Hawke panicked when he caught sight of Caitlin's chopper on the landing deck. She'd been working at the Airwolf project for a couple of days and wasn't supposed to be home for another couple of hours. Something must be wrong he thought as he jumped out of the chopper and rushed into the cabin to check. He calmed almost immediately at the sight of his wife. She was sat curled up on the sofa reading.
Caitlin gave a delighted smile and threw down her book to greet him with a kiss, her arms sliding around him. 'You're home early.' She said.
'So are you.' He commented.
Caitlin made a face. 'Michael's even more of a worrywart than you.'
Hawke's lips twitched. 'Sent you home did he?'
She nodded and her eyes shined with mischief. 'I yawned too many times. He said I should go to bed.' She waggled her eyebrows suggestively as her fingers played with the buttons on his shirt. She stilled hearing footsteps and voices approaching. 'You brought company?'
Hawke nodded ruefully. ''Fraid so.'
Caitlin patted his chest and smiled. 'Shame.'
Jo hesitated in the doorway seeing the couple hugging in front of her. Dom pushed her through the doorway and made for the kitchen. 'Don't pay any attention to them. They do that all the time. Now come and help me make this pasta.'
Hawke winked at the blonde pilot, his arms still locked around his wife who was smiling at her in welcome. Jo smiled back, shoved her hands in her pockets and followed her uncle. She glanced back at the couple and felt a twinge of envy at their obvious togetherness, the way they looked at each other. She saw Caitlin's hand move to her abdomen in an unconscious protective gesture of expectant mothers the world over.
'You need any help?' Caitlin called over sensing Jo's regard.
'Nah.' Dom waved her away. 'Jo and I invited ourselves to dinner, we'll cook. Why don't you two go for a walk or something? It'll be about an hour before it's on the table.'
Jo watched with amusement as Hawke led Caitlin outside and his running around to gather a blanket, book and warm drink for her before he took his cello out to play to her.
'They're very happy together aren't they?' She commented chopping the vegetables Dom had given her.
Dom paused in rolling out the pasta dough and gave a satisfied nod. 'It took them a while to realise they were perfect for each other and they've had a rough time with the kidnapping but they're solid.'
Jo rolled her blue eyes. 'That's just so unromantic, Uncle Dom.'
'Solid can be romantic.' Dom argued. 'You should ask String how he proposed.'
Jo followed his advice over dinner and there was much laughter as Dom recounted the story of his skywriting Hawke's proposal over the cabin on Christmas morning.
Hawke sat back in his chair, one hand over his wife's on the table top, the other holding his glass of wine.
Jo swallowed a gulp of wine and tried not to feel too envious. Her last romance with Marin had ended disastrously when she'd discovered that he'd used her to spy on the Airwolf team. She felt her stomach tighten at the memory. She'd accidentally overheard the conversation between her uncle, Hawke and Caitlin in the office. She'd been responsible for Marin knowing about the baby…and he had used that information to help an evil man orchestrate an event that had almost killed Caitlin and Hawke. It was no wonder they wouldn't let her near Airwolf.
Another twinge of jealousy bit at her gut. She had only two experiences of flying in the helicopter and both had been amazing; she was more than a little regretful that they were unlikely to be repeated. She had made it even more unlikely, she mused, by keeping her involvement with the Company a secret from them. She would never spy on Dom, he was a second father to her, and Hawke was like the brother she had never had; she couldn't believe that they had even thought for a moment she would betray them. She hadn't even been a full-fledged spy, she grumbled to herself, just a translator. She sighed inwardly. She guessed she could understand why they were so wary; Airwolf was Hawke's only means of finding Saint John and if he ever lost that…
'Penny for them?' Caitlin asked amused at the far-away look in the other woman's eyes.
Jo jumped as though startled. 'Sorry,' she said apologetically, 'I was miles away.'
Caitlin nodded. 'I was asking if you've thought about where you want to live yet?'
'I was thinking somewhere by the beach.' Jo said. 'But I was checking out the prices and I'm not sure…'
'You can stay at my place as long as you like.' Dom said kindly patting her hand.
'I know, Uncle Dom.' Jo said with a smile.
Caitlin got to her feet and began clearing the plates. She waved Jo back into her seat. 'I've got this.'
'We've got this.' Hawke corrected her and rose to help.
They cleared away and brought out the coffee.
Jo watched as Caitlin nudged Hawke surreptitiously as she set the coffee pot down. Hawke shot his wife a look which she returned. It was like watching a silent conversation, Jo thought. She looked across at her uncle who studiously avoided her gaze.
Hawke cleared his throat. 'Jo…'
Dom's niece looked at him questioningly.
'We were wondering,' Hawke began, 'that is we were thinking…'
'It's a bit difficult to explain.' Dom jumped in.
'Would you like to join the Airwolf crew?' Caitlin asked bluntly.
'Or maybe not that difficult.' Dom murmured.
'On a trial basis.' Hawke added shooting Caitlin another look. She simply winked back at her husband.
Jo looked at the expectant faces around the table aware of how loudly her heart was pounding. 'Is this a joke?'
'No joke.' Hawke confirmed. He wrapped his hands around the cup of coffee he held. 'Caitlin's off the team because of the baby and whilst Dom and I can handle most of the missions ourselves…'
'It doesn't hurt to have a little back-up, huh?' Dom added.
'So…'
'So, you'd be that back-up.' Hawke said. 'If it works out.'
Jo regarded him seriously. That was the second time he'd qualified her inclusion in the team. 'How will it work out if you don't trust me?'
Hawke held Jo's slightly hurt gaze. 'Trust needs to be earned, Jo. We're not kids anymore and Airwolf…Airwolf is a hell of a responsibility.' He paused. 'I'm willing to give you a chance, if you're willing to take it.' His eyebrow quirked upwards. 'You can use it to lay all my worries to rest.'
Jo heard the sincerity in his voice and she set her cup down carefully. The opportunity was too good to miss. 'OK. I will.'
'Great.' Dom rubbed his hands together gleefully and beamed at his niece. 'This is great.'
Caitlin smiled. 'Are you sure you're ready to fly with these guys? They can be a bit of handful.'
'I can handle it.' Jo said confidently and picked up her coffee. 'So when do we start?'
'First thing in the morning.' Hawke said with a smile. 'We'll head out to the Lair at first light.'
The sun was still low on the horizon when the four of them entered the Lair. Airwolf was stood in a shaft of early morning light; it glinted off her rotors and made the black armour gleam dully. Her windows were opaque giving her a deadly and eerie look. Dom rubbed a speck of dust from the black armour and polished her nose with his sleeve.
Jo's eyes widened at the sight of the helicopter in front of her. She shook her head. 'Wow. She just gets more incredible every time I see her.' She made a slow circle around the bird and ran a hand over Airwolf's nose. She looked back at the three other pilots who were smiling at her reaction. Jo tried to gather her dignity. 'She's…she's…'
Caitlin gave her a reassuring smile. 'She takes your breath away, doesn't she?'
'She's amazing.' Jo said.
'So here's the first lesson,' Hawke said, 'her top speed without the safety controls is almost mach two.' He folded his arms and leaned back on the yellow rail of the console area.
'I know this…' Jo began before she subsided at the look in Hawke's eyes.
'She has fourteen weapons, several surveillance systems with stealth and whisper capability.' Caitlin added.
'A black battleship with rotors.' Hawke commented dryly and Caitlin smiled. It had been her description for Airwolf after her first encounter with the helicopter.
'You see why the Company are keen to get their hands on her?' Dom asked and Jo nodded.
'In the wrong hands…' She murmured.
'So,' Hawke gestured at the Lady, 'we probably should warn you it can get dangerous.'
'And you have to keep this all secret. The Lair, Airwolf, your involvement.' Dom added lining up with Hawke and Caitlin in front of his niece.
'It's a bit like being a superhero.' Caitlin commented with a wry smile. 'You save the world but can't brag about it to anyone.'
'You still interested?' Hawke asked.
Jo looked at their serious faces and then back to Airwolf. She grinned. 'Are you kidding? Of course, I'm still interested.'
Dom gave a delighted laugh and gave her a bear hug. Hawke and Caitlin watched with amusement.
'OK.' Hawke calmed the celebratory spirit. 'Dom and Cait are going to teach you how to run the engineering console and how to fly her.'
'When's my first lesson?' Jo asked excitedly.
'How about right now?' Dom asked with a gap-toothed smile.
Hawke and Caitlin stayed on the ground as Dom took Airwolf up with Jo. They watched the machine disappear from the Lair.
'You forget how beautiful she is from the ground.' Hawke commented.
'You could have gone up with them.' Caitlin brushed his fringe out of his blue eyes.
He pulled her into a hug. 'What? And miss spending time with my wife?' He kissed her smile.
