Marella Chappelier reviewed the document in front of her with a frown. She pushed her bangs out of her chocolate eyes and reached for the cup on her desk. Her brow knitted with concentration as she took in the details of the latest budget calculations for the Airwolf project and contemplated that building the next generation of the world's most technologically advanced and only mach capable helicopter was extremely expensive. The good news was that they were currently running under budget and the project was actually ahead of schedule even with recent events. She smiled proudly. She had been given the opportunity to act as Programme Director by her boss, Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III, and she was pleased that she was justifying his faith in her ability to deliver especially given the change in their relationship since her appointment.

She set the tea down and started scribbling notes in the margins of the report even as her mind drifted back. A few months previously she had been shot saving Michael's life and the incident had prompted him to ask her on a date. She subconsciously rubbed her head where the faint scar of life-saving surgery was hidden by short dark curls. The date had been the only silver lining of the whole trauma; she had lost the chance of ever having children when one of the bullets had ruptured her uterus and Michael…Michael had been betrayed by the director of the FIRM, the intelligence agency they both worked for. She knew the betrayal still rankled with him even now Zeus was dead and Michael was the acting director.

Marella sighed and glanced up briefly at her office. They had rebuilt the Red Star complex after Moffett, Airwolf's creator, had blown it up when he had stolen the original helicopter. She had once believed that she would never set foot on the complex again but here she was, sat at a desk in a beautiful corner office with a great view of Devil's Anvil. She returned her attention to the report. Maybe one day she would be able to revisit Michael's old office at the FIRM headquarters with the same nonchalance. The one time she had gone back she'd had to leave immediately to throw up…she was lucky that Michael understood. They had taken to working primarily from Red Star recently even though Marella had assumed some of her old duties as his senior aide; their resources were stretched as they tried to keep other possible traitors under surveillance.

It was a tense time, she mused. The FIRM was about to merge with a larger intelligence agency called the Company and everyone was nervous of the change that was coming. Zeus's betrayal had manifested out of an attempt to consolidate his position and they were wary of others in the FIRM trying to do the same. Not, she thought, that the surveillance had helped with their former head of the East European division, Merrick. The man had just contrived to try and steal Airwolf from Stringfellow Hawke and have the whole team arrested. It had only been the quick thinking of Hawke's wife Caitlin that had saved the day. Marella sighed. She and the feisty redheaded pilot were good friends and she had enjoyed the moment the week before when the two women had flown Airwolf together to rescue Hawke despite the circumstances. She loved flying in the helicopter she had helped to build although she had to admit that since she had found out Airwolf was developing artificial intelligence, she was a little nervous. She made a mental note to check on the progress of their plan to transfer that intelligence to the new helicopter when it was ready. She tapped her pen against a figure on the report and frowned.

The telephony charges for the last week were a little high. She crossed-checked the information and made a face. The call increase was on the satellite phone assigned to Stringfellow Hawke. It was the one the pilot kept in his remote cabin and hardly ever used. She scanned over the list of telephone numbers. There was only one that Hawke was repeatedly dialling every night and she immediately recognised it; it was the O'Shaunessy ranch in Texas. A small smile lifted the corners of her lips. Caitlin was currently visiting her parents and it looked very much like Hawke was missing his pregnant wife.

Pregnant. The word settled into her mind like a taunt. The couple had recently announced the happy news and Marella was pleased for them, she was, it was only…she sighed deeply. It was only that she couldn't have children and it hurt to see Caitlin's delight in her unborn child; she had no idea how she would react when Caitlin actually began to show. Marella took another sip of tea trying to regain her balance. It was her problem she was struggling to come to terms with her own situation, she thought, and she was determined not to allow her feelings to affect the friendship she had built with the younger woman.

She looked back at the report. It wasn't only Hawke who was missing Caitlin, she mused; she missed her too, not least because Caitlin was a staunch supporter of Marella's developing relationship with Michael. It had been Caitlin who had helped them come up with a solution to the problem of how to keep their relationship secret from their colleagues at the FIRM by offering them the use of the cabin for a date. A smile crept over Marella's lips again. Her first date with Michael had certainly been memorable if not for all the right reasons. The dinner had been perfect; Michael's request for a dance to a slow jazz number romantic; the phone call informing them that Michael's daughter had gone missing catastrophic. They had immediately hurried back to Michael's beach house. It had all turned out OK; Angelica had run away after misunderstanding about Michael's date with Marella but they had found her safe and sound. Both of them had discussed their dating with the precocious ten-year old who had given her blessing to them. Michael had suggested their next date was child friendly.

Marella tapped the report with a pen. They had barely been able to organise their first date in secret. How were they meant to organise another and one that included a child at that? She glanced again at the phone number and without consciously making a decision reached for the phone. Her fingers dialled the number and she sat back in the chair hearing the ringing at the other end.

'Hello.'

Marella smiled at the Texan drawl. 'Caitlin?'

'Marella.' Caitlin's evident pleasure at hearing her voice soothed Marella's slight nervousness. 'How ya doing?'

'Good.' Marella said. 'I was just looking over a report and I came across something that reminded me I hadn't spoken to you since just before you disappeared to Texas.' There was an unspoken question in the statement; Caitlin's trip had been a surprise and Marella was still a little uncertain what had prompted it. She'd guessed the other woman had taken advantage of the slow business at Santini Air to get away for a while.

'Yeah,' Caitlin replied, 'I left before Hawke changed his mind about my having the time away.' The hint of laughter took the sting out of the words but Marella knew if there was one thing the couple struggled with it was Hawke's over-protectiveness especially with the baby.

'So how are you? Everything going OK with the baby?' Marella forced herself to keep the tone light.

'Still having morning sickness.' Caitlin confessed. 'I'm missing Hawke so I think that's making it worse.'

'When are you planning to come home?' Marella asked.

'Not this weekend but next. Hawke's coming to pick me up.'

Marella nodded briefly before realising Caitlin couldn't see her; they weren't using a video phone.

'So what's up?' Caitlin asked.

'Nothing,' Marella denied, 'I was just…' she sighed, 'actually, I was hoping you could help me out again with something.'

'Sure.' Caitlin agreed readily. 'What is it?'

'You remember how Angelina gave Michael and me the green light for another date?'

'I do.' Amusement coloured the words.

Marella cleared her throat. 'Well, Michael wanted to include Angelina and I'm a little stumped for ideas on how we make it happen.'

'You could use the cabin…' began Caitlin.

'I know but it feels odd with you being away and Hawke on his own.' Marella interrupted her.

There was a brief silence whilst Caitlin absorbed Marella's comment and considered the options.

'How about a work weekend at Michael's place?' Caitlin suggested. 'You could pretend that you're catching up on work away from the distractions of the office and instead spend a…a kinda family weekend together.'

'That could work.' Marella admitted. She pressed her lips together thoughtfully. She wasn't sure about spending the weekend actually living at the house…she and Michael were a little way off moving forward to that stage yet…but it had potential.

'It will work.' Caitlin said and Marella smiled at the confidence in the other woman's voice.

'Thanks for the suggestion.' Marella said.

'My pleasure.' Caitlin gave a short laugh. 'Why don't we have a girly lunch when I get back and you can tell me all the gory details?'

'Sounds good.' Marella admitted. 'Call me when you get back.'

'I will. Take care, Marella.'

'You too.' Marella carefully hung up the phone.

The report was still lying on her desk and she picked it back up determined to finish it before the end of the day. She was so totally engrossed that she jumped at the sound of someone knocking on her door a few hours later. She rubbed her chest as though to calm the heart that was pounding and called her visitor in. Her eyes widened in pleased surprise at the sight of Michael.

He was wearing his usual white three-piece suit with his usual accessories; the wire-frame glasses with one-side blacked out where he had lost an eye and the much needed rosewood cane. She frowned as he limped into the room; he only ever limped that badly when he was very tired, agitated or in pain. She waved him into a seat and automatically went to pour him a drink from the cabinet she kept stocked.

Michael accepted the bourbon with a smile and in the privacy of Marella's office allowed his good eye to travel over Marella's womanly figure showcased in a white pencil skirt and white sweater. Her continued wearing of his uniform even though she no longer had to comply with it pleased him in a way that he couldn't express. He took a sip of the bourbon and waited until she was seated next to him on the sofa before he spoke.

'I thought I'd update you on the investigation into Merrick.'

'How's it going?'

'Slowly.' Michael admitted with a hint of frustration. He smoothed his moustache. 'We've yet to find a link between Merrick and the break in at Santini Air.'

Her quick mind saw what he was thinking immediately. 'You think there's still someone else after Airwolf?'

'There's always someone else after Airwolf.' Michael noted. 'The question is who.'

'Hawke's not going to be happy.' Marella said.

'No.' Michael agreed. 'You know in some ways I can't wait for this merger to happen and we can just go back to the normal level of paranoia.'

'What if it's nothing to do with the merger?' Marella mused out loud.

'What are you thinking?' Michael asked.

Marella shrugged. 'It was just a thought that maybe the break-in, whoever is after Airwolf has nothing to do with us.'

'You could be right.' Michael sighed and rubbed his moustache thoughtfully. 'I guess we just need to keep being vigilant.'

'Are you going to tell Hawke?' Marella asked.

Michael thought for a moment before shaking his head. 'I'm going to wait for a few more days. Lauren might turn up a connection yet and I'd like to be sure we really can't find anything before we worry Hawke with this. They've had enough to deal with recently.'

Marella nodded. She cleared her throat. 'I was wondering if you'd given any more thought to our next date?'

Michael looked at her slightly shamefaced. 'I'm afraid not.' He reached over and took hold of her hand. 'But if you have any ideas I would love to hear them.'

'Good because I do have an idea.'

'Oh?'

'We could spend a day at the weekend at your house on the pretext of catching up with work without the distractions at the office.' Marella said.

Michael nodded slowly. 'That could work.' His fingers tangled with hers and he caught hold of her gaze with his firmly. 'You could spend the whole weekend.'

She took a deep breath. 'I'm not sure we're…I'm ready for that yet.' She admitted.

He smiled reassuringly. 'There's no rush.'

'Thank you.' Marella smiled at him.

'Any thoughts on what we do with this day together?' Michael asked.

'Why don't you surprise me?' Marella suggested cheekily. 'After all, I came up with the idea.'

Michael's lips twitched. 'So I should do the rest?' He smiled. 'Deal.' He drank down the rest of the bourbon and got to his feet. 'I do know one thing.'

'What?' Marella asked as she stood up.

'You're going to need a bikini.' Michael smiled at the look of bemusement on her face as he kissed her cheek before he left.