I Want To Help, Chap. 3
A/N #1 – I don't own the characters...either Bellsario or Universal does. But since they won't play with these characters anymore, I do every now and then.
A/N #2 – This is another idea from Starclipper01, with a little refining from Sirius7. Events depicted here occur approximately three years after the events of Chap. 2.
"So now, wait a second, little brother," Saint John Hawke said as he sat down in the office of Santini Air. He was there with Dom, String, and String's wife, Caitlin. "You're trying to tell me that Caitlin came up to the cabin, by herself, on my birthday, and by the end of the day, you realized how you felt about her? Sorry, String...but I don't buy it."
"Sinj," String replied, "I know it sounds unbelievable...heck, I didn't believe it was happening when it did happen. But, that's exactly what did happen." He smiled at his wife as they both recalled the day three years earlier when Caitlin had come up to the cabin to try and help String deal with the anniversary of his older brother's birthday.
"Weren't you scared, Cait?" Saint John asked. "I mean, I know what String's like when he gets angry...and I can't imagine he was too pleased to see you up at the cabin that day."
"That's putting it mildly, Sinj," Cait said with a smile as she glanced at her husband. "When I got out of the helicopter up at the cabin, I was scared to death. I didn't know what your brother was going to do when he found me out there." Stringfellow quickly took his wife's hand, as he could see the emotions that the memory was dredging up within her.
"Cait," String began, "you know I'd never do anything to..." He couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence.
"No, String," Caitlin hurriedly assured her husband. "I knew you wouldn't do anything to hurt me...at least, not physically. Now, emotionally, I didn't know what you might do. I was prepared for a screaming match...the silent treatment, anything...except what I got."
"Yeah, I did kinda take you by surprise," String laughed as he remembered the look on her face when he said, "Well, we might as well go inside," and then put his arm around her as they walked back to the cabin. "So, Cait...which surprised you more...when I invited you inside, or when I put my arm around you?" String asked.
"What about 'both'? I mean, String, let's face it," Caitlin answered him, "you were never much for physical contact between us before then...and I didn't know what to think when I felt your arm around me. But," she said with a smile, "I did like it. And I especially liked when you invited me inside."
"I kinda noticed that," String replied, and smiled at the memory, especially when he recalled their first real kiss, which happened a short time later.
"I still don't buy it," Saint John said. "Dom? What were you thinking during all of this?"
"Hey, Sinj, I hadn't seen any of it," Dom piped up. "I was busy that day, so I couldn't go up to the cabin and be with String like I had before...and Cait volunteered to go up instead."
"She volunteered?" Saint John all but shouted in disbelief.
"Yeah, Sinj, I volunteered," Caitlin shot back, grinning. "I knew String shouldn't be alone that day...so I told Dom I'd fly up to the cabin and be with String. And, I don't mind tellin' you, it was not something I was particularly looking forward to. I just...just knew I had to do it, since Dom couldn't be there."
"So, tell me a little more about this...encounter," Saint John said, grinning. String smiled and related the story, from the part where he and Caitlin had gone into the cabin, up until he started moving closer to her on the couch. He had to stop at that point, and Caitlin laughed. "I still remember that...the closer you got to me, the more I was thinking, What the heck is he doing? And, does he even know he's doing it?"
"To tell you the truth, Cait, I wasn't thinking," String admitted, and blushed slightly. "It...just felt right," he said, and Caitlin stifled a chuckle at those words.
"I know I heard that somewhere before," Caitlin said. "Oh, yeah, I remember," she continued, giving String her best impish grin. "It was right after I kissed you," she said, and String nodded, smiling as he remembered how startled he'd been at first.
"But, in all fairness," Caitlin said, "you warmed up to what I was doing pretty quick," and String nodded as he remembered just how quickly he'd warmed up to Caitlin's kiss.
"Yeah," String said, and smiled first at his wife, then at his older brother, whose expression bordered somewhere between total disbelief and incomprehension.
"I don't get it," Saint John said, shaking his head. "I don't get it at all. But," he added, smiling at his sister-in-law, "I can definitely see how being married to you has improved my kid brother's attitude, Caitlin. Whatever magic you've worked on him, I hope it never goes away."
"I wouldn't worry about that, Sinj," Caitlin said with a smile. "I don't plan on letting String go for a long time. I signed on 'till death do us part,' you know."
"Me, too," String agreed as he reached over and took hold of Caitlin's hand. "I have to admit...I was a little paranoid at first...what with the curse and everything..."
"String," Saint John interrupted him, "don't you think me being back kinda blows a big hole in that so-called 'curse'?"
"Sinj, you know I hate when you're right," String replied with a grin. "Especially since you seem to be right so often," he said, ignoring the dirty look his older brother shot at him.
"Older brother's prerogative," Saint John replied, smirking. "I'm supposed to know everything."
"Yeah, yeah," String shot back, and grinned at his older brother to let him know there were no hard feelings. "Well...don't let that go to your head, Sinj."
Saint John stared at his younger brother as if to say, Who, me? Aloud, he said, "String...you know me better than that."
"Yeah...that's why I said it," String said and grinned at his older brother again.
"Okay, okay," Saint John chuckled, then turned to Caitlin. "So, Cait...what happened after you left?"
"Well, Sinj," Caitlin replied, using the nickname she'd heard String use for his older brother, "when Dom brought Hawke in the next morning, I swear he didn't know what was going on." Caitlin stifled a chuckle as she pictured Dominic's expression that morning, when he and String got out of the chopper.
"Oh, that's putting it mildly, sweetheart," Dom said with a slight laugh. "When String came out of the cabin that morning, I was scared to death. Probably even more scared than you were on Sunday afternoon." Caitlin simply smiled at him. I don't know about that. I don't think anybody could have been that scared.
"So?" Saint John demanded.
"So...what?" String shot back, smiling.
I don't believe it. Cait gave my kid brother his sense of humor back. He's almost like a whole new person. No...actually, he's more like he was before Kelly died. "So...when did you two decide to..."
"Move in together? Oh, about two weeks after that incident," Caitlin said. "I finally decided that I was tired of comin' to an empty apartment...not to mention an empty bed, every day when I left here."
"Well, I can't imagine String was too receptive to that idea, either," Saint John replied, and grinned at both his brother and sister-in-law.
"That's where you'd be wrong, Sinj," String replied. "Especially since I was the one to suggest it." String finished, smiling as he noted Saint John's expression. "Oh, at first I was a little hesitant...but then I realized kinda the same thing Cait did...it was not pleasant being alone every day after work, and then again every night after I'd seen Cait. So, I asked her if she wanted to move up to the cabin with me...I think it took her about five seconds to decide she did," Hawke said, and smiled as he recalled that day.
"Y'know, Cait, I've been thinking," String had said one evening after dropping Caitlin back at her apartment. "Isn't it a little ridiculous, you coming back here and being alone every night, and me going back to the cabin and being alone every night? Now that we know how we feel about each other..." Hawke suddenly became nervous, and couldn't finish his sentence.
"String? Are you asking what I think...no, wait...what I hope you're asking me?" Caitlin had wanted to know. She wanted nothing more than to be Hawke's wife, she'd known this from the day she first came to California to find him. But in the meantime, I'd like nothin' better than to wake up next to him every morning...and go to sleep in his arms every night.
"Well, that all depends," String had said. "How would you feel about making the cabin your permanent home? I'd...I'd really like it if you'd move in there with me, Cait, and..." Hawke had been cut off in the middle of his sentence when Caitlin grabbed him and kissed him fiercely, but passionately. And they'd gotten her moved up to the cabin in a day's time.
"Now, that I can vouch for," Dominic said, laughing. He still recalled the day when, after he dropped String at the cabin, Hawke had said, "Dom...Cait and I are gonna need your help tomorrow."
"Oh?" Dom had asked, and String had smiled when he pictured Dom's reaction to what he was about to say. "Doing what? You mind my asking?"
"For once, no," String had responded. "Dom...Cait wants to move up here with me...so we're gonna need your help to get it done as quickly as possible."
"Oh, sure, String...I can...wait. WHAT did you say? I coulda sworn you just said Cait was gonna move into the cabin with you."
"That's what I said, Dom. We decided that it was ridiculous living apart from each other, now that we know we love each other. And," Hawke had said, "you can't tell me you haven't thought about it, at least once."
"If I said I hadn't, I'd be lyin,' String!" Dom had said, relieved that his two "kids" had finally seen the light...especially String. Dom had been bothering String for over two years, practically since the day Cait's plane had been hijacked while she was flying home for her sister's wedding, to get String and Caitlin together. And he also knew what Caitlin had told him just a few weeks previous, when Hawke was kidnapped by John Bradford Horn.
"Dom, don't do that to me. I care about him too, you know – probably more than you know." Cait had said. And I sure as hell knew she didn't mean like a brother, Dom had said to himself later.
"And of course, once we were living together, it was just a matter of time before we got married," String said, bringing himself back to the present.
"Well, little brother," Saint John said with a smile and a shake of his head, "I have to say – after Kelly...I never thought you'd get serious about anybody again. But in this case, I'm glad I was wrong."
"Hey, Sinj," String said, smiling back at his brother, "it's okay...hell, I didn't think I'd ever get serious about anybody again after Kelly was killed. But, I hadn't met Cait yet," he finished with a smile directed at his wife.
"Ah, String," Dom smiled as he shook his head, "It was a good day when Cait came lookin' for you...even if it did take you two years to acknowledge it!" He laughed heartily, and was surprised when String joined him.
"Yeah, Dom...but then again, I always was the stubborn one," String replied, and noticed Saint John nodding in return.
Just then, String turned toward his wife, just in time to see her topple out of the chair she was sitting in. "CAIT!" Hawke screamed as he caught her, and Dom was already on the move, grabbing the keys to one of the Jeeps. In a few minutes, they were on their way to the hospital, Saint John following just behind.
After what seemed like an eternity, but was really only a few minutes, Hawke and Dom pulled up at the emergency entrance. Caitlin had come around by this time, and when she realized they were at a hospital, she asked what they were doing there.
"Sweetheart," Hawke said as he helped her out of the Jeep, "you fainted on us back at the hangar. You need to get checked out," he said as Caitlin shook her head.
"Nah, String, I'm okay..." Caitlin stopped as another wave of dizziness hit her, then looked at her husband sheepishly and said, "Guess you're right. I haven't been feeling like myself lately."
"And why didn't you say anything about this?" Hawke asked as a wheelchair was brought out.
"Oh, String...I didn't want to worry you, or Dom, or anybody else," Caitlin said. "I'm fine...just get a little dizzy every now and then, that's all. Especially in the morning, for some strange reason." She smiled up at her husband, whose face bore more concern than she'd seen there in a long time.
Caitlin was wheeled into an examination room while Dom, String and Saint John sat in the waiting room. Saint John looked at his younger brother with concern. "You okay, little brother?"
"Yeah...no, I'm not," String replied. "I had no idea she was sick...she's seemed fine until she fainted this morning. If anything's happened to her..."
"Relax, String," Dom said, his hand on his younger "son's" shoulder. "Cait's gonna be fine. She's tough...like you and Sinj. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, Dom," String said, and brightened up a little. "I know."
A few minutes later, a female doctor came over to the group. "Mr. Hawke?"
"Yes?" Saint John and String both stood up at the same time.
"I'm sorry...Mr. Stringfellow Hawke?"
"Yes, Doctor," String said impatiently. "How's my wife?"
Smiling, the doctor said, "Why don't you ask her that yourself?" and led the group into the examination room where Caitlin had just finished buttoning up her shirt.
"Cait? Are you okay?" String demanded, a little more harshly than he'd intended.
"Hawke," Caitlin said, and String noticed tears in her eyes, "I'm fine...and...I'm pregnant."
"WHAT?" from all three men at the same time, although Dom had his suspicions when Caitlin said she got dizzy, "especially in the morning, for some strange reason." I wondered if it might be morning sickness...guess we know, now.
.
"That's correct, Mr. Hawke," the doctor said, smiling. "Caitlin's about six weeks pregnant. I've given her a prescription for some prenatal vitamins...her iron count's a bit low, which is why she fainted this morning. She'll be fine with those and a sensible diet. And by the way, Caitlin...Stringfellow," the doctor said with a smile, "Congratulations."
"Thank you, Doctor," Stringfellow and Caitlin said together, as he took his wife in his arms.
"Can you believe it, String?" Caitlin asked, still incredulous. "We're gonna have a baby."
"Wow," String answered, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was going to be a father...and the consequences for the Airwolf crew. If Cait thinks I'm gonna let her fly on Airwolf much longer, she's got another think coming. And of course, there's whether or not she's going to fly after the baby's born. But, we've got the better part of eight months to figure all that out. As they drove back to the hangar, everyone was excited about the prospect of a little Hawke running around the cabin. Later that evening, after String and Caitlin had gone home, String said, "You know this is going to change some things. I mean, if anything happens..."
"Yeah, String," Cait replied, knowing what he was referring to. "But, I think I'll be able to manage...both as a mommy and an Airwolf crewmember. You're not gonna get rid of me that easy, String!" she smiled as she kissed him, pouring all the love and passion she held for him into it.
When they separated, Caitlin looked into her husband's eyes and said, "I love you, String. Always, and forever."
"And I love you, Cait," Hawke said as the two of them retired upstairs for the evening. As he took her into his arms in bed, Stringfellow Hawke thought of everything that had happened in the three years since he'd heard Caitlin say to him, "I want to help." As he felt sleep claim him, he knew that his life was immeasurably better, now that Caitlin was a part of it. Thank you, Caitlin O'Shannessy Hawke, String said to himself. Thank you for everything.