Caitlin glanced up at the sound of Marella stirring. She put the magazine she was reading aside and stood up to walk over to where Marella could see her.

'Hey.' Caitlin laid her hand over Marella's.

Marella blinked sleepily, her dark eyes clouded with the drugs she had been given to combat the pain. 'Hey.' Her voice was cracked.

They both turned their heads as the door opened and a nurse came in. Caitlin stood aside as the nurse took the latest readings of the machines, helped Marella into a better position and gave her a drink. When she left, Caitlin dragged the chair closer to the bed and sat down.

Marella's eyes flickered to the bright yellow sunflowers in a vase on the side table. She couldn't remember seeing them before. 'Did you bring the flowers?'

'Yeah.' Caitlin said.

'They're beautiful.' Marella's hands plucked absently at the white bed sheet covering her. Her eyes moved back to Caitlin. 'How's Michael?'

Caitlin hesitated for a brief second. 'Hawke's gone to see him. Has someone told you what happened?'

Marella frowned. 'They only said Michael and I were attacked in his office.' She frowned. 'I can remember getting out of the elevator and walking along the corridor and then it's all blank.'

'It was Zeus.' Caitlin said quietly.

'Zeus?' Marella's eyes opened wide.

'He was setting up Michael.' Caitlin explained. 'Zeus decided Michael must have the location of the Lair written in the information he has about Airwolf in his office.'

'So he was trying to get it?'

'You and Michael walked in during the break-in.' Caitlin said. 'Michael said that he walked into his inner office and was knocked out. They think you must have heard something and followed him. You were attacked, shot but you made it to the alarm and brought security running; you saved both your lives.'

Marella was silent for a moment as she absorbed the news. 'Michael went after Zeus.' It was a quiet statement; she'd worked with Michael too long not to know how he would react.

'Michael went after your attackers.' Caitlin clarified. 'We didn't realise it was Zeus until he walked into the trap we set.'

'Is he…?'

'His chopper crashed trying to escape from Airwolf two days ago.' Caitlin said. 'He's dead.'

'Good.' Marella said her eyes brimming with sudden tears.

'Hey.' Caitlin's hand slid back over Marella's. 'It's all over.'

Marella swiped at her face and blurted out the news the doctors had given her. 'I can't have children.'

The stark comment hung in the air.

Caitlin could hear her heart pounding in the silence. 'The doctors…'

'They told me earlier.' Marella rubbed at her eyes with a shaking hand. 'One of the bullets ruptured my uterus; they had to remove it.'

'God, Marella.' Caitlin's hand tightened comfortingly on Marella's whilst her other hand slid over her own flat abdomen; she and Hawke were trying for a family. There would be a day, hopefully not in the distant future, where her belly would round with a baby. She could only imagine the loss the other woman was experiencing.

'I didn't even realise I wanted children until they told me.' Marella admitted brokenly.

Caitlin's own eyes welled. 'I wish I could give you a hug.'

Marella squeezed her hand. 'I'm just…just glad you're here.'

They sat in silence for a while collecting themselves.

'You said Michael was OK?' Marella asked eventually.

Caitlin sighed. 'After the chopper crashed…he went real quiet, Marella.'

'He would have blamed himself.' Marella said. 'They told me about Meryl.'

Caitlin nodded. 'We left him with a FIRM clean-up crew and we haven't seen him since.'

'Hawke went to see him?' Marella asked.

'Yeah.'

'He hasn't been to see me.' Marella felt her tears start up again and cursed expressively.

Caitlin raised an eyebrow and handed her a tissue. 'Inventive.' She said commenting on the swearing.

'I learnt it from Michael.' Marella admitted. 'I guess he's been busy dealing with everything. The whole thing probably created a huge commotion in the FIRM.'

'I'm sure that's it.' Caitlin reassured her.

Marella brushed the last of her tears away. 'It's maybe just as well he hasn't been to see me. I must look a fright.'

Caitlin smiled sympathetically. 'The hair will grow back.'

'I know.' Marella's hand flitted up and touched the bandage gently. 'I just feel like I haven't washed for days.'

Caitlin patted her arm. 'Why don't I get the nurse back and see if we can't give make you feel a little better about that?'

'That would be great.' Marella murmured.

An hour later, Marella was bathed, her teeth had been brushed and her hair had been combed. She was dressed in a clean hospital gown with fresh bedding; the dressings over her wounds had even been changed. She felt clean and fresh for the first time since she had regained consciousness.

'Thanks.' Marella said. 'I really needed that.' The yawn caught her off guard. She felt better for the clean-up but it had left her feeling tired.

'Why don't you go back to sleep?' Caitlin said.

'You sure?'

'Sure.' Caitlin picked up her magazine. 'I'll just sit here and read until Hawke gets back.'

Marella's eyes were already closing as she murmured her agreement. Caitlin watched her and when she was satisfied the other woman was asleep, began to read again. The door opened and Hawke poked his head around it. Caitlin put the magazine down and went to greet him as he walked in. She slipped her arms around him and he hugged her.

'You OK?' He asked.

'I'm fine.' Caitlin said quietly not wanting to disturb Marella. 'I just needed a hug.'

'Can I have one?' Michael asked.

Caitlin raised her head from Hawke's shoulder and spotted the other man hovering on crutches in the doorway. She smiled and moved to give him the hug he had requested. 'It's good to see you, Michael.'

'It's good to be seen.' Michael said. He relinquished her and Hawke reclaimed his wife, sliding an arm around her waist. Michael's eye flitted to his former senior aide. 'How is she?'

'Fragile.' Caitlin said. 'She's recovering but emotionally…'

'She told you about the surgery?' Michael checked.

Caitlin nodded. 'It's hit her pretty hard.'

Hawke's arm tightened around her. 'I was hoping she would be awake.' He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out Angelina's get well card.

'She just fell back asleep.' Caitlin admitted. 'She was worn out.'

'Why don't you two head off?' Michael suggested. 'I'll sit with her.'

'You don't want us to wait?' Hawke asked. 'Give you a lift?'

Michael shook his head. 'I'll get Lauren or someone to come and get me.'

Hawke nodded. 'Call if you need anything.'

'I will.' Michael held out his hand for Hawke to shake. 'Thank you.' He took the get well card.

'Anytime.' Hawke said before he tugged Caitlin out of the room.

Michael hobbled round the bed. He placed his daughter's card on the bedside table before he sat down in the chair. He picked up Caitlin's magazine and flipped through it listlessly. His good eye was drawn back to the sleeping woman in the bed.

He stroked his moustache and regarded her with a thoughtful expression. She had been injured before in the execution of her duties. Apart from being badly injured when Airwolf's creator Moffett had stolen the helicopter, Marella had been shot on one of her early assignments for the FIRM. Hawke was right, he thought. Marella knew the risks and she had signed on for the job but still…what she had lost seemed to be too huge, too much of a price to pay. Since he had rescued his own daughter from Russia, Michael had come to understand the deep connection between a parent and a child. He couldn't imagine not having his daughter in his life and he mourned the fact that Marella would never experience that for herself. He wouldn't blame her if she blamed him…even if he hoped she wouldn't. He valued her too much to lose her…

Michael had employed a number of his agents as senior aides over the years but there was something special about Marella. He had been married to one of her predecessors when she had started working with him. His marriage was already deeply in trouble and his rapport with Marella had been the final straw for his wife, Gemma; she had left him when he had refused to transfer his senior aide. Maybe she had seen what he had tried to deny for so long; that Marella suited him better as a partner than any other woman in his life before or since he had met her. The truth of it drifted into him and settled like a warm blanket.

He had always ensured that the relationship between them was conducted in a professional way. He had married one of his senior aides and he admitted a little ruefully that the experience had left him a little shy of making the same mistake twice. Michael sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose. He had also wanted to protect her from any gossip about them; Marella had attained her position through hard work and on her own merit. He knew Zeus had felt Michael and Marella's relationship had been too close and there were those in the FIRM who still believed it. It was one of the reasons why he hadn't revoked the field assignment she had been given when he had been suspended by the FIRM during the brief period they had operated a second Airwolf. He had, Michael admitted to himself, been pleased to see her when an Airwolf mission had accidentally resulted in her return.

Michael sighed. Even if he admitted his interest in Marella, he had no way of knowing whether she was interested in him. Marella has always maintained a professional distance but it seemed to him that she was truly fond of him. She had broken FIRM regulations when he'd been captured in East Germany to alert Hawke to go to his rescue; she often defended him and she had seemed pleased with his decision not to reconcile with his wife. Maybe there was a possibility…

Or maybe there had been. Michael swallowed hard. He had no idea how Marella would react to her current situation. She might very well blame him and even if by some miracle she didn't blame him then it was going to be a difficult time for her without complicating it by beginning a relationship. He sighed. He needed a distraction or he was going to drive himself nuts…he reached for his crutches and limped over to the phone inside the room. He dialled his office and made a request.

It was another three hours before the woman lying in the hospital bed stirred again. Her dark eyes flitted immediately to the man sitting in the chair with a portable hospitable table in front of him piled high with paperwork.

Michael was asleep. His head rested on the back of the leather chair and his good eye was closed tightly. Marella frowned at the worry lines that creased the corner of his eyes and furrowed his brow even in rest. Zeus's betrayal would have hit him hard, she thought. Although the two men had their differences, Michael had always respected the former director. The betrayal – that Zeus would set Michael up – was bad enough but it would have been compounded by Zeus killing Meryl, attempting to kill her…that would have infuriated Michael. He cared deeply about each of the operatives he had recruited. Each one he lost cost him a little. She sighed.

The slight sound roused Michael and his eye snapped open. He took a deep breath and looked over at the bed. For a long moment the two agents looked at each other.

Michael pushed the table of work to one side and shuffled with the chair to sit closer. 'Hi.' He took one of her hands in his.

'Hi.' Marella's fingers tangled with Michael's. She took a steadying breath. 'How are you, sir?'

Michael shrugged. 'A bump on the head.'

'Caitlin said you had concussion.' There was a nagging admonishment in the worry coating the words and Michael smiled.

'A little one.' He admitted.

'How's your leg?' Marella continued.

'Sore,' Michael said, 'but I'll live.' His fingers tightened on hers. 'Thanks to you.'

Marella smiled ruefully. 'I don't even remember it.'

Michael gave a small laugh. 'Neither do I.'

Marella sobered. 'Caitlin told me about Zeus.'

His gaze dropped away from her to the bed. 'I should have seen it.'

'Zeus had been in the business a long time.' Marella pointed out. 'He was very experienced at setting people up.'

'Maybe,' Michael acknowledged, 'but I can't believe I didn't see how desperate he'd become.' He sighed deeply. 'I can't believe I didn't start to think this might happen with somebody in the FIRM when the merger was announced.'

'The last time I checked, sir,' Marella said forcefully, 'you weren't omnipotent.'

Michael brushed a finger over his moustache and his eye met hers again. 'Hawke told me I wasn't God.'

'He had a point, sir.' Marella said with a smile.

'Zeus told me once that my relationship with Hawke had made me a better man and a worse agent.' Michael's fingers rubbed against hers. 'I think he was right.'

'He was wrong.' Marella contradicted him. 'There was no way you could have known something like this would happen. There's always a certain level of trust you have to have in the agency particularly with your superiors. You know that.' She flushed at the sharpness in her voice. 'Sir.' She added hastily.

Michael's lips twitched. 'You're not going to let me wallow in self-pity, are you?'

Marella smiled. 'No, sir.' She saw his attention focus on her and realised she needed to divert him; she wasn't ready to talk about herself. 'How's Hawke taking it?'

Michael blinked at the sudden change in topic but realised with an ache what she was attempting to do. 'Hawke's fine. I'm more worried about Caitlin.'

'Oh?'

'She had to kill the assassins who came to kill you.'

Marella's eyes narrowed on him. 'What?'

'Zeus sent two assassins here to kill you.' Michael explained what had happened in detail.

'I guess I owe her a big thank you.' Marella murmured.

Michael nodded. 'I think it's going to stay with her for a while. She's not really trained for this. She isn't an agent.' He paused. 'Unlike Dom's niece.'

'Dom's niece?' Marella frowned. 'You mean the one who's coming to live with Dom? She's an agent?'

'Freelance.' Michael confirmed. 'For the Company. Her main responsibilities are interpretation, translation for their Eastern European work.'

'Wow.' Marella sighed. 'How's Dominic taking it?'

'He doesn't know.' Michael said. 'I only just told Hawke.'

'What's Hawke going to do?' Marella asked.

'Talk to the niece when she gets back.' Michael pushed his glasses back up his nose. 'See what she says.'

'Is that going to be enough?' Marella asked.

'I don't know.' Michael admitted. 'But it's Hawke's call.'

'I guess so.' Marella murmured. She gestured at the bedside table and the get well card. 'Is that from Angelina?'

Michael nodded and let go of her hand to pass the card to her so she could see it properly.

Marella's fingers drifted over the childish scrawl and the carefully drawn picture. 'It's great.' She smiled. 'You'll have to thank her for me.'

'She's hoping to come to see you.' There was a hint of a question in the statement.

'I'd like that.' Marella said. 'Maybe we can play a game of chess.'

'She'll beat you.' Michael warned. 'She's fiercely competitive.'

'I wonder where she gets that from.' Marella said cheekily.

Michael shot her a look before his gaze sobered again. He took a deep breath. 'So, how are you feeling?'

Marella's dark eyes immediately filled with tears and she looked away from him, looked anywhere but at him. 'I'm OK.'

Michael felt helpless. All his skill with words seemed to desert him. 'I'm sorry, Marella.'

The quiet words had her eyes flickering back to him. 'The doctor gave you the report on my…on the surgery they had to do?'

'Yes.' His hand sought hers and tightened around it. 'I'm truly sorry.'

Marella saw the sincerity in his blue gaze and the guilt. 'It's not your fault, sir.'

'I'm not sure I'm ever going to feel like I have no responsibility for what's happened to you, Marella, or to Meryl.' Michael said.

'We know the risks.' Marella pointed out. 'When we sign up for the job, we know there's a possibility that we end up dead in the line of duty or seriously injured. Intelligence isn't a safe option.' She looked at him seriously. 'You've been through this yourself, sir.'

'Yes, I have,' Michael unconsciously rubbed his leg with his spare hand, 'and I know how tough it is to come to terms with a permanent injury.'

'I'd never really thought about having children.' Marella admitted. 'I always thought, maybe, one day.' She sighed and swallowed past the lump in her throat. 'I've always been focused on my career and now…and now, I guess one day isn't going to happen for me anymore.'

Michael didn't know what to say; he remained quiet, hoping that by providing her with someone to listen he was helping her in some way.

Marella sighed. 'I was talking with Caitlin earlier and I was suddenly so envious of her.' She looked away from Michael. 'She has a husband who adores her and who she loves. No doubt the family they want will come sooner or later.' She blinked back more tears. 'And all I could think was that I won't have that.'

'You could still have that.' Michael handed her a pristine white handkerchief and she wiped her tears away.

'I can't have a family.' Marella said angrily. 'How am I going to have a happy ending? Who's going to want me?' She coloured furiously at what she'd inadvertently blurted out. 'I'm sorry, sir. Ignore me. I'm just…'

'Upset.' Michael concluded. He wondered if he should say what he wanted; could feel his heart pounding in fearful anticipation. He sighed and tugged at her hand until she looked at him again. 'You're a beautiful, intelligent woman. Any man would be proud to have you as a partner, Marella.' He hesitated. 'I would be proud to have you as a partner.'

There was a tense silence as they regarded each other.

'I'm not at my best, sir.' Marella wondered if she'd heard Michael correctly and could barely breathe she was so fearful his reply would bring disappointment. 'Did you ask me…was there…' She sighed. 'What exactly are you saying?'

'I'm not sure.' Michael admitted. His heart leaped a little at the disappointment that she quickly tried to hide from him. 'I think I'm saying, if you would like to, that I'd like to take you on a date once you're physically back on your feet.'

Cautious as always, Marella thought. No admissions of undying love or spur of the moment proposals just a simple request for a date; she wouldn't have expected anything else. She wondered briefly if he was asking out of guilt and dismissed the idea; Michael was too honourable.

'I think you're supposed to say something now.' Michael prompted as the silence stretched.

Marella smiled at the anxiety in the terse words. 'I'd like to.' She said. 'I would like very much to go on a date with you, sir.'

He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

'Maybe,' Michael said a twinkle appearing in his one good blue eye, 'maybe you should start calling me Michael.'

Marella smiled at him. 'Yes, sir.'