Chapter 3

Michael Coldsmith-Briggs the Third found himself riding down the elevator of Star Gate Command. His reddish blonde hair was neatly kempt and he donned the classic white suite and tie once more. A darken lens covered the left eye and he leaned against the all white cane. He was on the verge of retirement when he got the call from General Hammond about the old crew of Airwolf and a job transfer that he could not refuse. He looked forward to seeing Caitlin, Sinjin and Jo again. He not seen them since String's funeral five years prior. He had his own suspicions about the accident. To him, the accident seemed most improbable as Stringfellow Hawke did not drink and never did drugs despite the leg injury he endured when the bomb that killed Dom had exploded.

The lift came to the proper floor and the door slid open. Caitlin and Daniel stood waiting for him to arrive. The first thing Michael noticed was Caitlin was dressed in blue battle dress along with Daniel. He then looked at Daniel for the face looked familiar.

Caitlin welcomed Michael with open arms. "Michael! Welcome to the S.G.C.. You remember Nick Ballard? The archeologist."

"I remember that case." he agreed.

"This is Daniel. His grandson." she motioned.

Daniel held out a hand. "I was fifteen last I saw you."

"Daniel Jackson!" he recalled. "The boy who could speak a over dozen languages."

"It's twenty-eight languages now." he told him.

"I remember you. I thought you would have made a good agent since you are poly lingual." he stated.

Daniel couldn't help but ask. "What happened to Marella?"

"She's still with the FIRM." he informed. "Working the U.K. office." He looked at Caitlin, "He heard Airwolf was salvaged."

She grinned, "And I'm part owner now! A group of us are restoring her to fly in air shows."

"She was once of a kind." he replied pleased with the news.

"She still is." she insisted. "This way. I'll show you to your new office and the Gate."

"I cannot tell you how shocked I was to read that report." he admitted. "A Star Gate. Just wish String was here to see it. I'm glad Sinjin is!"

"We all wish String was here." she agreed. "Come on."

Short Time Later

After his debriefing, Michael Coldsmith-Briggs the Third, code name: Archangel settled into his new role in life. He found his office and sat down behind the standard gray metal office desk to get acquainted with his work space.

Colonel Jack O'Neill decided to check on the old spy. He came to the office and stepped inside. "So! Settling in?" he asked. He was trying to suppress the urge to ask why the man wore a white suit and tie for the look, though sharp, stood out.

Michael stated, "Everything seems in order, Colonel."

Jack took a step closer. He tried to not seem nosey as he came across very nosey. "So…um…what's with the white suit?"

He cracked a smile. "It's my trademark."

Jack shifted his weight awkwardly, "And the eye? Can you like…see…out of it?"

"I can't." he shook his head. "I can still shoot straight though."

"How did that happen?" he wondered.

"The day Airwolf was stolen. The FIRM was attacked. Lost a lot of good people that day." he informed. "I heard you did rather well on the Airwolf simulator that Major Carter built."

"Yeah," he agreed with a nod. "I can't wait to actually fly it though. Carter wants to put in this pilot assist program. I want to fly it raw. Like Hawke and his brother did."

"I see." he gave a crooked smirk knowing the best pilots liked a challenge. "I heard Major Carter's score was higher than yours on the simulator. Few women could fly the Lady raw…as you put it, Colonel."

"Carter could fly her raw. She's a regular MacGyver." he admitted.

Michael stated, "Did anyone ever tell you…"

"Yes! Now drop it." he huffed. He then suggested, "Hawke's team is just him and the two girls. I suggested to Hammond to add you to the team. I don't think you want to be wearing all white off world. Might want to go pick yourself out some battle dress."

"You mean, I will be going off world." he clarified.

"I think you would make a good forth man for his team." he agreed.

Michael didn't think he would be allowed off world due to his medical conditions. He was most grateful. "I appreciate that, Colonel."

"Welcome." he replied. "I got to ask. You drive that big ole white Caddy here?"

"That's my car." he confirmed.

"Huh." he puckered in thought.

"Colonel?" he asked.

He explained "I thought spies blended in."

"I assure you that I can blend in." he stated. "Matter of fact, I will go pick out my uniform now." He then motioned towards the door, "Colonel."

"Right." Jack then walked out of the office with Michael in tow. The two men walked the hallway. "So, what was Stringfellow Hawke like?"

"Lot like his brother and a lot like you." Michael stated.

Jack wondered. "How was he like me? I don't have anything in common with Hawke."

"Ask him about the cabin." Michael suggested.

"Hawke has a cabin too?" he asked surprised. He then wondered how did that old spy know he had a cabin.

"Indeed." he smiled.

Meanwhile

Caitlin O'Shannessy found herself working and training with Daniel. It was most odd as she recalled taking care of him and helping him learn lessons in life when he was a teenager. Now, the rolls were reversed and it was Daniel who was the teacher.

Daniel found that Caitlin could pick up learning Ancient much easier as she was bi lingual and spoke Spanish fluently. He enjoyed working with his old crush more as an adult than when he was a love struck teen.

Caitlin rubbed her eyes to take a break from learning how to translate. She stretched and decided she needed a break and to get her mind off the glyphs before her. "Tell me, Daniel. You ever get married?" She figured he had for she noticed the photo on his desk.

"I was married for a year. Her name was Sha're. She was taken against her will as a host for a Goa'uld. She died." he kept the reply simple for he did not wish to relive the hurt. He then asked, "Why didn't you and String get married?"

"I had to go back to Texas for my parents right before Dom was killed. I came back to see him and after Dom's funeral, we just went our separate ways." she explained. "I guess things just never work out the way you hope."

"I know what you mean." he agreed. He laughed slightly to himself in thought.

"What?" she wondered what he found funny.

"I was just imagining String, here in the S.G.C. and him putting up with Jack's antics." he laughed.

Caitlin grinned. "He would not put up with Jack's antics. He would kick him out of his office."

"I know." he chuckled.

"Boy," she had to laugh aloud. "Talk to about opposites. And yet! They are so much alike. Both have cabins. Both love a quiet weekend off. Neither like crowds."

Daniel recalled the cabin. "Sinjin get String's cabin?"

"He has it." she nodded. "And the paintings his father stole from the Nazis."

"Those are museum pieces." he had to agree.

"The fakes are in the museums." she told him.

He sighed, "Don't tell me that."

Meanwhile

Jo Santini, sporting blue battle dress, worked with Sam in her lab learning the technology she would working with in the field. She quickly picked up the computers and was learning about the alien tech before her. She made small talk with Sam as they worked.

"I have to wonder. Uncle Dom told me about a night where he and John Hawke, Sinjin's dad, saw Foo Fighters during World War Two. Do you think maybe they actually saw something, Sam?"

"Could be. We don't have any idea what they actually saw." she shrugged. "Boy, I wish I met Dom. World War Two fighter ace who flew mustangs. He sounds so cool."

"Uncle Dom would have adored you." she assured. "You are just like me and Cait. He practically adopted us as his own." She stepped back from the computer screen to take a break. "Boy, this is not good for your eyes."

"Take a break." Sam instructed.

Jo mentioned. "With all this alien tech one would think we could find a way to travel through time and fix what went wrong." She stretched her tired stiff muscles.

Sam mentioned, "We have traveled through time. The first year of operation, the Gate sent us to 1969. Meet General Hammond as a young man. He helped us get back home. Thing about time travel is you don't want to create a paradox."

Jo asked, "Like going back and breaking up your parents so you never exist?"

"Exactly!" she agreed. "You really get this."

"It's the plot from that movie. Back to the Future." Jo told her.

Sam asked, "Is that the one where they made a time machine out of a Delorean?"

"Yup." she grinned amused.

Sam shook her head.

"Movie was kind of silly." Jo assumed Sam did not like the movie.

"The movie was okay. Just what a way to ruin a nice car." she complained.

"You liked the car?" she figured.

"Anything with an engine." she confessed. "Airwolf has three engines total. That's why I'm restoring it. I can't wait to fly it." she grinned.

Jo chuckled, "You should have seen it in her heyday."

She remarked, "I was a fifteen year old kid. I doubt I would have gotten very close."

Jo chuckled. "I don't know. I think a fifteen your old engineering genius would have gotten String's attention."

Sam mentioned, "He was one good looking guy. I didn't know Caitlin and him were a couple until Daniel mentioned it."

"Uncle Dom was certain they would have gotten married. You see, String thought he was jinxed. He was afraid to let anyone get too close or they would die. He lost his parents as a child. Lost Sinjin in Nam. Lost this one girl he had the first year flying Airwolf. Then Caitlin showed up and that seemed to have broken his curse. Then Dom got killed right after Caitlin had to go back home for her folks. After that, he thought he was still jinxed so, he pushed Cait away to protect her."

Sam gave a sigh and shook her head. "That's a shame. Pushed her away out of fear."

"He thought he was saving her life." she shrugged helpless.

"Daniel lost both his parents when he was a kid. He lost his first wife. Killed right in front of him. He never pushes anyone away. He is always there! No matter what." she told her.

Jo pondered, "I guess that's one lesson that I wish Daniel had taught String." She then concluded. "Of course, he was only fifteen and I doubt String would have listened to him."

"Men." she miffed and shook her head.

Jo reminded her. "Daniel is also a man!"

"He's different." she told her. "He's not as emotionally stubborn." She puckered in thought as she pondered her own assertion. "Well, he is but in a good way."

"Daniel is cute." she teased.

"He's an alien chick magnet." Sam huffed. "Every alien chick we come across pretty much throws themselves at him."

"I think if I was young and single I might throw at him too." Jo jested.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Come on! I need a snack."

"More blue Jell-O?" Jo asked knowing.

"Yup!" she nodded hard.