Thirteenth February. Fox Ridge Medical Centre.

'Here.' Doc offered Caitlin the plastic cup filled with weak coffee and wasn't surprised when she shook her head. He set it down on the table and took the plastic bucket chair next to her in the stark waiting room.

'What's taking them so long?' Caitlin asked anxiously. It had been over an hour since Dom had dropped them off. She knew the older man had wanted to stay, had seen his desire to make sure Hawke was alright in his eyes but one of them had needed to return Airwolf back to the Lair and he'd volunteered before she could say anything. Her eyes filled with tears again and she swiped them away angrily. Her emotions were too close to the surface.

'He'll be OK.' Doc said. 'Hawke's a survivor.'

She nodded. 'I know.' Her hands twisted together. 'I just…I can't lose him, Doc.'

Doc slipped an arm around her shoulders. 'You won't.'

The sound of footsteps had her spinning around and Doc let his arm drop away at the sight of Dom with Michael and Marella running down the corridor with Caitlin's family.

Caitlin stood up and went straight into Dom's arms. 'Dom…'

'It's OK, honey.' Dom patted her awkwardly. 'How is he?' He asked gruffly.

Caitlin couldn't speak and she turned to gesture at Doc.

Doc got to his feet. 'He's lost a lot of blood from a knife wound to his leg; there were some other minor injuries and he'd been on the mountain awhile. They're treating him for the first stage of hypothermia.'

Dom's grave expression told its own story.

'The doctors are still with him.' Caitlin said.

'I'll go see what I can find out.' Marella offered quietly taking hold of Caitlin's hand briefly.

'Thank you.' Caitlin squeezed the hand she held before she released the other woman to enable her to fulfil the offer she'd made.

'He'll pull through, Caitlin.' Michael said taking hold of the hand Marella had relinquished.

She attempted a smile; failed and slowly sank back into the chair. The spy sat next to her on one side whilst Dom took the other. The older man covered her hands with his. Her family exchanged a look; each feeling equally left out, each feeling equally helpless. They silently took other seats in the waiting area.

'You know all those times when he's worried about losing me…' Caitlin's breath caught in her throat. 'I thought I understood but now…'

'I know, Caitlin, but you just have to keep a positive thought.' Dom counselled her.

'Oh God!' Caitlin rubbed a hand over her eyes. 'The wedding…' She sighed. 'I guess I should cancel…'

'No!' Erin said sharply and crouched down in front of Caitlin to take her sister's hands in hers. 'It's too soon to make that decision.'

'He's injured, Erin.' Caitlin said. 'Even if he's…even if he's fine, he won't make the wedding.'

'He said he'd be there, Cait.' Dom said gently. 'It's the last thing he said to me. He said to tell you he'd be at the wedding. Your sister's right you just need to wait and see.'

The sharp of click of heels brought them to their feet again as Marella arrived back with a male ER doctor dressed in green scrubs. 'I'm Doctor Yardly. Who's the next of kin?'

Dom indicated Caitlin. Officially, until they married, he guessed it was still him but he figured the difference of a couple of days wasn't worth getting precious about.

'How is he?' Caitlin asked.

'He's stable.' The doctor said. 'We've given him a blood transfusion, stitched the wound on his leg and treated the hypothermia. He's also on a high dosage of antibiotics and painkiller. He's still unconscious but he should come round in the next few hours.'

'Can I see him?' Caitlin demanded.

'Of course. Follow me.' The doctor began heading up the corridor and Caitlin followed after him but stopped as she realised Dom wasn't with her.

'Dom?' She queried looking at him over her shoulder.

He waved her on. 'You go. I'll see him later.'

Caitlin shook her head and held her hand out. 'He'll want to see you too.'

Dom held her gaze for a heartbeat and took the hand she offered, tucking it under his arm as they hastened after the doctor.

Hawke was in a small private room. They didn't notice the pale green walls or stark décor, their attention was on the still form lying in the bed, wrapped in blankets. A drip snaked across the bed and into one forearm whilst his injured leg had been placed outside of the blankets; the thigh heavily wrapped in a sterile bandage. They could see the evidence of other bruises and scrapes along the length of his leg.

Caitlin took the chair nearest the bed and tangled her fingers with his. Her eyes never left his face. A bruise was forming on the left side of his jaw; another under his right cheekbone. There was a scratch she hadn't noticed before that ran from his throat down his neck. She raised her hand she held and kissed his knuckles. 'Come back to me, Hawke.'

Dom moved a second chair close to the opposite side of the bed and settled into its leather upholstery. Tears pressed against the back of his throat and his eyes as he watched the shallow rise and fall of Hawke's chest. He laid a hand on Hawke's arm that lay on the bed near to him but couldn't find the nerve to speak. The boy he'd raised, the man he sometimes secretly wished had been his own son, looked so broken…he'd failed to look after him and keep him safe; failed in the promise he'd made a lifetime ago to his best friend, Hawke's father.

'It should have been me.' The words came out so unexpectedly and so bitterly that Caitlin's eyes shot to Dom's.

'What?' She asked uncertainly.

'I know the way to that Pass but I let him go with those men when he stepped forward.' Dom took a deep breath, forced himself to meet her eyes. 'It should have been me.'

Caitlin's compassionate gaze gentled further at the obvious guilt the older man was feeling. 'He wouldn't have wanted you to have gone, Dom.' She said softly. 'I know he'd rather be here than to have let you go and to have lost you.'

A tear rolled down his cheek and she held out her other hand across the expanse of bed. Dom took it clumsily.

'He'll tell you that,' Caitlin continued, 'as soon as he wakes up.'

Dom nodded. 'As soon as he wakes up.'

Hawke was dreaming; he knew he was dreaming because he'd had the same dream a number of times since he'd proposed to Caitlin and it was always the same; he was getting ready for the wedding…

He was standing in front of the full length mirror on the inside of his wardrobe in his bedroom at the cabin, and he was wrestling with the tie that went with the new suit he'd bought for the wedding.

'Here let me help you.' A man stepped forward out of the shadows of the room; his brother, Saint John. It wasn't the brother of his childhood or the brother he'd left behind in a jungle; it was the brother that looked out at him from a picture included in a folder of information he'd received; a picture that had finally given him conclusive proof his brother had survived 'Nam.

Saint John had been rescued by a Special Forces unit he'd gone on to join and after he'd left the army he'd joined an intelligence agency to perform deep cover operations like those of the Special Forces. Michael had told Hawke that he thought his brother was working for the Company; the intelligence agency that was due to take over the FIRM in July. They were so close to answer and yet so far…how did you find someone who didn't want to be found? Whose life depended on not being found?

Saint John had spun Hawke away from the mirror and was fastening the tie with a thoughtless efficiency that spoke of years of military experience. His tanned face was set in a frown of concentration; his hazel eyes fixed on his task. 'You never did learn to tie these things rights.' He grumbled. 'There you're set.' He stepped back and viewed his handiwork with satisfaction. He shook his head as his eyes finally met Hawke's blue gaze. 'I can't believe you're getting married.'

'Me either.' Hawke admitted. He shoved his hands in his pockets.

'Caitlin's good for you.' Saint John said. 'She's made you happy, String.'

Hawke nodded. 'She's…everything.' He felt his old fear rise up. 'I don't know what I'd do without her.'

'Let's hope you never have to find out.' Saint John said patting his shoulder.

'I wish you were really here, Saint John.' Hawke said. He wanted this to be real so badly it was no wonder he had dreamed it so often; the calming brotherly support as he prepared to marry.

'I know.' Saint John sighed. 'You're so close, String.'

'But not close enough.' Hawke said regretfully.

'Not so I can be at your wedding, no.' Saint John agreed. 'But maybe soon…'

'Is Michael right? Are you working for the Company?'

Saint John smiled at his brother. 'You know that's not how this works, String. I'm only inside your head.' He reminded him.

'No clues at all?' Hawke prodded.

Saint John shrugged. 'I need you to find me. You need to find me.' He said. 'But that hasn't really changed.'

Hawke fidgeted.

Saint John gestured at him. 'You might as well say it.'

'Do you really want me to find you?' Hawke asked. 'After all, you haven't been in touch all these years. Maybe you don't want to be found.'

'We're going to have to talk about that.' Saint John said with a serious expression darkening the hazel eyes. 'But you know how I feel about you, String, you always did.'

Hawke took a deep breath and then a step forward to sweep his brother into a hug. 'I love you, Saint John.'

'I love you too, String.' His brother took a step back…and started to fade away. He gave Hawke a mock salute. 'Don't be late for your wedding, little brother.'

The wedding; he was going to be late for the wedding…

Hawke's eyes snapped open. The bright artificial light had him wincing and he turned his head to the side to avoid the harsh glow of the main light fitting. Hawke glanced around the rest of the room; it was small with pale green walls softened with some pictures that didn't quite live up to being real art. His eyebrow quirked at the sight of Dom in a leather chair; the older man was fast asleep, his chin resting on his ample chest, his hands folded over his stomach.

'Hey.' Caitlin said softly. 'Welcome back.'

His eyes immediately shifted and locked onto Caitlin's. He frowned at the evidence of tears; the damp spiky lashes, the faint tracks of wetness under her eyes.

'Hey.' His throat was dry and the word whispered out.

Dom gave a grunt and opened his eyes wide at the sight of Hawke looking back at him.

'String.' Dom lurched out of the chair and stood by the bedside as Caitlin poured some juice into a glass and handed it to Hawke. He took it with a hand that shook slightly and he saw Caitlin visibly check a movement to help him. He gulped the liquid thirstily and the glass was empty when he handed it back to her.

'How are you feeling?' Dom said.

Hawke felt the sharp bite of pain as his stitched wound protested at a small movement and the aches from a multitude of other bruises and scrapes he'd picked up. 'I'm OK.' He said gruffly. His fingers tightened on hers. 'Guess you guys found me.' He'd been on the mountain alone but they'd found him.

Caitlin nodded and her eyes filled with tears again.

'Hey.' He brushed away a tear as it rolled across her cheek. 'I'm OK.'

'I thought…' she took a shaky breath, 'I was so scared.'

'I told you I'd be at the wedding.' A thought occurred to him and his eyes widened in alarm. 'I haven't missed it have I? What day is it?'

'It's still the thirteenth.' Dom said.

Hawke breathed a sigh of relief.

Caitlin shook her head. 'Don't worry about the wedding.' She sat back down in the chair. 'We can reorganise it.'

Hawke stared at her. 'What do you mean reorganise it?'

'Well,' she gestured at his leg, 'you're not going to be well enough…'

'Hey.' He waited until he held her damp eyes firmly with his. 'We're getting married the day after tomorrow. OK?'

She nodded. 'You sure?'

'I'm sure.' Hawke squeezed her hand.

Dom smiled. 'I'll go let everyone know you're back with us.'

Caitlin stood up and gestured at the older man. 'I'll go.' She said. 'I need to speak with my Mom and Dad.' She added when Dom made to protest. She leaned over and kissed Hawke gently on the lips before she left the room.

Hawke watched her go before he turned back to Dom. 'Guess I scared the hell out of her.'

'Not just her.' Dom said with a small huff of laughter. He sank back into the chair. 'For a while there, kid…' he shook his head, 'you kinda scared the hell out of me too.'

Hawke shifted uncomfortably at the churning emotions crossing the craggy lines of the older man's face. 'I knew you'd find me.'

'So what happened?' Dom asked.

Hawke sighed. 'It was Farland.'

'Farland?' Dom's eyes widened. 'You mean that guy who disappeared a couple of weeks back when they went to arrest him?'

'That's the one.' Hawke confirmed. 'John,' his lips twisted, 'was a counterfeit specialist. He'd prepared a whole pile of fake id for the guy.'

'So Racino Pass was the drop spot.' Dom said putting it together.

'You got it.' Hawke plucked at the bed sheet. 'I jumped out of the chopper when I brought it into land but they managed to see where I went. Farland sent Frank and another guy after me.'

'Yeah. We saw the bodies.' Dom noted.

Hawke shrugged. 'They didn't leave me much choice.'

'Hey, I'm not complaining.' Dom assured him picking up on the slight defensive Hawke had tried to hide. 'I'd rather have you then them any day of the week.'

Hawke relaxed a little. 'The second guy had a knife. They were supposed to finish me off whilst Farland got away.' He said. 'I made it back to the path after…finishing the fight.' He shook his head and caught the other man's eyes. 'I knew you'd come looking for me.' He wondered briefly whether to tell Dom about the wolf and decided against it; he hadn't quite determined whether it had been real or a hallucination. He was tending to think it was the latter…

'You know I think they came back to check you were dead.' Dom said.

Hawke's eyes narrowed. 'What do you mean?'

Dom told him about the chopper that had attacked them when they had rescued him.

'You could be right.' Hawke commented. 'Maybe he did come back when Frank and the other guy didn't show.' He frowned. 'I guess you shot them down.'

'Ah…about that.' Dom wiped his hands nervously on his thighs. 'I think you might be right.'

'About what?' Hawke asked bemused.

'About something being wrong with Airwolf.' Dom said gesticulating. 'About her doing things on her own.'

Hawke raised an eyebrow. Airwolf had acted independently a couple of times in the last few months but the older pilot had always maintained she had simply extrapolated her programming and had dismissed Hawke's worry that something more fundamental was wrong. 'What did she do?'

'She…ah…' Dom avoided his eyes. 'She shot down the chopper.'

'She what?'

'Now don't look at me like that!' Dom said hurriedly. 'You see we were on the ground carrying you and the chopper turned up so Cait and Doc covered you whilst I went to Airwolf to deal with it but then…' he took a breath, 'but then I got cut off. The chopper turned and was heading back to make a second run at us; Airwolf deployed the ADF pods and shot it out of the sky.'

Hawke was silent as he absorbed the information. He stabbed a finger at the older man. 'She's grounded.'

Dom sighed. 'She saved our lives.'

'Maybe,' Hawke allowed, 'but if she's choosing targets and shooting at them all by herself, something is definitely up with her programming.' He sighed. 'Have you or Cait told Michael yet?'

Dom shook his head. 'I was the only one who saw.'

'Good.' Hawke rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 'I'll tell Cait after the wedding; she needs to know but she's got enough on her plate right now.'

Dom nodded. 'And Michael?'

Hawke sighed deeply as he wrestled with whether to tell the deputy director. Given what had happened the last time when Airwolf had acted screwy under the influence of a logic bomb, Michael was very likely to overreact. Hawke was no longer worried that Michael wouldn't try and find his brother if he didn't have Airwolf but he still didn't want a decision forced on him by the spy. 'When Cait and I get back from the honeymoon, we'll run some tests. If she's still acting up, we'll tell him then.'

'OK.' Dom agreed. His eyes ran over Hawke's battered body. 'Are you real sure you're going to make the wedding and honeymoon?'

'I'll make it.' Hawke confirmed quietly.

Dom ignored the icy determination in the younger man's eyes. 'You wouldn't have to delay it for long; just until you're back on your feet. Caitlin would understand…'

'Dom.'

The older pilot settled back into the chair. There was no point arguing when Hawke used that tone.

Hawke fidgeted. 'I…er…I've been having this dream…' He confessed nervously.

'Oh?'

'About the wedding.' He gestured at the older man. 'About Saint John being there.'

'I have to admit,' Dom commented, 'I was a little surprised that you didn't wait until he got home.'

'It wouldn't have been fair to Cait.' Hawke said. He didn't mention his other reason; that the news his brother had chosen not to contact him after escaping the Vietcong had made Hawke reassess how much of his own life he'd put on hold to find his brother. He knew that it had played a part in his decision to go ahead with the wedding.

'Well it's only natural you'd want your brother there, String.' Dom said comfortingly. 'It's a big day.'

'Yeah.' Hawke sighed.

Dom smiled. 'Well at least you'll be there and that's the important thing, huh?'

Hawke returned the smile. 'I'll definitely be there.'