Stringfellow Hawke watched Caitlin O'Shaunessy sleeping beside him and gently stroked her red hair back over her shoulder. He was still more than a little bemused at the change in their relationship. His arms instinctively tightened around her as he remembered how close he'd come to letting her walk out of his life; driven by his fear that she would die like so many others in his life, he'd hurt them both by insisting on a separation that had lasted weeks and had only ended the day before. He smiled. She had given him a second chance and now…there would be no more pretending it was just friendship between them.

There was a sense of rightness about it that helped settle the fear that was still with him. He slipped out of the bed, pulled on a pair of jeans and headed downstairs to let Tet out to wander on the mountain outside the cabin whilst he made breakfast. It was just coffee and toasted bagels but he found himself arranging everything on a tray alongside a small vase with a large daisy before carrying it up to Caitlin.

She opened her eyes sleepily at the sound of Hawke approaching the bed and took in the breakfast tray with a bemused smile. 'You made me breakfast?'

Hawke put the tray on the bedside table and sat on the bed next to her as she struggled to a sitting position. He leaned over and kissed her. 'Good morning.'

She let out a shaky breath. 'Good morning.'

'You OK?' Hawke asked.

She smiled up at him and smoothed the worry line that had appeared on his forehead. 'More than OK.'

'You're sure your shoulder is fine?' It had been badly damaged when she'd taken a bullet that had saved his life and although it was mostly healed, she'd admitted that it still ached.

She nodded trying to ease the anxiety in his voice and saw the flicker of guilt in his serious blue eyes. 'Don't worry, Hawke, next time you can take the bullet yourself and then you can be the one who gets grounded.'

Hawke's lips twitched. 'Thanks.' He handed her the mug of coffee and she shifted so he could sit on the bed next to her, his arm around her.

She took a gulp of coffee and noticing the way his eyes were pinned to the mug, her lips twitched. 'Want to share?'

He smiled and took the offered mug. He took a gulp before he handed it back and gave into the urge to ask the question that had been bugging him. 'Cait?'

'Hmmm?'

'You know I'm more than glad you're here but…

'Why'd did I come back?' She asked.

He nodded.

Caitlin sighed. 'My mother confessed she'd talked to you after I got shot and asked you to make sure I stayed in Texas.' She smiled sadly. 'We had an almighty row and I walked out.' She sighed. 'I spent sometime thinking about…everything before I decided I didn't really have anything to lose coming back.'

'Have you spoken with your folks since?' Hawke asked quietly.

She shook her head and handed him the mug. 'I told my sister Erin what I was going to do.'

'I guess your family aren't going to be pleased.'

'They'll get over it.' Caitlin murmured.

'What? You coming back to LA or being with me?' Hawke asked wryly.

She shifted to face him fully. 'They gave you a hard time when I was at the hospital, didn't they?'

'I understood. I got their daughter shot.' Hawke muttered hiding his face in the mug.

'I got me shot.' Caitlin pointed out.

'Saving me.' He returned.

She rolled her eyes. 'I can see we're going to be arguing about this one for a while.'

'A while, huh?' Hawke tilted his head. 'I kinda like the sound of that.'

'Me too.' They both smiled.

Hawke cleared his throat. 'You know if you want to win some brownie points for me with your parents, you could call them. Let them know you're safe.'

'I'll call them.' Caitlin promised.

He leaned in to kiss her again. The sound of an approaching chopper had him changing direction and he gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead as he hurriedly shuffled off the bed.

'Who is it?' She asked. His hearing was astounding and she knew he could tell the difference between the choppers that regularly landed at the cabin.

'Dom.' Hawke answered. 'He's meant to be in Arcotta Bay.'

Caitlin's fingers pleated the sheets. 'Are we going to tell him? About us?'

Hawke tugged a sweater over his head and sat back down next to her. 'I was planning to.'

'You think he'll be OK about it?' Caitlin asked. Dominic Santini was the closest thing to family Hawke had, having taken him and his older brother in after the death of their parents. She'd grown fond of Dom, thought he'd grown fond of her but she couldn't help wondering what his reaction would be to her changed relationship with his surrogate son.

Hawke smoothed her hair out of her eyes noticing with surprise the nerves shining there. 'He's going to be thrilled.' He reassured her.

'I'll grab a shower and get dressed.' Caitlin said tugging the sheet from the bed as a makeshift cover.

Hawke watched her disappear into the bathroom before heading downstairs. He walked out to greet Dom, ducking under the slowing rotors to open the cockpit door and help the older man out. They got clear of the chopper before Dom opened his mouth to yell at him.

'Are you OK?'

Hawke nodded and brought them to a halt on the porch just outside the cabin. He wondered at the concern darkening Dom's eyes. 'Sure. Why wouldn't I be?'

'Why?' Dom bristled and he stabbed a finger into Hawke's chest. 'Why wouldn't you be? Did you or did you not tell me you were going to call me, huh?'

Hawke's confusion cleared abruptly as he suddenly remembered his promise to call Dom. Hawke pushed a hand through his hair as Dom continued reaming him out; the older pilot had been worried when he hadn't heard anything and hadn't been able to raise him especially after the events of their most recent Airwolf mission and General Bening deciding to come after them. It had brought him back from his vacation in Arcotta Bay early.

'Sorry, Dom.' Hawke said. 'I kinda got distracted.'

Dom grunted, only slightly mollified by the apology. 'Distracted?' He barked.

Hawke cleared his throat and leaned a shoulder against the porch post, hoping for nonchalant. 'Caitlin's in the cabin.'

'Oh?' Dom started smiling. He'd figured all they needed was just to get together and talk the whole thing out…and he was suddenly aware that talking wasn't the only thing the couple had done. He wasn't sure exactly what clued him in; the hint of colour in Hawke's cheeks, the fact the younger man was delaying him outside the cabin, his comment of being distracted. 'Oh.'

Hawke sighed a little nervous at the overtones in the simple word.

'You and she,' Dom's voice trailed away and he gestured vaguely, 'the two of you…?'

Hawke nodded quickly at the unspoken question. He folded his arms at Dom's serious expression; he'd thought the older man would have been pleased and the lack of approval was twisting his gut.

'Are you sure about this, kid?' Dom asked. 'Because if you're playing around here…'

'I'm not.' Hawke replied quickly.

'She cares about you.' Dom pressed.

Hawke met Dom's eyes firmly. 'I know.' He was almost pleased that Dom's concern seemed to stem from worry that Hawke would treat Caitlin's feelings lightly. 'I'm not going to hurt her, Dom.' He glanced back at the cabin. 'Not again.'

Dom nodded. 'So you're together, together?'

Hawke nodded and relaxed a little seeing the beam spreading across Dom's face.

'That's great, kid.'

'So, you…you're OK with our…being together?' Hawke couldn't help checking.

Dom tried to reassure him. 'I always hoped you two would stop hiding behind the friendship thing. Not to mention that she's good for you, huh?'

'Yeah.' Hawke agreed.

Dom gave a pleased nod. He sent a darting look toward the cabin. 'Well, I'll get going, give you two some space. Tell her hello from me.'

Hawke caught Dom with a hand on his bulky shoulder as he turned to leave. 'Thanks, Dom.' Dom pulled the younger man in for a quick hug before he climbed back into the Santini chopper. Hawke watched Dom take her up. The older man's comments about Bening had him frowning and he glanced back at the cabin. He'd better tell Caitlin.

Caitlin was sat on the bed wrapped in one towel and drying her hair with another. Her eyes met his anxiously. 'Dom left?'

'Yeah.' He sat beside her and took her hand.

Caitlin bit her lip. 'Did you tell him?'

He nodded and his fingers tightened on hers momentarily reassuring her. 'Like I said he's thrilled. He thinks you're good for me.'

'I knew there was a reason why I liked him.' Caitlin said smiling.

Hawke smiled back.

'What's wrong?' Caitlin asked seeing his smile fade.

Hawke sighed and filled her in on the recent mission and aftermath.

'So Bening is coming after us.' Caitlin's calm acceptance almost had Hawke smiling. 'You'd think he'd be more grateful to you rescuing his family.'

'I think he just sees that Airwolf is a powerful weapon that he doesn't have.' Hawke concluded.

'Well, she is the world's most technologically advanced helicopter.' Caitlin commented. 'Not to mention its only mach capable one.'

'Yeah.'

She smiled. 'He won't get her, Hawke. Not whilst she has you.'

Hawke pulled her into a hug and hoped as her arms tightened around him that her confidence was justified.