighed.

'I know, Dom.' Hawke heard the tap on the office door and absently waved the customer in without looking. 'Doc suggested flowers, chocolate and grovelling.'

Dom gave a short laugh. 'Couldn't hurt.' He cleared his throat. 'You'll do just fine, kid.'

'I hope so, Dom.' Hawke heard the nerves in his own voice and shook his head. 'I'd better get going. I'll call you.'

'OK. Good luck, huh?' Dom said.

Hawke hung up the phone and turned toward the office door. His jaw dropped open. Caitlin O'Shaunessy was stood lounging against the door frame, an inquisitive expression in her blue-green eyes. His eyes ran over her, drank in the sight of her. She looked like the woman who'd walked into his life the year before; she was dressed in jeans and a Western shirt, cowboy boots on her feet. A year before her hair had been short, it now flowed loose around her shoulders. Her delicate features were still liberally covered with freckles though and her eyes…her eyes were still as honest as ever, gleaming with the same nerves that his voice had shaken with a moment before.

'Hey.' Caitlin said, her fingers twisting the straps of her leather handbag. 'You going somewhere?'

Hawke snapped his mouth shut. His guarded blue eyes met hers. 'Texas.'

'Texas?' Caitlin could feel her lips start to curve and the nerves in her stomach settling. 'Any particular reason?'

'You.' The stark word hung between them for a long moment. Hawke knew he should say something else but he was lost for words. His fear that there was nothing he could do to make things right between them clutched at him and he rubbed at his chest. Maybe he didn't have to say anything…he started to walk toward her. He was a hand span in front of her, confusion filling her eyes at the intent look in his when he yanked her against him and kissed her soundly. His heart raced under her fingers as they clenched at his shirt. He eased back and rested his forehead on hers.

Caitlin let out a slow breath she hadn't even realised she was holding. 'You hurt me.' The words slipped out. She closed her eyes briefly and mentally kicked herself. Hawke flinched as if she had slapped him but he raised his head and looked at her.

'I know and if I could take it back I would.' There was a plea in his inky blue eyes that she had never seen there before. 'Just so we're clear, I don't want you to leave. Ever.'

The statement warmed her, chased away the doubts that had haunted her on the drive from Texas. She'd second guessed her decision to come back so many times. Caitlin reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes. 'I'm not leaving.' She said. 'But I can't give you a guarantee, Hawke. I can't promise you that I'm going to live forever. You're going to have to deal with that.' She stroked a hand down his cheek. He winced at the honesty in her eyes.

He sighed. 'You're going to have to be patient with me, Cait.'

She nodded. 'I can be patient.'

Hawke breathed out slowly and wondered at the second chance he'd been given as he hugged her closer.