Chapter Three: The New Beginning

After String sat out on the porch for almost an hour after he watched Cait fly away he went back to bed where he found his date sound asleep. He was relieved she wasn't awake. He didn't think he could be with anyone right now. He was cold from sitting outside without a shirt and shoes and decided to go downstairs and light a fire. The last time he felt this kind of hurt was when he lost St. John in Iraq. He loved Cait with all his heart. Other than Dom and St. John there was no one else he loved more. He wished he could feel for her the way she felt for him. He would never allow that. It was best that they finally got it out in the open. He wouldn't see Cait for another week. There wasn't much work for them this week so Dom had closed the hangar. He picked up his cell phone deciding he should call and check on her. He didn't like the way they left things. It went into voicemail. Instead of hanging up he waited to hear her voice on the recording. He didn't intend on leaving a message, he just wanted to hear her voice. Before the recording stopped he hung up. As he did he noticed the sun coming up. He glanced at the grandfather clock, 7:00 am. He hadn't realized he stayed up the whole night thinking.

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Cait pulled up to her house. She was tired, more tired and drained then she had ever been before. It was 7:00 am. She didn't realize she had been driving all night. At one point she had stopped and parked by the ocean. She sat there for hours thinking about what had just transpired between the two of them. Getting out of her car she thought. "What now, I have my answer so where do I go from here?" She walked into her house and started a pot of coffee. As she was waiting for it to brew she noticed the business card she had discarded and forgotten about on the counter. Professional Glamour Magazine it read. She picked the card up. It was staring her right in the face. She had her answer from String, now all she needed was a graceful exit. This couldn't have happened at a better time she thought. Maybe God was looking out for her as if he knew she would need a new start in life. Picking up the phone she dialed the number on the card.

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Dom wondered who could be at the door. He wasn't expecting anyone. Opening the door he had a big smile on his face. "Cait, come on in sweetheart." He began to clean up the newspaper that was scattered on the floor and dishes that were on the coffee table. Cait couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry kid, I wasn't expecting company the day after New Years. What's on your mind?"

Dom began to worry, he could tell Cait needed to tell him something but couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Just spit it out Cait." He said as he sat down.

"You always could read me Dom."

"Yeah, why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like what I hear?"

After Cait left Dom sat in his oversized recliner feeling numb. She was leaving. He tried to get his mind around the words but his heart was not cooperating. String had called him yesterday announcing he was going ice fishing with a friend of his and would not be reachable by phone. Now he understood the unplanned trip. He knew some how he was involved in her decision. Not because she said so but because she never brought his name up once as she told him about her plans. He had a hard time reading her this time. She seemed sincere about being excited. He didn't know if he should talk her out of it or not or if he even could. She had spent yesterday at the hangar rearranging the schedule and making arrangements for her students. He knew this was a spur of the moment decision. She just got the job offer three days ago. He wished String were there to talk her out of it or at least find out if it was really what she wanted. She would be gone by the time he returned. 2015 was not starting out as a good year for him.

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Cait was packing her last box of clothes. She knew the photo shoot would only take a month or so but she planned on not coming back. If she was going to start a new life she wanted to make a clean break of it. Besides that she didn't think she could ever face String again. Whatever they did have between them would never be the same. She would much rather walk out with the good memories she had. She heard her cell phone ringing in the living room. She stopped packing to go answer it.

"Hey Michael what's, up?"

"Why don't you tell me what's up Cait?"

"I'm not sure what you mean?" Cait replied looking as if she didn't know where this was going.

"Cait I was informed that your social security number was entered in the payroll for a magazine called Professional Glamour. When I looked into it I found out that you took a job with them. Were you going to tell me this?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry Michael. I guess I should have let you know. It's just that it happened so fast."

"Do you think you can stop in my office today? We have some things to talk about and over the phone is not the way to do it."

"Sure, give me an hour and I'll be there." Cait was a little nervous. She had completely forgotten that her affiliation with Airwolf bound her to the FIRM. They knew where all three of them were most of the time. They had access to their bank accounts, phone records and anyone who was looking into them was reported and Michael was informed. She hoped he wouldn't give her a hard time. She understood his position. She was about to leave with one of the biggest weapons secrets the military had. Outside of the FIRM's protection she was a sitting duck. It also put them all in a very precarious place. If anyone got their hands on her they would use her as leverage against Dom and String. This was not going to be as easy as she thought.

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Cait waited outside of Michael's office waiting to be announced. She heard loud voices and they seemed to be arguing. Soon the door opened and a very angry Zeus appeared. He looked straight past Cait as he stomped out. Michael waved her in.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm the reason for that outburst?"

"Because you are. But don't worry I can handle Zeus.

Michael motioned for her to sit down. "I think it's best if we start from the beginning Cait."

Cait gathered her thoughts. She was debating how much she was going to reveal and more to the point if she would say the reason she was leaving. "I wasn't planning this Michael; I want you to know that. I was approached by a magazine editor a few days ago with an offer to do a photo shoot of professional women. I thought about it and decided it was time for a change."

Michael scrutinized her every movement trying to figure out the frame of mind she was in. He understood that she wanted a change. What he really wanted to know was why.

"Why now?"

"Why not?" Cait answered.

"I asked you first."

Cait knew Michael was on to her. If she didn't come clean she knew he would drill String over her reason for leaving.

"I told String I loved him."

Michael was expecting as much. "And he didn't reciprocate?"

Cait lowered her head. "You can guess the rest. I made a complete fool of myself and put him on the spot. I know he never wanted to hurt me but I just had to know where I stood for sure."

Michael hurt for her. He had a feeling she was in love with String but kept it to himself. "Cait you know String will never let himself fall in love with anyone. And if he did I always thought it would be you."

"Thank you for that Michael. Just knowing he does love me in his own way isn't enough to keep me here."

"Well about that, we need to talk about how the FIRM will handle you leaving."

Cait looked up alarmed. "They won't send Zebra Squad after me will they?"

Michael busted out laughing. "No I think they will let you live. But I will need you to spend the day tomorrow going through a debriefing. You will be given instructions on how to conduct yourself if you are faced with any possible threat. They will also ask you to sign some papers stating that you will not divulge any confidential information regarding the FIRM or Airwolf."

Cait nodded that she understood. Michael went over and hugged her tight. "I'm really going to miss you Cait. I hope you find what you're looking for.

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Dom stood at the airport terminal with her. In all the time she knew him she had never sen him cry until today.

"Cait, are you sure you won't change your mind about leaving?"

Cait reached up and dabbed his tears with a tissue handing it to him. "No, I need to do this for myself Dom. Besides it's not like I won't come back and visit."

He heard her say the words but he somehow didn't believe them.

He knew in his heart she wouldn't come back and he knew why. "Sure kid, when you're in-between jobs you can always visit."

They called Cait's flight. Dom reluctantly let her go. She kissed him one last time as he watched her board the plane. Almost two years had passed since the night he saw her in the back of that pickup truck being assaulted by a group of men. They saved her that night. As it turned out she would save them months later. She had given them much more than they ever gave her in return. No one could ever take her place.

Cait watched as the plane left the ground. She looked away as it lifted up. She was not going to look back, it was too painful. It was going to take a lot to mend her broken heart but she knew she could do it.

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Monday morning String was relieved to see that Cait's car was not at the hangar yet. He hadn't spoken to Dom since he returned late last night. He wanted a chance to talk to him before Cait arrived. He needed his advice on how to handle what had happened between them. Walking into the hangar he thought it was too quiet. He saw Dom sitting in the office going over some paper work.

"Morning Dom, I need to talk to you before Cait gets here."

Dom answered him without looking up. "You got all the time in the world kid."

"Why, isn't she coming in today?" He asked the question already fearing what the answer was going to be.

Dom was still looking intently at the papers in front of him. His answer was short and to the point.

"She doesn't work here anymore. She took that modeling job with the magazine. The new schedule is on the board."

String took a sip of his coffee trying to cover up the emotions that were surging through him. "I was afraid of that" was all he said as he walked out of the office.

He stood looking the hangar over. It will never be the same without her. He didn't just lose a good friend; he lost a part of his heart. Outside of Dom no one knew him the way Cait did. When they flew together whether it was Airwolf or a helicopter she was like a part of him able to react before he even gave her a command as if she knew what his next move would be. He could have just told her he loved her back and all of this could have been avoided but that wouldn't have been fair to either one of them. She would have seen right through it anyway.

Dom came out of the office and put his arm around Strings shoulder. "No one thinks it's your fault kid. You can only feel what you feel and nothing can change that. Let's say we get some work done huh?"