CHAPTER 2

An hour later Hawke woke up in Caitlin's arms, looking up into her sympathetic hazel eyes.

She smiled as he did so and he couldn't help let a trace of a smile appear on his own face.

Suddenly realizing he was practically laying in her lap, he started. "Cait, I…"

"Shh," she whispered, no need for real words.

Instinctively, he drew closer, as if to kiss her, but suddenly pulled away, warning himself that none of this was a good idea.

Dropping his head ashamedly, he drew in a deep breath and struggled to recompose himself.

"Thanks Cait," he said, sincerely grateful, but sounding more like an apology.

"It's nothing," she replied, "Anytime…." she stopped, not wanting to fall into the whole open up and share your problems routine she knew would have no effect on him.

He nodded, understanding of what she meant. He couldn't put words to fit the gratitude he felt. The irritating, repetitive route of trying to get him to discuss his problems didn't help and he wasn't interested, but the silent comfort she had shared few had managed so well. It was a fine line between being too personal and pushing the limits a little, something most hadn't mastered, something he struggled with himself sometimes, but she had done a fine job of.

Gingerly sitting up and stretching his sore muscles, he realized just how close he had been to kissing her; he had slept for at least an hour practically in her lap! This wasn't going to work. It just wasn't a good idea, yet he couldn't believe how hard incredibly hard it was to pull away.

She had somehow gotten past his barriers, no doubt about it. The problem was, she couldn't stay there, but he didn't want to push her way.

Look where that got you with Gabrielle, you stupid lunkhead, he scolded himself. She just couldn't stay, no exceptions.

"Thanks Cait, for everything. You can tell Dom I'll be back at the hangar tomorrow right after I take Le to school," he told her even as he shifted away from his more than comfortable position and stood up.

"You're sure you are okay?"

He nodded. "Fine."

"I guess I don't have an excuse for sticking around any longer then, do I?" she stalled. "I can understand why you like it out here so much. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous and it's all so peaceful and calming…"

He disregarded her less than subtle hints that she wasn't quite ready to leave yet. "Bye Caitlin. See you tomorrow."

Reluctantly, she too got up and headed for the downstairs. "Yeah, bye."

\A/

Sweeping the crumbs off the desk and throwing them away, Dom finished cleaning up his trash from lunch just as Caitlin returned.

"I take it things must not have gone all bad considering how long you were gone," Dominic commented wryly.

"Not all bad," she agreed. "Can't say it was perfect though either."

"Well? Are you going to tell me or do I have to force it out of you?"

"He said he would be back up here tomorrow, and he's in a better mood for now, kind of…"

"How kind of?"

"I wasn't his only visitor. Michael and Marella were there with some mission for him. I don't know what it was, but it had him pretty upset."

"Oh?"

"He wouldn't talk about it though and I don't have the slightest clue why. He said he would get back to them with his answer, but Michael especially was pushing pretty hard for him to take it even though he obviously rather annoyed at the whole idea."

\A/

11:00 pm

String's Cabin

Alone again. The dark midnight sky was totally black other than the scattering of stars speckled across it, and a cool breeze took away some of the heavy oppressive heat that hung in the air all day. It was the perfect evening, well maybe not quite perfect.

Le had gone to bed, or at least crashed on the sofa, but sleep evaded Hawke, thoughts of Michael's mission constantly plaguing him. Should he or shouldn't he do it? Even if he did decide to take it, the difficult decisions would be far from over.

It had to be done, he understood that, one way or another. He just didn't like it though. The general premise was easy - pick up the agent and return her to Knightsbridge. But the details complicated things. A lot.

This wasn't just a Michael wanted him to do it mission, this was strictly a FIRM mission and he would have to abide by their rules. He didn't even particularly like this agent, and with the predicament she was in, just finding her wouldn't be easy, much less actually picking her up, the defenses he might have to go through…. It wouldn't be easy and definitely had plenty of risks and opportunities to go wrong to say the least. On the flip side, if he didn't do it somebody else would have to, and sending in a full fledged attack group, or even a small specialized group was just asking for a massacre. Airwolf really was the only way to go.

The other catch - he was to go alone, possibly even under cover, doing whatever he had to to get her out, all for an agent he didn't like. Why? Because with her she had the plans and even a sample of what the Russians could easily turn into a nuclear war.

The stakes were high, but so were the chances he would be taking. What if he didn't come back? What would happen to Dom and Cait? What about Le? He was, after all, the one who had promised Le that he would take care of him, that he would always be there for him. And Saint John? Everyone else believed he was dead, just gone with the other twenty five hundred other MIAs from Vietnam and never to be seen again. Who would rescue him?

And since he would have to abide by FIRM protocol, there would be no telling anyone where he was going and when he would be back, if he even came back, and if he were captured…. Well, he wouldn't exactly be holding his breath for a search party coming after him.