Caitlin closed her eyes as she leaned one shoulder against the cabin doorpost and let the cello music from the dock wash over her. Her arms wrapped around her abdomen unconsciously, providing subliminal comfort. She didn't recognise the piece of music; it was beautiful, she thought. So melodic; so haunting…it took her a moment to realise that the music had stopped. Her blue-green eyes snapped open and collided straight into her husband's concerned gaze.

'You don't have to stop.' She called out as he got up in one smooth move; cello in one hand, the camping stool and bow in the other. Tet, Hawke's dog, followed at his heels as Hawke made his way over to her.

'What are you doing out of bed?' Hawke asked gruffly as he stacked the stool against the cabin wall. 'I thought you were napping.' He leaned in and dropped a gentle kiss on her lips.

'I was.' Caitlin said as they walked back inside. 'Nicky started fussing and once I was up, I thought I ought to get up.' She sank onto the sofa and extended her hands out towards the smouldering fire.

Hawke finished hanging the cello and strode back over to stoke the fire to a cheerful blaze. 'You could have gone back. The doctor said you should rest.'

'I've been resting for the last month,' Caitlin said dryly, 'I think I'm doing OK. It's about time I was up and doing more.'

'You shouldn't rush it.' Hawke muttered.

Caitlin regarded his back with exasperation. She bit her lip. They'd been on the verge of arguing about the pace of her recovery for the last couple of days; it was brewing and she knew there was going to be a moment when it would boil over. She put it off again and settled back against the cushions. 'I haven't heard you play that music before.'

'It's new.' Hawke straightened. He ruffled the top of Tet's head and sat down beside her. He gently slid an arm around her shoulder and she let herself lean into his solid warmth.

'It's beautiful.' Caitlin said.

He stroked a hand down her arm and interweaved their fingers. 'It's not finished yet.'

'You know you should probably play it for your Mom. I'm sure she'd love it.' Caitlin suggested gently.

Hawke stiffened a little. 'Like I said it's not finished yet.'

Caitlin bit her lip again. Touchy subject number two, she mused. She sighed inwardly and wondered if maybe it was the best time to tackle an argument after all. She was going to have to eventually, she knew that. She had been so weak when she'd first left the hospital that it had barely registered with her that Hawke had asked their family and friends to leave them alone for a while. She'd realised as she'd started to gain some strength that not only were Hawke's old fears back tenfold but he'd withdrawn back to the mountain. At least it seemed he wanted her with him, she mused, but she also knew she couldn't let it continue. 'I thought I heard your parents visit last night.'

'Yeah.' Hawke said eventually. 'They came by.'

'They weren't here long.' Caitlin noted.

Hawke frowned and stared at the fire. 'No.'

Caitlin sighed and moved to look at him fully. 'You told them to leave, didn't you?' For a long moment, she didn't think he was going to answer her.

'I didn't want you disturbed.' Hawke said defensively. 'You need your rest.'

'I've had plenty of rest,' Caitlin contradicted him, 'and they're your parents. Don't you want to spend time with them?'

He got up abruptly. 'Coffee?'

'Don't change the subject.' Caitlin followed him into the kitchen. 'Hawke, you have to talk about this.'

'Talk about what?' Hawke slammed the coffee pot on the stove. 'There's nothing to talk about.'

She leaned on the breakfast bar for support. 'Yes, there is. You can't keep pushing your family away.' Caitlin said tiredly. 'Last night was the first time you've seen them since we came back from the hospital and they were barely here five minutes before you asked them to leave. They don't deserve that.'

'I know that.' Hawke muttered.

'Do you?' Caitlin asked pointedly.

She saw him flinch before he whirled away to stand with his back to her, his hands braced on the kitchen counter-top. He didn't reply to her; he wasn't sure he had an answer for her.

'I know it was hell for you while I was unconscious,' Caitlin began.

'No.' Hawke interrupted her brusquely. 'You don't.'

'Yes, I do.' Caitlin rejoined sharply. 'How the hell do you think I felt all the time you were in a coma last year?'

Hawke was shocked enough to spin round to face her. His blue eyes gleamed with sudden uncertainty before they became guarded.

'I know.' Caitlin repeated more gently. 'And I know what happened with Dom was hard to go through…'

His expression closed up completely like a mask falling over him. He whirled away again, unable to face the sympathy in her eyes.

Caitlin sighed and walked over to him. Her arms slid around his waist and she pressed the side of her face into his back as she hugged him. 'I miss him too.'

Hawke felt tears prick the back of his eyes and he shut them tightly. He couldn't give into the grief biting at him; he wasn't sure he'd come back from it.

'It felt like we lost him all over again,' Caitlin said sadly, 'and I can't imagine how much pain it caused you to go through that but…' she struggled to keep the tears that pressed at the back of her throat, out of her voice, 'Dom might be gone but I'm still here and so are your family, and all we want to do is be there for you. Don't push us away.' Her voice broke on the last statement.

Hawke turned around abruptly. His arms tightened around so hard for a second she wondered if she could breathe. His face buried into the crook of her neck and she felt the wet shock of his tears against her skin. Her hands clung onto him; one sneaking up to stroke the back of his neck and through the short mink brown strands comfortingly as he sobbed silently. She didn't know how long they stayed that way but eventually Hawke loosened his hold and raised his head.

He looked at Caitlin for a long moment. Her eyes were bright with the tears that were still spilling over onto her flushed cheeks. He cupped her cheek and when she leaned into him, his thumb stroked away the wetness. The evidence of the horrendous injuries she had suffered was there in the short red hair that barely covered the vivid scars of her brain surgery. Her skin was too pale; the freckles standing out in sharp relief. Her eyes were sad with more than grief for Dom; Hawke knew she mourned the loss of the baby she had miscarried, the second child they had wanted. His thumb drifted over her lips. He kissed her softly. The kiss deepened and he pressed her against him tightly. The sound of a baby crying had them breaking apart ruefully.

'I'll get him.' Hawke said.

'We'll both get him.' Caitlin corrected.

It took a while to get Nicky changed, fed and settled back into his crib. They stood over him, watching him. Caitlin stroked a finger over the soft baby skin, her heart swelling with maternal love.

'You saved him.'

She glanced up at Hawke confused.

'You saved him.' Hawke repeated.

She looked down at Nicky. 'I'm so sorry.'

Her words were barely a whisper but Hawke heard them. 'What for?' He asked softly; he believed he already knew the answer.

'I couldn't save them both.' Caitlin couldn't look at him.

'You were badly injured, Cait.' Hawke reminded her gently. 'There was nothing you could do. It was a miracle you and Nicky made it out of that crash alive.'

'I know that.' Caitlin said. She swallowed hard against the rush of emotion. 'I just…I think it's going to take some time to feel it.'

Hawke rubbed her back soothingly and she turned into his embrace swiftly. She snuggled against him and sighed deeply.

'You're tired. You should get some rest.' Hawke murmured.

Caitlin pulled away to look at him. 'Stop wrapping me in cotton wool.'

He frowned and she was certain he was about to argue with her when his blue eyes suddenly lit with amusement.

'What?' She demanded.

'I was just remembering…' Hawke shook his head. 'You remember when you got pregnant with Nicky and I got a little protective?'

'Vaguely.' She said wryly.

'Dom told me if I held you too tightly I'd smother you.' Hawke sighed. 'I guess I've kinda been doing that lately.'

'I've kinda liked you taking care of me.' Caitlin said with a smile.

'But.' Hawke prompted.

'But,' Caitlin repeated, 'I need to get back on my feet.'

He nodded ruefully. 'You're going to have to be patient with me.'

'We've been here before.' She reminded him. 'We've got over so much; we'll get over this.'

'Yeah.' Hawke kissed the tip of her nose. 'I still think you need to rest though.'

'I'll make you a deal.' Caitlin suggested. 'I'll go to bed if you come with me.'

Hawke raised an eyebrow but he took a step backwards towards their bed and tugged her gently.

They cuddled for a while; content to hold each other and listen to the bedroom fire crackle; Nicky murmuring in his crib.

Caitlin toyed with the buttons on Hawke's shirt. 'You should call Saint John.'

'Yeah.' Hawke allowed.

'We should invite your family over for dinner at the weekend.' Caitlin continued.

Hawke sighed. 'Cait…'

She raised her head and held his gaze firmly. 'They're your family and…'

He placed a finger on her lips.

'What?' She asked.

'They invited us to Dom's apartment tomorrow.' Hawke said carefully.

'Tomorrow?' Caitlin's brow furrowed. 'But, why…oh.' She shook her head sadly. 'I've just lost all track of time, haven't I?'

'Jo's cleaning out the apartment apparently. She thought it would be good to make it a group event and remember Dom.'

'Sounds like a good idea.' Caitlin said examining his impassive expression for clues. 'Do you want to go?'

'Not really.' Hawke admitted. 'But Dom…he was family.'

'Yes, he was.' Caitlin agreed.

'But only if you feel up to it.' Hawke concluded.

Caitlin shifted back to rest her head on his shoulder. 'I'm OK. I'm not sure I'll be doing much when I get there but…I'd like to go.'

'Then we'll go.' Hawke said.

'Together.' Caitlin murmured, closing her eyes on a wave of tiredness.

'Together.' Hawke repeated softly. He listened as Caitlin's breathing changed signalling her slide into sleep and he clasped her a little closer.

He was so bone scared about losing her again, Hawke thought wearily. It had been so close; too close. But she was alive and he was going to have to deal with his fear again. He'd gotten it under control before; he could do it again, he determined. He wouldn't make the same mistake of driving her away in order to protect himself. He loved her too much; hell, needed her too much for that.

His family though…he'd seen the disappointment in their eyes, the hurt in his mother's, when he'd asked them to leave the night before. A strange mix of guilt and defiance churned uneasily in his stomach. He loved them…or at least he loved a memory of them. He didn't know the man and woman who had visited the cabin and contrarily, he wasn't sure he wanted to know them.

It hadn't been their fault they'd been separated; on one level he knew that…on another, he felt angry with them for leaving him alone for so long, for deserting him just like Saint John had done eventually. And he couldn't help feeling a little resentful at his newly found younger sister and brother, Sarah and Seb. They had grown up with his Mom and Dad. Sure, Sarah had rebelled and run off, ending up pregnant and alone until he and Saint John had tracked her down, but she still had years of parenting that he had missed out on from them. Years of parenting he had received instead from Dom.

His heart ached at the thought of the older man. The events of the day Caitlin had woken up from her coma still seemed surreal to him. He'd gone after Giovanni Cordelli, the man responsible for the attack on Caitlin, and found himself flying Airwolf again with his mentor and surrogate father. It had been a fleeting visit from a ghost who had promised him he'd always be backing him, and Dom had when it had mattered most. He still held onto the thought that Dom would always be with him; it comforted him, soothed him. He wasn't sure he was going to manage to stand in Dom's apartment and clear his things…he wasn't sure he could do it.

Caitlin stirred a little in his arms before she gave a sleepy murmur and settled back. He would try for Caitlin though, Hawke thought tiredly. They needed to heal and maybe Dom's apartment was the first step to that. His eyes closed on the thought and a moment later he joined his wife in sleep.