Stringfellow Hawke rolled up the sheet of paper and aimed for the waste basket on the other side of the Santini Air office. The paper sailed through the air as the office door opened and Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III entered just in time to see the ball fall cleanly into the receptacle. He glanced at the bin filled to almost overflowing with rolled up paper balls and back at the pilot.

'Bored, Hawke?'

'You have a mission?' Hawke asked, swinging his feet down from the desk.

The deputy director of the FIRM stared with his one good eye in amusement at the pilot's eagerness and pushed the wire-frame glasses he wore back up his nose. 'You know I don't know if I've ever seen you this keen for a mission before.'

Hawke sighed and headed for the coffee pot to pour himself and his guest a mug of the stewed black brew.

'When's Dominic due back from Italy?' Michael asked as he looked for somewhere to sit.

'Not till after Christmas.' Hawke muttered.

Michael arched an eyebrow. No wonder Hawke was going stir crazy; he had been looking after Santini Air for over a month already whilst Dominic Santini, his surrogate father and closest friend recovered from a heart scare. If the older pilot wasn't coming back for another month…

'So if there's no mission, what are you doing here?'

Michael frowned at the grease mark on the nearest chair and decided for the sake of his immaculate white three-piece suit not to risk it; he sat down on the chair opposite. 'I didn't say there was no mission.'

Hawke handed him a mug and sat back down. 'So there is a mission?'

Michael's pale blue eye flickered to the light plaster that encased one of Hawke's arms and wrist. 'Are you fit enough?'

'I can fly and besides, it's coming off in a couple of days.' Hawke confirmed.

Michael wondered why he was surprised; Hawke always had healed fast. He sighed. 'It's more of a favour than a mission.'

Hawke sipped his coffee and regarded the other man with an even blue stare. 'What's the favour?'

Michael took a fortifying gulp of the liquid before he set the mug down carefully on the desk and reluctantly met Hawke's curious blue eyes. 'I need to visit Russia on personal business.'

'Russia?'

Michael nodded.

Hawke tapped his fingers against the desk. 'And you want me to take you in Airwolf.' He said referring to the technologically advanced helicopter he flew in return for the FIRM finding his MIA brother.

'Unless Santini's acquired another stealth helicopter capable of mach speed.' Michael noted wryly.

Hawke ignored the jibe and concentrated on practicalities. 'I'm not sure we can do it, Michael.' He admitted unwillingly; bored didn't even come close to describing his state of mind. 'We've got a whole pile of work booked here and with Dom being away…'

'Can't Caitlin cover it?' Michael asked, referring to the pretty redheaded pilot that Hawke now lived with and who was the third member of the Airwolf crew.

Hawke raised an eyebrow. 'I'll need someone covering the engineer's console.'

Michael nodded. 'I can do it.'

'Cait's not going to like that.' Hawke commented.

'Will you do it?' Michael asked anyway.

'We'd need fuel pick-ups, the usual intelligence on satellite and allied activity.' Hawke pointed out.

'Already in progress.' Michael confirmed. 'Marella will arrange support and cover my absence.'

Hawke looked at him for a long moment. 'When?'

'Tomorrow.'

Hawke pushed a hand through his short brown hair. 'OK. Meet me at the Lair at noon.' Michael had known the location of Airwolf's hiding place for a couple of months but he'd been true to his word that he wouldn't visit uninvited.

Michael nodded in agreement and stood up. He hesitated for a moment with his hand rubbing the silver top of the wooden cane he carried. 'You're not going to ask me what this is about?'

Hawke shrugged. 'Would you tell me if I did?'

Michael gave an enigmatic smile and smoothed his moustache as he turned to leave. 'I'll see you tomorrow.'

'Don't be late.' Hawke called out as the spy disappeared through the office door. He only had a few minutes alone before Caitlin O'Shaunessy appeared in the doorway, dressed in her favourite red flight suit, battered tennis shoes on her feet and her red hair pulled into a messy ponytail. He returned her smile of greeting and eagerly accepted the kiss she dropped on his lips. There were times in the last few months since they'd gotten together as a couple that it amazed him they'd remained just as friends for so long; that he'd been scared to risk it being more than that for so long.

'I thought I saw Michael as I was landing.' Caitlin said and headed for the coffee pot.

'Yeah. You did.' Hawke said.

'What did he want?' Caitlin asked frowning at the empty coffee pot.

'A mission.'

'Did you tell him we were up to our eyes here?' She turned back to look at him and caught the flash of guilt through his carefully guarded expression. 'You told him we'd take a mission?'

'No.' Hawke rubbed the back of his neck and avoided her blue-green eyes. 'I told him I'd take the mission. He's coming along with me.'

'Oh.' Caitlin folded her arms and leaned back against the table. 'So let me get this straight. You,' she pointed at him, 'and Michael are going off on some boy's own adventure leaving me to cover the business, which Dom specifically asked you to take care of, on my own?'

Hawke sighed and reluctantly met her stern gaze as he nodded.

Caitlin regarded his abashed expression for a long moment. 'Well, just try not to get yourselves killed.' She said before she turned back to the coffee pot and crouched down to retrieve a new filter for the machine from the box under the table.

Hawke stared at her back. 'You're not mad?'

Caitlin straightened and waved the filters at him over her shoulder. 'About the mission, no. Why would I be?'

'Because I'm going off on a boy's own adventure with Michael leaving you to cover the business, which Dom specifically asked me to take care of, on your own.'

Caitlin raised an eyebrow at the overflowing bin as she threw the old filter in the trash. 'You're bored.' She commented as if that were explanation enough. She popped the new filter in along with a generous spoonful of coffee. She grabbed the coffee pot and headed for the kitchen.

Hawke slipped out of his chair and followed her. He lounged in the doorway and watched her fill the pot with water uncertainly. 'You're really OK with this?'

Caitlin turned off the faucet and walked back up to him. The doorway was a tight squeeze and she wouldn't get past unless he moved. She stopped inches in front of him and met his gaze squarely. 'Am I a hundred per cent happy you're taking off on an Airwolf mission and not only do I not get to go along to watch your back but I get to handle running the business alone? No.' She admitted with her usual honest frankness. 'But you've been driving me nuts for the last week since Dom called and told you he was staying in Italy until New Year.' She pushed past him. 'So,' she continued as she filled the coffee machine with water and stood the pot ready to receive the fresh brew, 'given a choice between you going on a mission or watching you climb the walls here…' she turned back to him, 'there's really no contest.'

Hawke shoved his hands in his jean pockets and rocked back on his heels. 'I guess I've been a little hard to live with, huh?'

'A little.' She smiled at him softening the words.

He sighed and walked over to slide his arms around her waist, hugging her to him. 'Sorry.'

Caitlin hooked her arms around his neck. 'You're forgiven.' She leaned back in his arms. 'You want to tell me what's been going in your head for the last week?'

'Not really.'

She raised an expectant eyebrow.

He sighed. 'It just threw me a little Dom wanting to spend Christmas in Italy.' The older man had sounded like he was having a ball and Hawke had put the phone down wondering if Dom wanted to return at all. The thought of not having Dom in his life had unnerved him more than he thought, Hawke realised.

'Well,' Caitlin said, 'it's probably the first time in years that he's had the opportunity.' She smiled at him reassuringly. 'He'll come back.'

Her certainty settled him and he felt the tension in his shoulders start to ease. 'Yeah.' Hawke glanced at her. 'Are you sure you want to spend Christmas up at the cabin?'

She rolled her eyes. 'Hawke, that has to be the tenth time you've asked me.'

He let her slip out of his arms. 'It's just…I know your family were kinda expecting you back in Texas.'

'It's our first Christmas together. They understand I want to spend it with you.' Caitlin said firmly pouring a mug of fresh coffee.

He sighed. Given her family's disapproval over their relationship he very much doubted that they understood at all. He took a deep breath. 'We could go together.'

She repressed the smile that sprang to her lips at the thought of Hawke coping with an O'Shaunessy Christmas get-together. 'Hawke, I'll see them all when I go for Fiona's wedding in a couple of weeks and besides, why would I pass up a whole romantic Christmas day alone with you for a day of refereeing between family arguments?' She asked.

He was silent for a moment before remarking teasingly, 'You were hoping for romance?'

'There had better be romance.' Caitlin warned him laughing.

Hawke caught her blue eyes. 'I'll see what I can do.' He promised.

She smiled back at him and took a sip of her coffee as she changed the subject. 'So what's this mission Michael wants you for?'

Hawke shrugged. 'He needs a lift to Russia.'

'What for?'

'He didn't say,' Hawke saw the next question forming in her eyes, 'and no, I didn't ask.'

Caitlin frowned. 'This isn't an official mission, is it?'

Hawke shook his head. 'Michael said it was personal.'

'Personal?' She bit her lip.

Hawke took a gulp of coffee. 'I know; it's not like Michael.'

'Well at least you'll be there to back him up.' Caitlin noted.

'Yeah.' Hawke's blue eyes glittered with determination. 'I'll be there.'