The cabin was filled with singing. As the chorus of 'Happy Birthday' reached its crescendo, Marella grinned happily and accepted the traditional birthday hoorays with delight.

Michael's daughter, Angelina, beamed at her across the table. 'Don't forget to make a wish.'

'I won't.' Marella promised smiling at the beautiful girl. With her blonde hair and blue eyes, Angelina was destined to be a stunning woman. Marella took a deep breath and blew out the candles on the chocolate cake.

'Why don't you all head to the fire?' Caitlin suggested. 'I'll bring the cake and coffee over.'

'Let me give you a hand.' Marella offered.

Hawke took the plate she held and gave a little push towards the sofa. 'That's my job. Go and sit. It's your birthday.'

Angelina snagged Marella's hand and pulled her towards the fire where the two dogs were waiting to be petted. Michael smiled at them and got up from his seat to help the other couple clear away the debris of the meal.

'That was delicious, Caitlin.' He said placing a stack of plates by the side of the sink. His good eye caught Hawke and the pilot smirked before he went over to the living area to keep Marella distracted whilst Michael talked to Caitlin.

'Hawke caught the fish.' Caitlin said scraping the plates into the trash.

'I need your opinion on something.' Michael said lowering his voice. He glanced worriedly over his shoulder and seeing Hawke had successfully engaged Marella's attention, he turned back to an openly curious Caitlin. He withdrew the ring box from his trouser pocket and showed her the contents careful to keep his back firmly to Marella so she couldn't see what he was doing. 'What do you think?' He asked.

Caitlin smiled broadly and wiped her fingers on a tea-towel before she held the box to examine it more closely. 'It's beautiful, Michael.' She said careful to keep her voice low.

Michael took it back and returned it to his pocket safely. 'You'll think she'll like it?'

Caitlin's delicate features softened. 'Michael, it's from you; she's going to love it.' She patted his arm reassuringly and he gave a sigh of relief.

'Thank you.' He said.

Caitlin handed him the cake knife. 'Why don't you go and cut the cake before she starts to get suspicious? I'll organise the coffee.'

They were soon sat down and the cake was quickly demolished. Hawke wrapped his arm around Caitlin and pulled her closer as they watched Marella and Angelina disappear to deal with a crying Nicky.

Michael took a sip of the bitter drink and looked across at the couple. 'How were your brother and Locke?' He asked. He knew the couple had visited the hospital earlier.

'OK given the circumstances.' Hawke said. 'Locke was still a bit out of it.'

'He took quite a beating.' Michael noted. 'It'll take some time for him to come through it.' He paused. 'You know he heard the new Airwolf when we were in the factory. Did he say anything to you?'

Hawke shook his head. 'No.'

'He might have put it down to his drugged mind hearing things.' Caitlin said.

'Let's hope.' Michael sighed.

'How long are we planning to keep it a secret from them?' Hawke asked. 'They're going to find out sooner or later.'

'I know.' Michael sighed again. 'I'll talk to the director.' He smiled. 'He's very happy with us at the moment.'

'Well, we did pull his bacon out of the fire.' Caitlin laughed.

Michael pointed a finger at her. 'Especially as he got a very unwanted call from an unhappy President wondering why he'd been kept out of the loop but pleased that he understood the Airwolf team and his favourite pilot Stringfellow Hawke had been successful at containing the situation.'

Hawke fidgeted uncomfortably at the remark. 'Isn't the director sore you leaked it?'

Michael shrugged. 'The President apparently refused to name his source and they can't prove I was responsible for the leak.' His blue eye twinkled. 'Evan got rapped sharply over the knuckles for not maintaining control. I think they think he was responsible.'

'I guess this helps with your case to move the Airwolf programme out of the control of the Company.' Hawke noted.

Michael nodded. 'We impressed the President and got him unhappy with the Company. It worked perfectly.'

'And everyone got out alive.' Caitlin said pointedly.

'That too.' Michael accepted. He sighed. 'I'll feel better when we track down this mysterious boss though.'

Footsteps on the stairs had their heads turning to smile at Marella and Angelina walking back towards them.

Michael put his cup down. 'Well, we should head home.'

'Daddy…' Angelina complained.

'We have things to prepare.' Michael reminded her.

Her young face broke into a mischievous smile. 'Right.'

Marella rolled her eyes in mock resignation. 'Come on guys. Can't I have a hint?'

'Well…' Angelina began.

Michael put his hand firmly over his daughter's mouth. 'No.' He ruffled Angelina's hair. 'Let's go before you give the game away.'

Marella hugged Caitlin. 'Thank you for everything this evening.'

'I'm glad you liked it.' Caitlin hugged her back and grinned as she stepped away. 'Although I'm glad I had the whole day to get it ready.'

'You're coming back to work on Monday though, right?' Marella asked.

'I am.' Caitlin confirmed. The previous day's events had confirmed her decision. She wanted to get back to work and Nicky would be safer if he stayed in the crèche at Red Star while she worked.

The couple wandered out to the porch and watched as their friends got into the white helicopter on the pier and took off into the night sky.

Hawke slid an arm around Caitlin's waist. 'I don't know about you but I think an early night is in order.' He brushed his lips across hers deepening the kiss and pulling her closer.

Caitlin smoothed a hand through his hair. 'Are you sure you're OK with me going back to work on Monday?'

'I'm sure.' Hawke said tightening his hold on her. His blue eyes smiled at her. 'If you're in the back of the cockpit with me, at least I can keep you from getting taken hostage.'

'I'm OK.' She said.

Hawke nodded and kissed her again. His old fear of losing her, losing his family had raised its head but he was handling it. He just needed to hold her. 'Let's go inside.'

Caitlin nodded. They walked in arm in arm and ignored the clutter of the coffee cups as they headed upstairs stealing kisses on the way.

'Hawke?' Caitlin asked as they reached their bedroom.

'Hmmm?'

'Why did you decide to make me part of the Airwolf crew?'

He looked at her taken aback by the seriousness of the question. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. 'You've never asked me that before.'

She fiddled with a button his shirt. 'You'd just got back from Laos and I didn't want to ask too many questions.'

'You thought it had something to do with Laos?'

'It didn't?'

Hawke shook his head.

Caitlin raised an eyebrow. 'Then what?'

He sighed and his hands stroked down her back as she looped her arms around his neck. 'You remember just before I went to Laos your plane got hijacked?'

She nodded. 'Hard to forget.'

'There were moments when we were searching for that plane I thought I'd lost you.' Hawke confessed. 'It was the first time I realised how much I cared about you.'

Her brow creased. 'What has that…' her eyes suddenly widened in realisation, 'so you thought you'd put me somewhere safe like in the back of the cockpit with you.'

'Maybe.' Hawke admitted. 'I figured that if I wasn't so determined to keep you away from Airwolf then I could have given you a lift to Texas, you wouldn't have needed to have caught a commercial flight and you wouldn't have been in danger.' His lips twisted wryly. 'Pretty convoluted thinking, huh?'

Her response was to kiss him.

He smiled as she eased back. 'What was that for?'

'Because I love you, Stringfellow Hawke.' She smiled wickedly. 'Of course,' she said as he tugged her over to their bed, 'you still owe me ten bucks.' She squealed as Hawke grabbed hold of her and she found herself pinned beneath him.

'I love you too, Mrs Hawke.' He whispered.

Caitlin was smiling when he kissed her.