Caitlin snapped her eyes open and looked at the bedroom ceiling with a frown. She was sure she had heard a noise. The creak happened again and she sat up holding the sheet to cover her. Her ears strained. Another creak.

Someone was in the cabin.

She grabbed her robe and managed to pull it on hastily as she simultaneously reached into the bedside table for her gun. She checked it was loaded and quietly padded to the bedroom door. She stopped at the top of the stairs, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. There was a clatter from the kitchen. Whoever it was must be in there. She silently made her way down the stairs and crept across the floor, tried hard not to make a sound, not even to breathe. She whirled into the entrance of the kitchen.

'Freeze!' She yelled.

Michael dropped the ceramic teapot he was holding and it smashed on the floor with a resounding crash. He looked over at Caitlin with a stunned expression.

Caitlin lowered the gun quickly and sighed heavily as she slumped relieved onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar. 'Michael.'

Michael attempted an apologetic smile. 'I didn't mean to disturb you. I went by the airfield and when you weren't there…'

Caitlin sighed. Michael had been taking his promise to Hawke very seriously; he'd been by the airfield every day since the guys had gone to Cambodia. She frowned at the clock. She'd slept in. Again. 'Why didn't you just call me?'

'I tried. You didn't answer.' Michael said plaintively. 'Do you have a dustpan and brush?' He pointed at the remains of the teapot which had thankfully been empty.

'Yeah, under the sink.' Caitlin said. She viewed him a little grumpily as he cleared up the debris.

'When you didn't answer, we decided to come out to check you were OK.' Michael explained.

'We?' Caitlin checked.

'Angelina's outside playing with Tet and Brownie. Lauren dropped us off.' Michael said.

'Michael,' Caitlin began, 'I appreciate you looking in on me, I do, but,' she sighed and gestured at him with the gun, 'don't you have an intelligence agency to run, not to mention a couple of Airwolf's to build and the world to save?'

Michael smoothed his moustache and smiled at her. 'I delegated saving the world.'

Caitlin's lips twitched.

'And today was Angelina's idea.' Michael said blatantly using emotional blackmail. Caitlin was one of Angelina's guardians and he knew she loved the little girl.

'It was?'

He nodded and pushed his glasses back up his nose. 'She thought with her Uncle String away, you might want some company.'

Caitlin stared at him hard. 'Angelina's idea, huh?'

He nodded again.

'Well, I guess I'd better grab a shower and get dressed.' Caitlin said excusing herself.

It only took her a little while to get ready but as soon as she was, she was swept up into Angelina's plans for the day which involved a long hike in the mountains with the dogs. Michael stayed behind; his knee wasn't quite up to the walk. When they returned, they had a simple dinner of steak and baked potatoes before Caitlin curled up with a book and watched Angelina and Michael contest a game of chess. As soon as the game was over, Angelina had her bath-time and Michael read with her until she fell asleep in the spare rooms Hawke had built at the back of the cabin the year before. Michael left Brownie guarding her bed and walked back into the main living area of the cabin to resume his seat by the fire.

Caitlin smiled at him as he rejoined her and reached for his briefcase. 'Work?' She enquired.

'Just some reports.' Michael admitted.

'I thought you'd delegated.' Caitlin said tongue firmly in cheek.

Michael shot her a look.

Caitlin hastily changed the subject. 'Angelina OK?'

'Out like a light.' Michael said. 'That walk tired her out.'

'Me too.' Caitlin said yawning suddenly. She got up and stretched. Maybe some tea would help. 'Would you like a cup of tea?'

Michael nodded. 'Sure.' He followed her over to the kitchen and sat on a bar stool whilst she made the drink. 'I'm sorry for scaring you this morning.'

Caitlin shrugged. 'It's OK, Michael. I guess I'm still a little jumpy.'

'You know,' Michael began a little hesitantly, 'we have doctors at the FIRM…if you wanted to talk to someone.'

'You mean a shrink?' Caitlin asked surprised at the offer.

'I mean a trained counsellor.' Michael corrected.

Caitlin shook her head. 'Thanks for the offer, Michael, but I'm OK.'

'Some of my people would have trouble dealing with the after effects of what you went through.' Michael tried another tactic.

'I appreciate the thought, Michael, but I'm really OK.' Caitlin said softly. 'I'm not pretending it didn't shake me a lot but I'm getting back on my feet.' She poured boiling water over the tea and changed the subject. 'Have you heard from Marella?'

'Yesterday.' Michael cleared his throat and took the cup she handed him.

'How's she doing?' Caitlin asked.

Michael gestured. 'Better. She's planning to come back to LA next week and resume light duties on the Airwolf project.' He paused thinking how much he was looking forward to seeing his former aide and realised belatedly that Caitlin had walked back to the sofa. He limped back and sat down.

'So,' Caitlin regarded Michael thoughtfully over the rim of her cup, 'I noticed Marella was calling you Michael the last few visits we had with her before she left.'

Michael shifted in his chair suddenly uneasy at the direction of the conversation. 'Given the circumstances, I thought her continuing to call me sir was unnecessary.' He covered hastily. He hadn't confided about his upcoming date with Marella in anybody; he wasn't entirely certain why, he reflected.

'That the only reason?' Caitlin probed.

He sighed at the open curiosity in her eyes. 'Caitlin.'

His tone warned her away from the subject and she held up a hand in peace. 'I'll drop it but I just want to say that if you are getting together, I think it's great.'

She surprised him into a response. 'You do?'

'Sure.' Caitlin said. 'You and Marella make a great couple.'

Michael adjusted his glasses and felt compelled to correct her assumption. 'It's only a date.'

'A date.' Caitlin repeated with satisfaction.

'A date.' Michael said. 'When she's back in LA we're going to go on a date. That's it.'

'What kind of date?' Caitlin asked.

Michael blinked at her. 'What do you mean what kind of date?'

'I mean, are you going to do the informal day out kind of date or the formal evening type of date.' Caitlin stroked the rim of her cup. 'Are you including Angelina or not including her? Will you…'

'Stop, please.' Panic flashed momentarily through Michael's good eye. He obviously hadn't thought this through, he thought. He pinned Caitlin with a pleading look. 'What do you think?'

'What do I think?' Caitlin was slightly bemused at the question.

'I mean, what do you think is best?' Michael said. 'I don't want to put any pressure on Marella given her circumstances.' The shooting had left Marella unable to have children and he didn't want to make her feel awkward.

Caitlin considered him for a long moment. 'I think the best thing you can do for Marella is not to treat her any differently to how you normally would treat a woman you were interested in.'

Michael nodded slowly. 'That's good advice.'

'Michael,' Caitlin wondered whether she should ask the question and took a deep breath committing herself to it, 'you didn't ask Marella on a date because you felt guilty about what happened did you?'

'No.' The reply was instantaneous and slightly outraged that she could think such a thing.

Caitlin waved away his indignation. 'Just checking.' She said. 'I care about both of you.' She said in response to the continued glare he subjected her to. 'I don't want either of you hurt.'

Michael subsided a little at her words. 'I guess the timing looks a little suspect,' he admitted, 'but really what happened…it just brought it into focus for me how I felt about her.'

Caitlin nodded. 'The same happened for Hawke when I got shot.' She smiled ruefully. 'It would be good if you guys could get a clue without us having to get riddled with bullets.'

Michael took the opportunity to change the subject. 'Have you heard from Hawke at all?'

'No.' Caitlin confirmed. 'But no news is good news, right?'

'Right.' He reassured her. 'They'll be fine. Sok An is a good agent. He'll take care of them.'

'I just hope Hawke finds Saint John.' Caitlin said. 'He's had so many disappointments.'

'It's the best lead we've had in a long time.' Michael said.

'It might be the only lead we'll have for a while if you're right about the Company removing all the information they can about Saint John from the network.' Caitlin murmured.

'Let's hope Hawke is successful this time and we don't have to worry about that.' Michael raised his cup.

'Yeah, let's hope.' Caitlin murmured. 'I just miss him.'

'He'll be back soon enough.' Michael said. He took a sip of his tea and picked up a report relieved that he'd sidestepped any more questions about his relationship with Marella. 'I can't see him staying for too long especially with you guys trying to start a family.' He added without thinking, his attention already on the report.

'He told you?'

The raised voice had Michael looking at Caitlin quickly. He took in her furious expression and hastened to correct himself. 'No. I tricked Dom into telling me.'

'Dom knew?' Caitlin's voice didn't come down in volume and Michael shushed her glancing anxiously at the bedroom where Angelina was sleeping.

Caitlin sighed and folded her arms crossly. 'I knew he would tell Dom. He's just can't keep anything from him.'

'He told me he told Dom about Jo working for the Company.' Michael hastily diverted the conversation.

'Yeah.' Caitlin said. She picked up her tea. 'Dom's pretty convinced she's on the level.'

'You don't sound too sure she is.' Michael noted.

Caitlin shrugged. 'I don't know her that well. She seems genuine but then I can't help wondering why she hasn't been more honest with us about her work.'

'We do train people not to drop into conversation that they work in intelligence.' Michael said dryly.

'I know but…' Caitlin stopped realising that she was about to reveal that Jo knew about Airwolf. She sighed. 'I think we're all just paranoid with the merger.'

'I know what you mean.' Michael murmured. 'Ever since Zeus tried to steal Airwolf I feel like I'm looking over my shoulder constantly.'

'How are things going at the FIRM?' Caitlin asked.

'We're focusing on getting everything ready for the merger.' Michael said. 'But it's an odd atmosphere.' He brushed a finger across his moustache. 'I get the impression that we'll see another attempt like Zeus's soon. Maybe not in regard to Airwolf but…'

'But someone trying to consolidate their position.' Caitlin finished. 'I guess the merger has everyone worried.'

'Well, if Hawke finds Saint John, we can hand them the fake Airwolf and forget about that particular problem.' Michael noted.

'And if he doesn't find him?' Caitlin asked.

Michael sighed. 'Let's cross that bridge when we come to it.'