Thirteenth February. Racino Pass.

Stringfellow Hawke shivered violently against the cold gust of wind and pulled his leather jacket tighter around him. He pressed closer into the wall of the mountain pass, huddled over the small fire he'd managed to light and rubbed his hands together trying to get the circulation moving in his pale frozen fingers. He was going to be lucky not to end up with frostbite, he grumbled to himself. His blue eyes darted to the more serious problem; the bloody wound in his leg where his attacker had knifed him. The wound was deep into the thigh and was still bleeding despite the makeshift bandage Hawke had rigged. He shivered again. He was losing too much blood. If he wasn't found soon…he shoved the thought away. He would be found. Caitlin O'Shaunessy, his fiancée would have raised the alarm when the fishing group hadn't made it back to the cabin at the right time. She and his surrogate father Dominic Santini had probably gone to get Airwolf. The technologically advanced helicopter had the surveillance capability to find him.

Caitlin was going to be worried, Hawke mused. He was due to marry the pretty redheaded pilot in two days and instead of being home at the cabin and helping with the last minute details of their wedding, he was lying injured on the side of the mountain. He frowned. He still couldn't quite work out how it had happened. He guessed it had begun a couple of days previously when he'd returned to the cabin from a fishing trip with Caitlin's father…

Eleventh February. Hawke's Cabin.

'Where have the two of you been?' Caitlin turned from the pot she was stirring and greeted Hawke with a kiss as he slid his arms around her. Her blue-green eyes flickered to her father who was handing her mother the fish they had caught. 'I was beginning to get worried.'

'It looks like someone had a good day.' Maggie O'Shaunessy commented holding the fish aloft.

Patrick O'Shaunessy grinned at his wife. 'I had a lousy day but he,' he pointed at Hawke, 'he had a fabulous day.' He shook his head in wonder at the younger man. 'You are a genius with a fishing rod.'

Hawke shrugged. It had been odd sitting out on the lake all day with the man who would soon be his father-in-law; odd but good. Their relationship was improving in leaps and bounds, he thought.

'Sounds like you had a good time.' Caitlin murmured.

He hugged her tighter. 'Yeah.' His blue eyes twinkled at her. 'You should have seen the one that got away from your father though.'

Patrick spun back to his wife. 'You should have seen it, Maggie. It was this big.' His arms extended to an improbable size.

Maggie rolled her eyes expressively. 'Sure.'

Patrick turned to Hawke. 'Help me out here, son.'

'He's right.' Hawke agreed readily. 'It was at least that big.' His lips twitched. 'Maybe bigger.'

Caitlin started laughing and soon even Hawke was smiling as Patrick continued to protest the size of the one that got away to his disbelieving wife.

It was an enjoyable dinner and as Hawke cleared away, he was pleased to see the happy smile lighting Caitlin's face. Both of them had been a little nervous of her parents' arrival a few days before. Apart from her elder sister Erin, Caitlin's family had never seemed to approve of her relationship with Hawke. It had been a nice surprise to find that whatever doubts they still had, the O'Shaunessy's seemed to have put them aside and accepted their daughter's decision to marry Hawke. Her parents had even acquiesced to the couple's invitation to stay at the cabin although the rest of her family were staying in a hotel near the Van Nuys airfield. During the last couple of days her parents had moved from polite civility to friendly warmth. Maybe, Hawke thought as he handed out mugs of coffee as they moved to sit around the fireplace, Dom had been right. The older man had always maintained that Caitlin's parents just needed to spend time with Hawke and Caitlin for them to accept the relationship.

Hawke sat on the sofa next to Caitlin and slid his arm around her shoulders as she leaned into him. His fingers brushed a lock of red hair back over her ear and she smiled up at him. He smiled back. He couldn't remember a time when he had been so content.

From the moment the friendship between himself and Caitlin had been forged in a jail cell in Texas there had been a sense of rightness about their relationship that he had never questioned. Their decision to move beyond friendship, to become lovers had only solidified the bond between them further. He couldn't imagine what he would do if he ever lost her. He pushed the thought away ruthlessly. He had sworn not to let his fears of losing her like so many others in his life interfere with their relationship and it was a resolve he was determined to maintain.

'You know that lake of yours is something.' Patrick commented as he took a sip of the coffee.

'You should see the rest of the mountain.' Hawke said. 'There's a tributary stream further up that's teeming with fish.'

'Really.' A speculative glint entered the other man's eye. 'How far?'

'You have to take a chopper.' Hawke said. 'It's not accessible by foot.' He frowned. 'It's really an overnight trip.'

'An overnight trip.' Patrick repeated.

'Don't even think about it.' Maggie warned wagging a finger at her husband.

'What?' Patrick said innocently.

'What you're thinking.' Maggie rejoined. 'You are not leaving us here organising the wedding alone to fly up a mountain and go fishing.'

'We wouldn't think about it, would we Hawke?' Patrick denied.

Hawke let a small smile drift across his face. In truth, he wouldn't mind getting away from the wedding planning and going fishing but given how much he had already left to Caitlin, leaving her to cope with the last minute stuff on her own didn't seem right. 'Maybe next time.' He said.

'Which reminds me,' her father said incongruously, 'what are the arrangements for the bachelor night?'

'Bachelor night?' Hawke blinked and shrugged. 'Well…I…' he gestured vaguely, 'I'm not sure.' The subject of a bachelor night had never come up.

Patrick frowned. 'Dom does have something planned?' Hawke's surrogate father was standing as the pilot's best man.

'Actually, Dad,' Caitlin murmured, 'I think we'd all kinda forgotten about it.'

'Well you and Erin have planned your bridal shower though, right?' Maggie checked.

Her daughter's blank expression told its own story.

'You know a bridal shower is a tradition.' Maggie said.

'Like a bachelor night.' Patrick added.

'You should have a bridal shower.' Maggie said to Caitlin.

'You should have a bachelor night.' Patrick insisted to Hawke.

'OK, OK.' Caitlin said laughing and holding hand up in supplication. 'I think we get the message.'

'Well, it's a bit last minute with you getting married in four days but I'll talk to Erin tomorrow and see what we can arrange.' Maggie said. 'With a little bit of luck we might be able to do something for tomorrow night.'

'And I will talk to Dominic tomorrow and see what we can do for your bachelor night.' Patrick concluded. 'It's not right a man getting married without one last night of freedom.'

Caitlin's eyes narrowed suspiciously at her father's gleaming eyes. 'Why do I get the impression you've got something up your sleeve?'

'Because he does.' Maggie said before her husband could reply.

'You see what you're going to have to put up?' Patrick said to Hawke.

Hawke's eyes settled on Caitlin's. 'I can't wait.' He murmured.

Caitlin smiled back at him and the conversation moved on to other aspects of the wedding. It was meant to be a simple ceremony in front of the lake with their closest friends and family but even so the multitude of things that needed organising still had the ability to take Hawke's breath away. He was pleased that Caitlin hadn't wanted a big Texan society wedding because he hated to think what it would have taken to organise. Not that he had done much, he thought with a mixture of shame and relief; Caitlin had pretty much organised everything except for the honeymoon. He'd taken full charge of that and he'd already decided it was going to be two weeks of pampering his new wife.

It was good she was getting a bridal shower, he thought as they all retired for the evening although he wasn't too sure he wanted the bachelor night. The traditional male humiliation ritual had never appealed to him even as an innocent bystander never mind as the main participant. He sighed as he stoked the fire in the bedroom back to a cheerful blaze. Dom knew Hawke wouldn't really enjoy bars and strip clubs; maybe the older man would talk Patrick into an evening of poker…

'You know you don't have to have a bachelor night if you don't want to have one.' Caitlin's gentle Texan drawl interrupted his musings and he glanced over at her. She was already in bed waiting for him.

He smiled at her; she had developed a knack for reading his mind. He shrugged as he started to undress. 'I'm OK with it.'

She raised an eyebrow at him sceptically. 'Really?'

'Really.' Hawke slipped under the covers and pulled her the last few inches into his arms as she moved to cuddle into him. 'Besides, Dom won't let them organise something I'll really hate.' He hoped.

'You're right.' Caitlin reassured him. She reached up and brushed his fringe out of his eyes. 'Well we won't have long to worry about it if it's tomorrow night.'

He frowned. 'You're worried about the bridal shower?'

'Do you have any idea what happens at a bridal shower?' Caitlin asked.

Hawke's lips twitched. 'Thankfully, no.' He stroked a hand down her back. 'You know you don't have to have a bridal shower if you don't want to have one.' He parroted back to her.

She smiled. 'My Mom would never forgive me.' She shrugged. 'It'll be fine.' She hoped.

Hawke cuddled her closer. 'Well I'll guess we'll find out tomorrow.'

'Yeah.' Caitlin agreed. 'Tomorrow.'

There was silence.

Hawke sighed. 'You still worried?'

'Of course not.' Caitlin automatically denied.

'Yeah.' Hawke agreed as he shifted to kiss her. 'I'm still worried too.'

He was even more worried the next day when he walked into the Santini Air office and found Patrick huddled with Dom; his anxiety levels escalating when they abruptly stopped talking at the sight of him and Patrick hastily made his excuses and left.

'You know that's a sure fire way to make someone paranoid.' Hawke commented as he headed for the coffee machine.

'What?' Dom said. His craggy face attempted an innocent expression and failed.

Hawke shot him a look before he finished pouring himself a mug of stewed coffee. 'So what's the plan for tonight?'

'No plan.' Dom said dismissively.

Hawke stared at him evenly and Dom sighed.

'OK.' The older man admitted. 'There is a plan but you're going to love it.' He grinned at Hawke. 'It's a good plan.'

Hawke tried to ignore the sinking sensation in his gut and took a gulp of his coffee. Damn! He thought he could count on Dom to keep it simple.

Dom's eyes lit up mischievously as he caught the worry the younger man couldn't quite hide. 'You know I can't believe I forgot about giving you a bachelor night.' He said leaning back in the office chair and folding his arms over his ample chest. 'I organised your Dad's when he and your Mom got hitched.' He whistled. 'Now that was a wild night. I could tell you…'

'Michael's here.' Hawke interrupted with relief. He gestured at the white limo pulling up in front of the office window. Maybe the deputy director of the FIRM had an Airwolf mission for him, he thought hopefully; something that would necessitate him being away…

'Good.' Dom said.

Hawke spun back round to look at the older man, unable to hide his shock. Dom had never greeted the spy's arrival with that particular word before. 'Good?'

'I asked him here to fill him in on tonight.' Dom said. He gestured at Hawke. 'You're going to have to leave.'

'Leave?' Hawke asked blankly.

'Well, it's not going to be much of a surprise if you're standing here listening to every word now is it?'

Hawke shuffled his feet a little. 'I don't mind it not being a surprise.'

'Well I do especially with all the trouble Patrick's going to.' Dom said firmly rising to his feet. He harried the younger man out of the office. 'The Ranger needs her rotors looked at. You can do that whilst I talk to Michael.'

Michael Coldsmith-Briggs stopped just outside the office door to give Dom the space he needed to shove Hawke through it.

Hawke glanced at the spy who was dressed as always in a smart white suit, with wire-frame glasses, a black eye-patch and a rosewood cane completing the slightly bizarre look. Hawke glowered at the open look of amusement on Michael's face.

Michael brushed a finger over his moustache. His good eye twinkled at Hawke's furious face. 'Hawke.'

'Michael.' Hawke acknowledged with exaggerated politeness.

Dom gestured for the spy to enter the office and Michael gave Hawke a mock salute before he slipped past him and into the room. Hawke scowled and Dom waved him away from the door before he shut it firmly. Hawke stared at the wood for a moment before he stalked over to the Ranger, muttering under his breath as he went. Maybe he didn't even need an Airwolf mission; maybe he should take the Lady for a spin…he sighed at a twinge of guilt. Whatever was going on, it was obvious they were going to a lot of trouble for him…he yanked hard on the wrench. Fine. He'd stick around and suffer through whatever it was.

Two hours later, Hawke's resolve was almost gone. There had been a succession of what he could only describe as furtive visits to the Santini Air hangar by Caitlin's male relatives. Enough was enough, he decided as Patrick sneaked into the office. Hawke jumped down from the ladder and marched over to the office. The door swung open as he was about to push it and he took a surprised stumbling step backwards.

'Hawke, good.' Patrick grinned at him. 'Are you ready to head to the cabin?'

Hawke shoved his hands into the pockets of the beige overalls he was wearing. 'The cabin?' He checked.

Patrick nodded.

'So what's going on?' Hawke asked.

'You'll see when we get to the cabin.' Dom said cheerily ushering him out of the way. 'Come on.'

Hawke frowned. 'Isn't it a bit early to close up?'

'Let me worry about that.' Dom said dismissively.

Patrick patted his shoulder. 'You're going to like this.' He promised.

Hawke sighed and gave in with what little graciousness he had left. The ride to the cabin was made in almost total silence. Hawke had been firmly relegated to the back seat whilst Dom and Patrick stayed up front. He peered between the front seats at the clearing in front of the cabin as they came into land. Another helicopter was already parked on the landing pier and Dom had a tricky landing to put their chopper down next to it. They climbed out as the rest of their party made their way out of the cabin to greet them.

Caitlin's brothers, Brian and Callum, led the way both carrying camping gear. They threw it at their father who stowed it in the back of the chopper. Hawke's eyes warmed at the sight of his friend Jason Gifford, better known as 'Doc', as the bush pilot shoved a rucksack at him.

'This is for you.' Doc said grinning.

Michael brought up the rear, handing Hawke his own fishing rod.

Hawke looked questioningly at Dom whose gap-toothed grin couldn't have gotten any wider.

'Why don't you tell him, Patrick?' Dom said generously. 'It was your idea.'

Patrick clapped a hand over Hawke's shoulder. 'For your bachelor night, Hawke, we are going camping up at that stream you were telling me about. Maybe do a little fishing in the morning.'

'All of us.' Dom added still grinning. 'Even Michael.' He slapped the other man's shoulder heartily jolting the spy forward. Michael shot him a dirty look and rubbed his arm.

Hawke felt a slow smile start to creep across his lips. 'A camping trip.' He repeated. The other men looked back at him with pleased smiles. He felt the tension seep out of his knotted shoulders. He could handle a camping trip. His blue eyes met Dom's. 'Good plan.' He agreed.

Dom nodded happily. 'And don't be worrying about Caitlin and the wedding plans.'

'We have her blessing.' Patrick stated not mentioning the hour of wheedling with his daughter, and the additional hour of negotiating with his wife, it had taken to achieve it.

Hawke rubbed his chin and glanced at the sky. They were going to have to get moving if they were going to make camp before it got dark. 'So what are we waiting for?' He said gesturing at the chopper. 'Let's get going.'