Chapter 10.
The journey to Cedars Sinai seemed like an eternity to Hawke, even in Airwolf. The landing was bumpy and lacking its usual finesse, but they were down on the ground, and that was what mattered. No sooner had Hawke exited the helicopter, he was surrounded by a myriad of activity…the lead Medic shouting something about paging the Head of Surgery and prepping an OR immediately… Hawke made to follow, only to be stopped by a meaty hand on his arm.
"They've got this, String" Dom said softly, as his surrogate son watched the lifeless form of O'Connor cross the tarmac on a gurney and disappear into the lift with the seven or so medics that were fighting to keep him alive. Realising there was nothing more they could do, the two men reluctantly returned to Airwolf , as she was beginning to draw attention, and after alerting the FBI, Airwolf rose majestically into the sky, on her way back to the Valley of the Gods.
It was much later when the Jet Ranger rounded the last bluff at Eagle Lake and as they approached the cabin, Hawke's gaze swept over his sprawling mountain hideaway, barely recognisable as the retreat he escaped to for solitude so readily in the past. With the large extension Hawke had commissioned, the cabin had been completely transformed from a solitary, almost lonely place to a large vibrant, family home, yet still retaining the rustic charm, warmth and romanticism Hawke savoured, and was grateful to come home to. Without even knowing it, He'd opened up his home, and life to his family and Hawke felt it had gone some way to healing the wounds left by St Johns absence. Le had quickly claimed the newly built upstairs bedroom as his own, and after one horrific foray into the teenage boys bedroom, enough to rival any Airwolf mission, Hawke quickly came to the conclusion that absence probably was the best policy. The Old Loft, as Hawke liked to call it had also undergone an overhaul, giving him more privacy from the endless stream of visitors that frequented the cabin these days. Over the last few months, Hawke had slowly grown accustomed to finding his nephews school friends sitting round the breakfast table most weekends, and hearing them up late at night watching some movie or other and talking about girls in their class, by torchlight. He even found himself joining in with their fishing and hiking expeditions, not to mention a weekly get together with the Oshiro's. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he didn't feel lonely, and his life was finally full. Well, almost, he thought wistfully.
The new side extension housed two new en-suite bedrooms and bathroom, and Caitlin had immediately adopted the larger of the two bedrooms as her own. At one point, with all the 'emergency' clothes and 'home comforts' , Hawke thought he was going to have to hock an extra chopper just to get it all to the cabin.
He smiled as he thought about Cait's magazines strewn all over the table, open at the page of the latest celebrity scandal, and the way she folded down the corners of newspapers and fishing journals that contained articles she thought he might like. The smile quickly turned into a grimace as he thought about a few nights ago when she'd forced him to watch some chick flick movie, called Top Gun or something. She'd promptly burst into tears at the death of one of the main characters and almost slapped him when he started pointing out the errors in their attack manoeuvres and flaws in their strategies.
"It's a movie, Hawke!" he could almost hear the Texan accent ringing in his ears.
Hawke's eyes suddenly widened as he realised just how much time they'd spent together since Le came to live at the cabin, and was alarmed at his own ease with it. He hadn't even got Le as an excuse for the impromptu movie night, as Le was staying at the Oshiro's and Dom had met up with some of his old army buddies. Hawke recoiled in his seat slightly as he realised he was close.. Too close.
The last of the scaffolding was still visible, clinging to one of the side walls and the tail of Caitlin's chopper peeked out from the rear of the cabin, sitting idly on the new landing platform that had been erected. Hawke felt a warmth encompass him as his gaze alighted on the small plume of smoke that billowed from the roof, and the soft, welcoming orange glow coming from the front windows, indicating that the current occupant of the cabin was still up.
Dom had barely set the Jet Ranger down on the jetty, when Hawke jumped from the cockpit and ducked under the rotors.
"You ok?" Dom asked, yelling over the noise of the rotors.
"I'm fine, Dom" Hawke returned. Dom quickly glanced up at the cabin, and attempting to conceal his widening smile, he returned his gaze to his surrogate son.
"Well, don't forget to call if you need anything, huh? Oh and tell Cait I said hi"
Hawke nodded and ducked back under the rotors to shut the cockpit door. He took a step back and raised a hand as Dom lifted the Jet Ranger back into the night sky, and he was still watching as the chopper disappeared behind the nearest rise.
As silence once again fell over the lake, Hawke shoved his hands into his pockets and half walked, half limped along the jetty towards the cabin. He replayed the evenings events over again in his mind, the ambush, Colonel Lynch, his reason for being there and the arrival of the F14's. it couldn't be a coincidence, but he just couldn't piece together the fractured information. He paused as he reached the front door, and painfully rolled back his shoulders, determined not to clue Caitlin in on his injuries. That was a whole other minefield he just didn't want to walk through right now. Besides, he had problems closer to home. He'd missed Le's soccer game, and not for the first time, he'd let the boy down. He had a lot of explaining to do, and with a heavy heart, Hawke finally pushed open the door to the cabin.
Caitlin O'Shannessy looked up expectantly from the book she was reading, and Hawkes breath caught in his chest as he froze in the doorway, drinking in the beautiful sight before him. Cait sat on the old sofa, her legs curled beneath her, wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and an oversized green sweatshirt, pledging her allegiance to her sorority, Kappa, Lamboa, Chi. Her strawberry, blonde hair, softened by the California sun, flowed loosely around her shoulders, and her freckled skin was completely free of makeup. Hawke caught sight of his blue tick hound, snuggled protectively into Caitlin's side, and almost smiled as their heads rose in unison in response to his arrival. Tet gave a short whine, unfurled himself and trotted over to greet his master, his mission of protecting Cait in Hawke's absence was now complete.
The corners of Cait's mouth twitched into a grin as Hawke remained rooted to the spot in the doorway, his impossibly blue eyes still fixed on hers. Cait cleared her throat in an attempt to conceal her smile, and slowly closed her book.
"You gonna shut the door Hawke? Or y'gonna let us all freeze to death?"
"Huh?" he mumbled in response to Caitlin's raised eyebrows. Amused, She nodded towards the still open door, the chilly night air on the mountain bending back the flames of the fire roaring cheerfully in the hearth. Suddenly plummeting back to reality, Hawke quickly shut the door, vaguely aware of Tet scrabbling back across the living room to his original position by Caitlin's side.
"I thought I heard Dom's chopper" Caitlin continued, absently scratching at Tet's neck, and missed the small smile that flitted across Hawke's face. With her continued presence at the cabin, Hawke had spent time honing her hearing, teaching her the intricacies of differentiating one chopper from another in order to keep her and Le safe, he'd told himself. His time had paid off, as now, she was almost as good as he was. Almost. Caitlin's eyes returned to the pilot's.
"So? How'd it go?"
Hawke was so lost in her wide, inquisitive eyes, that it took him a moment to realise she was talking about the mission. Hawke quickly rubbed his chin and made his way over to the sofa.
"Wild goose chase" Hawke admitted, grimacing slightly as he lowered himself stiffly onto the sofa. A grimace which hadn't gone unnoticed by Cait. Ignoring her frown, Hawke nudged his dog with his leg, prompting the hound to shoot a disapproving look at his master and relinquish his preferred position by Caitlin's side. With a wide yawn, Tet padded across to the hearth, and settled in front of the burning embers, almost as though it had been completely his idea.
"You mean you didn't find the weapons?" Cait asked, deciding that now probably wasn't the best time to lecture Hawke about first aid. As she shifted closer to Hawke, she felt his whole body tense as her thigh grazed his, and it was only then Caitlin realised why. By the firelight, her eyes swept over the purpling boot-shaped bruise colouring his jaw and the way his hand slipped protectively across his ribs by its own volition. Slowly, she reached up and gently traced the outline of the bruise with her fingertips, enjoying the sensation of the light dusting of stubble against her skin.
"What happened this time, Hawke?" Cait asked with a small smile. "You forget to duck?"
Hawke scowled
"I'm fine"
"Sure y'are." Caitlin replied flatly, jabbing a finger towards his jaw "And that bruise right there didn't just appear all by its self! That's a boot!"
Hawke's eyes narrowed
"I said I'm okay!" he growled
"Fine!" Cait retorted, her Texan drawl thickening as her frustration with the pilot mounted. From his position at the hearth, Tet lifted his head and cocked it to one side with interest as Caitlin pushed herself to her feet
"You are, without a doubt, the most stubborn man I've ever met, Stringfellow Hawke, and that's sayin' some"
Hawke closed his eyes as Cait began to gather momentum. He'd known her long enough to recognise the signs, and knew there was only ever one outcome. She jammed her hands onto her narrow hips.
"Y'know, maybe I should just call Michael and see what he's gotta say about all of this-"
Cait swivelled dramatically on her heel and took a step towards the cabinet where she knew Hawke kept his radio.
"Don't"
Caits eyes collided with Hawke's as he grabbed a fistful of her sweater and slowly guided her back down to the sofa. His hand remained on her waist as an awkward silence engulfed the cabin, and without thinking, Hawke slid his hand down to her thigh.
"So-" Caitlin began, her eyes searching Hawke's "Are ya gonna tell me what happened?"
With his hand still firmly on her thigh, Hawke shrugged a shoulder, and began to tell her the events of the evening, and their brush with Colonel Lynch. Caits eyes widened as he told her of the execution of Michael's team, and almost shuddered as he told her of the ambush, and subsequent escape form Lynch's men. Every now and then, Caits gaze would flicker to the mottled bruise on Hawke's jaw, a constant reminder that Hawke had, as always, found a way out. This time.
"So this guy, O' Connor-" Cait began when Hawke had finished. "Wasn't a FIRM mole?"
Cait leant her elbow on the back of the sofa and buried her hand in her long, strawberry blonde hair as she awaited Hawkes response.
"Nah." Hawke shook his head "He was government, FBI no less-"
"FBI?" Cait's eyes widened in surprise as she removed her arm from the sofa and sat up straight, her freckled forehead creasing into a frown "Hawke, why would the the FIRM send you in after an FBI agent?"
"The whole thing was a set up. They hoped I'd take him out, or the other way around, which ever came first"
"Then Lynch and his goons showed up as extra insurance" Cait replied softly, vaguely aware of Hawkes fingers linking through hers
"Yeah"
The two fell into a comfortable silence as Hawke turned her hand over in his, contemplating the enormity of the situation they found themselves in. Someone, Hawke wasn't sure who or why, had made a deliberate and direct attempt on Airwolf, and the threat was still very much a reality. They were suddenly all in in way over their heads, and just by association with him, Cait, Le and Dom were now in deeper than they'd ever been before. These people were mean and powerful, and didn't care about the sanctity of human life. They did what needed to be done. The people he cared about most were now directly in the line of fire, as guilty as he in the eyes of the law, staring down that same barrel Hawke had been since he'd hidden Airwolf from the FIRM almost three years ago. Hawke knew people like Lynch wouldn't think twice about using them to get to him. They were expendable. Collateral damage. Hawke's throat closed on the thought.
As memories of Gabrielle lying in the Libyan desert flitted through his mind, Hawke squeezed Cait's hand a little tighter, to remind himself she was here right now, with him, safe and alive. He just had to keep it that way.
"You think they're after Airwolf?"
Caitlin's softly spoken words pulled Hawke from his thoughts, and he nodded briefly, still holding Caits hand, almost as if the simple contact kept him grounded and focussed.
"It's the only thing that makes sense" Hawke's brown furrowed "Michael fed us some bogus intelligence about armour piercing weapons and a FIRM mole…they knew we'd take the bait and show up"
Impassivity slammed across Hawke's boyish features as he whipped his hand from Cait's and struggled to his feet. He stalked over to the hearth, his icy gaze settling on the picture of him and St John he kept on the mantel.
"Hawke, you don't think Michael-"
Hawkes head whipped round to look at Cait, and the look in Hawke's eye told her he thought exactly that.
"String, no. I don't believe it" Cait replied firmly, echoing Dom's words. Hawke shoved his hands onto his trouser pockets and rocked back on his heels as he turned his gaze back to the photograph of St John.
"Michael's your friend-" Cait paused as she recognised the set in Hawkes shoulders, the pulse in his jaw and realised her words were falling on deaf ears.
"And even if he wasn't your friend, Michael is a man of his word. He made you a deal, Hawke-"
A soft touch between his shoulder blades, indicated that Cait was no longer on the sofa and as he turned to meet her honest eyes , he felt the tension slowly begin dissipate.
The corners of her mouth twitched into a grin
"And if I know Michael, he intends to keep it"
Hawke couldn't help but return her smile. He reached up and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear.
"Then, how do you explain the F14's showing up?" Hawke asked, his hand lingering on her cheek
"I can't. " Cait admitted, as Hawke brushed her cheekbone with his thumb "Not yet, anyways, and neither can you, Hawke so don't go off half cocked without all the facts!"
Hawke allowed his hand to fall to his side.
"All I know is, Michael wouldn't risk your life, or Airwolf , I'm sure of it"
Hawke glanced again at the photograph of St John on the mantel, marvelling at her unwavering support of the spy he'd come to think of as an ally. She had her own reasons for putting her trust in Michael, a run in with Ken Sawyer had cemented that, and he couldn't just ignore it.
"I'm sorry, Cait" he replied, turning round and gesturing towards her "You're right"
"I often am" she smiled "You just needed to listen to a voice of reason, that's all"
Hawke took a step towards her and met her gaze
"What did I do to deserve you?"
Caitlin flushed, her gaze lowering from Hawke's, leaving the pilot mentally chiding himself for allowing the words to slip out. As he opened his mouth to mutter an apology, Caitlin spoke.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe shooting up a corrupt Sheriff and half the cowboys in Pope County, Texas-"
They both chuckled at the memory.
Caitlin held his unwavering gaze as she took a few steps forward until they were toe to toe.
"You saved my life, Stringfellow Hawke, even if you didn't want to admit it"
Hawke reached out and took both of her hands in his and stared down at their tangled fingers.
"And you saved mine"
Hawke's roughly spoken words were barely audible, leaving Caitlin wondering what exactly he was referring to.
"Yeah, well-" Cait replied, nudging his hands so he'd look at her. "I guess that makes us even, huh?"
"Even" Hawke agreed with a nod. Fingers still tangled, Hawke sighed and gently tugged her towards him.
"I gotta figure this out, Cait. " Hawke continued, reluctant to break contact "I gotta figure out who's behind this, what they want and why" Hawke paused " All of our lives may depend on it"
Cait nodded, squeezing his hands tightly.
"We will"
Hawke felt a reluctant smile tease his lips at his friends quiet confidence, and their gaze caught and held, eyes of hazel and honey meeting eyes of cerulean blue. Feeling an unexpected frission of attraction, Hawke cleared his throat and took a step back, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"How's Le?" Hawke asked, settling upon on a more neutral, less intimate topic of conversation. Attempting to hide her blossoming disappointment, Caitlin returned to the sofa and grabbed her book that she'd left perched on the arm.
"He's real upset you missed his soccer game" Cait informed him, opening the book at the page she'd marked.
"Yeah, I figured " Hawke replied, crumpling tiredly into the seat beside Cait. Her eyes left the words on the page and swept over the dark circles clearly visible beneath his eyes.
"I'll make it up to him"
He slowly closed his eyes , trying to rid himself of the ache of throwing one right hook too many. Cait bit her lip as she watched him flex his right hand, once, twice and slump awkwardly back into the cushions. She sighed inwardly. Stringfellow Hawke was indeed an exceedingly stubborn man.
"You hungry?"
Hawke cracked open an eye, and shrugged a shoulder as Cait slid her hand onto his Denham clad thigh and pushed herself to her feet. He watched her through his open eye as she rounded the sofa and made her way into the kitchen. He was still watching as she stood on tiptoes and reached into one of the top cupboards.
"Why don't you go take a shower and I'll warm some soup " Cait called over her shoulder. Needing no second invitation, Hawke struggled to his feet and took a few steps towards the stairs.
"Hawke?"
The pilot turned at the foot of the stairs, and caught the playful sparkle in her eye.
"You want me to look at those ribs for ya?"
Cait smiled broadly as she caught the icy blast across the cabin, and not bothering with a response, Hawke straightened his posture in defiance, turned and stalked up the stairs.
From his new position on the hearth, Tet raised his head and let out a whine.
"Yeah, Tet. I know" Caitlin replied with a smile, and with that, the red head turned her attentions back to dinner duty.
Hawke paused in the doorway of Le's bedroom, and leant against the doorframe. A small lamp on his nightstand offered a soft orange glow, illuminating his comic underneath, which lay open at the latest adventure of his favourite superhero. A black mop of hair was just about visible on the pillow, peeking out from underneath his Superman duvet, and with a twinge of regret tugging at his conscience, Hawke sighed heavily. Maybe he hadn't thought this whole thing through, taking custody of Le. It had been a knee jerk reaction when he'd found out his Aunt Minh had died, and partly guilt as his adoptive father had been killed by his own hand. He was the only person Le had left that he could call family, and Hawke needed to honour that, even if he had know idea how it was all going to work. Hawke felt his brother was still out there somewhere, and he had to do everything in his power to get him back, for Le Van, even if not for himself.
Hawke took a step inside the room, and crept over to where his nephew slept soundly. Perching lightly on the side of the bed, Hawke tugged the duvet up a little further and reached over to switch off his lamp, plunging the room into darkness. Being careful not to wake him, Hawke gently smoothed out the strands of dark hair on his head and bent to place a soft kiss on his temple.
"Im sorry, Le" Hawke whispered, blinking back his own tears in surprise. "I'll figure this whole thing out. I promise"
With a final glance at his nephews sleeping form, he retreated out of the room, quietly pulling the door until it snicked shut. Hawke stared at the door for a few moments, wondering if he should wake the boy, to try and offer some sort of explanation, but quickly decided against it. Nothing could be solved tonight. As the tiredness finally washed over him, Hawke rubbed absently at the back of his neck and padded dejectedly to the bathroom.
From somewhere beneath the duvet, a glistening pair of dark eyes stared sightlessly off into the darkness, blinking only once as a single, solitary tear plopped onto the pillow.