Airwolf Rule The World

Back at the Hangar Hawke stood leaning up against the workbenches waiting for the laptops to finish their diagnostic of the damage to Airwolf. He was sipping on what seemed his hundredth coffee, the caffeine keeping him fully awake. He couldn’t sleep. Part of him was still struggling with the darkness that he used to hide in, which was creeping back. He had taken a handful of pain killers that Kristien had got for him for the cracked ribs. He hated taking any form of medication but when Kristien warned him that he must take them, or have Sarah inject him as he needed to take deep breaths every hour to prevent pneumonia, he decided that the tablets would be best.



He had spent an eternity in the showers, partly to ease the aches from the battle but also hoping that Kristien may join him. When it was obvious that she wasn’t he quietly walked out, just draped in a towel and checked on her. Kristien was fast asleep in the hangar bedroom. The flight and subsequent battle, had taken its toll on her.



One of the laptops finished and started flashing up various error messages. Hawke picked up the laptop and carried it in to the bedroom. He sat down just staring at Kristien, who for once looked quite peaceful. He wanted to wake her, he urgently needed to talk to her, he needed her help. Hawke’s hand reached out to her and just before he made contact, his hand hovered in the air above her warm, soft skin.



“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Dominic said at the doorway, glad that he had managed a few hours sleep.



Hawke looked up, glad of someone talking to him. “I guess not.” Hawke said reconsidering waking Kristien up.



“I have fresh coffee on.” Dominic said as he left the doorway and went back to the kitchen. “And there’s breakfast.”



Hawke allowed the towel to drop from his lean body and he pulled on a fresh pair of jeans. He looked across at Kristien hoping that she may have caught him naked, but she was still sound asleep. Disappointed, Hawke walked to the kitchen.



Dominic was busy serving up breakfast and he looked up at Hawke’s bruising body from the one sided fight.



“You’ve been busy.” Hawke raised his eyebrow at Dominic.



“Can’t take the credit, not for this.” Dominic said pointing to the full English breakfast. “One thing you can count on here is Alfred.”



Dominic placed a loaded plate in front of Hawke who had sat down at the table and had started to drink another cup of coffee.



“You know that amount of coffee you will be awake right up until Christmas.” Dominic informed Hawke with a chuckle.



Hawke looked up at Dominic who had already started to tuck into his breakfast. “Yeah, maybe.” Hawke replied and he too started to eat his breakfast, he was quite surprised at how hungry he really was. His troubled mind had prevented him from knowing that the last time he had eaten was nearly thirty six hours before.



“How you feeling?” Dominic asked and pointed his fork at Hawke’s body.



Hawke looked down at his bare chest, the bruising from the punches and the cracked ribs all colouring blacks and blues. “I’ll live.” Hawke said as he loaded another mouthful of breakfast.



“You know String, I thought our goose was cooked you know, that last missile, with the Lady limping like that, I think I may have found religion.” Dominic said in between mouthfuls.



Hawke raised his eyebrow at Dominic.



“Not that I didn’t have faith in you, you know.” Dominic quickly jumped in seeing Hawke’s expression. “Say String, how did you know what Kristien was going to do?”



“She did that before.” Hawke muttered quietly.



“Oh? When?” Dominic wanted to know more about the manoeuvre that saved their butts.



“When we tested Airwolf.” Hawke sighed deeply remembering a time when everything was perfect between him and Kristien.



“Well she’s one hell of a pilot in that plane of hers you know.” Dominic nodded and pointed his head to the direction of the hangar where both Airwolf and the Phoenix stood, side by side. “So um, when you tested the Lady you say.” Dominic prompted hoping for a good story to come out.



Hawke finished his last mouthful and pushed the plate away, and he wiped his mouth on the white napkin. “Yeah, Kristie had her own way of testing the Lady and she went up against me many a time, it was the only way to test some of the Lady’s systems.” Hawke replied fondly reminiscing the one on one battles that he had with Kristien, she certainly taught him well to handle Airwolf.



“Well, I am going up to the house, I guess I will see you two later?” Dominic replied and he stood up and paused at Hawke and patted him affectionately on his shoulder. “Don’t dwell on things too much, you hear.” Dominic left.



Hawke sat for a while in the quietness of his thoughts. Finally he wandered back into the hangar and walked over to Airwolf. His hands gently touched the armour plating and he went to where the damaged turbo was where the missile hit. Airwolf had held up well to a direct hit. He allowed his hands to wander over the sleek lines of the prototype. He looked across at the Phoenix. Having flown it and having his arse saved by it he leant up against Airwolf’s wing mounts and paused absorbing the amazing MIG45. He wondered who in the world would be able to fly it. Had Kristien designed an aircraft to be flown by the gifted few? Before he could think any further Kristien’s voice broke the silence between the two aircraft.



“You have got to be fucking joking.” Kristien’s voice was quite pissed off.



Hawke’s face broke into a smile as he knew what she was swearing about. Hawke wandered over to the bedroom and stood in the doorway, he wanted his mind to be diverted and a rebuke about breaking Airwolf was an excellent diversion. Kristien was sat up in bed, dressed one of his blue shirts, with the laptop in front of her.



“Morning.” Hawke greeted her.



“Really!” Kristien was in no mood to be exchanging pleasantries. “You’ve bloody broken her!”



“It’s just the starboard turbo.” Hawke reminded her. “Maybe an overhaul.”



“Overhaul? And the rest!” Kristien just flicked through the screens. “It’s going to take around two hundred hours to fix this, and I am in no fit state.”



Hawke sat on the bed next to Kristien. “Dom and I can do it, don’t worry.” Hawke told her.



Kristien’s eyes slowly went from the screen of the laptop and met Hawke’s. His blue piercing eyes were deep with pain and brooding. Kristien continued her gaze and looked at his troubled soul within. She saw the darkness and the turmoil he was in. Kristien placed her hand in his, her thumb rubbing the top of his hand.



“There was nothing you could do.” Kristien calmly told Hawke.



“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Hawke replied despondently.



“Let me get dressed and I will take you to a place that will help.” Kristien spoke softly.



The black Range Rover drove to a part of the estate that Hawke had never been to before. True, he needed to explore Kristien’s place a lot more but he never knew this part existed. They had driven for around thirty minutes to a place which was secret and only Kristien ever visited.



Kristien stepped out of the driver’s door and took a few steps forward. She held her head for a moment as if something was hurting her. Hawke jumped out of the luxurious 4x4 and got close to her, he wanted so much to hold her in his arms, but he held back, remembering what he had done with Diana.



He stood next to Kristien, concerned for her. “Are you okay?” He asked gently.



Kristien looked at Hawke. “Yeah, it was……nothing.” Kristien was about to reveal what she had felt but thought different about it. “Come on.” Kristien encouraged Hawke to follow her. There was a walled area, around twelve feet high. It looked very old, very old, possibly predating the Elizabethan house itself. Nearby was a folly. Hawke knew he had never been to this part of Kristien’s estate, he couldn’t even remember flying over this part. He followed Kristien through the huge oak gates. As Hawke followed Kristien he looked up and then saw something that he was not prepared for. It was a graveyard.



Hawke stiffened and froze to the spot.



“It’s no good standing there glued to the bloody ground.” Kristien told him. “Get your sorry arse over here and follow me.” Kristien said without even looking back.



Hawke obeyed as if a General had issued the order.



Hawke was not one to frequent graveyards. He had been to enough friends funerals over the years. Far too many friends, especially from the Vietnam War. Hawke followed Kristien and he started to read the tombstones, all of the ornate with statues beside them, some with obelisks, all with names on Dukes and Duchesses, nearby all of the larger ones were smaller ones, Bobby, Rufus. Hawke guessed that these were Kristien’s family dating back hundreds of years and their beloved pets.



Hawke looked around. There were newer ones. Statues of horses, both in white marble but also in bronzes. All marked with their names and their lists of races they had won.



Hawke followed and then paused where Kristien stood. There was an unmarked grave. Just a white marble stone laid into the ground and a child’s toy placed upon it, there was a flame burning in the centre of it.



Hawke stopped.



Just a few feet away was a covered bench. It was obvious that Kristien had spent many hours here. Just alone.



Kristien walked over and sat down on the bench and stretched her legs out. Hawke wasn’t sure at first if he could intrude. After a few moments he came over and sat down, his back to hers. Kristien leant back onto Hawke. He felt her warmth. He now savoured these moments when he had Kristien this close to him. They were quite rare.



Hawke looked around and took in the serenity of the place. The beautiful greenery and flowers that adorned the whole place. As Hawke absorbed the beauty of the place, the realisation that it was a graveyard soon passed away and Hawke soon realised that this place was a celebration of life, not only peoples but their beloved pets too.



Time passed slowly.



It was some time before Kristien spoke.



“I came here after I returned from being taken from the cabin.” Kristien spoke softly. “I wanted to hope, to believe that some how out of all of the pain that Bastian was alive somewhere.” Kristien explained. “I am not ready to put out that flame.”



Hawke struggled with Kristien’s explanation. “Kristie, you were there, you saw….”



“I saw what String? What did I see?” Kristien asked.



Hawke swallowed hard remembering the scene of devastation, the stale taste of death lingering. “Kristie, our son was murdered.” Hawke managed to say despite the lump in his throat. Hawke felt Kristien sigh, her whole body against his, taking a deep breath and relaxing on him. Hawke wanted to turn to her, to hold her in his strong muscular arms but he resisted the urge knowing that Kristien would easily push him away, despite their getting along, Hawke knew his bounds.



“Tell me about Saint John.” Kristien replied.



Hawke was stunned with the different direction he was forced to go down, but under the circumstances he was happy for the distraction, although the darkness was still trying to entice him. “He is the best big brother anyone could ever want, we were always together. He taught me everything to survive and more besides.” Hawke told her happily remembering all of the times he had with Saint John.



Now drawn in to where Kristien wanted him. “So what happened when you got picked up and Saint John didn’t.” Kristien continued to draw Hawke further. She felt Hawke tense up, struggling with his ghosts that he carried around.



Hawke paused, not wanting to relive the nightmare of Nam again, although he did on a daily basis, he kept it to himself. “We were out on a mission to secure a village about twenty clicks from our base. Intelligence said that the Viet Cong came around mid day to the village elder, they wanted to take the village and use it to get to our base. We had secured the village and then all hell broke loose. The Viet Cong were everywhere.” Hawke spoke as if he was being debriefed. “We took positions to defend the village, but it was soon apparent that we were out numbered and totally surrounded. There were several explosions-grenades I think, I don’t know, that’s when I got hit by shrapnel in my leg.” Hawke paused knowing what comes next. “When the Huey’s came into get us Saint John carried me out and put me on one of the Huey’s and stayed behind to do cover fire to allow the huey’s to take off.” Hawke’s voice was cracking under the immense strain. “That was the last time I saw Saint John.”



“So how do you know he is still alive?” Kristien asked having drawn Hawke to where she wanted him.



Hawke swung round and looked at Kristien who was slowing turning to face him.



“I know he is still alive.” Hawke growled with gritted teeth, angry at the line of questioning Kristien had taken him down. Hawke stood up, towering above her, stiffened with anger, ready to make his next move to defend his position.



“How do you know?” Kristien pushed Hawke a little further into his angered state.



Hawke reddened with anger stepped closer to Kristien, his stance heightened with his blood pulsing through his veins, his eyes glazed over, without him knowing his hands clasped tightly as fists formed ready to deliver the first blow.



“Just like I know Bastian is still alive.” Kristien retorted and she stretched her legs out in front of her, her pregnant bump now showing more. Kristien absorbed Hawke’s anger from him.



Hawke looked at Kristien as his glazed eyes looked down at his clenched fists. The darkness trying to draw him. As he wrestled with the darkness he saw a small flickering light, his glazed eyes struggling to see where it was emanating from. His fists became bloodied and he saw the heart in his hands again, ripped from the body of the cloned Archangel.



Kristien reached out to Hawke’s clenched fist. It was hard and cold in her warm hands. Hawke was trembling with the anger that raged inside. Kristien stood up and prised open his cold, hard fist and opened it. Hawke’s eyes were still glazed. Kristien placed Hawke’s open hand inside her shirt and on to her pregnant bump where Metteo was safely housed. Hawke could feel the warmth from Kristien’s soft skin but more, Metteo was kicking and moving quite vigorously inside. Although Kristien would not admit to anyone this movement did cause her lots of pain and discomfort. Hawke’s cold hand could feel Metteo. Hawke’s glazed eyes looked down into Kristien’s eyes.



If it had been anyone else Hawke was sure that his anger would have taken him further, instead he mellowed and looked at her, his anger melting away as quickly as it had come. As he came from the darkness, some clarity came to the forefront of his clouded mind.



“Kristie?” Hawke’s voice was cracking with the emotional turmoil. As the stress of all of the flying took it’s toll, Kristien allowed the pain of carrying a kicking Metteo to consume her. Her legs threatening to collapse, as she fought feebly to stand, she continued to absorb the last of Hawke’s angered and turbulent mind.



“Oh God, no…..did I hurt you?” Hawke’s confused mind refused to become clear. He knew he had fists but he wasn’t sure if he had used them, Kristien was in severe pain. Hawke’s glazed eyes softened as they welled up with tears of sorrow. As Kristien’s strength started to wain, her legs buckled and Hawke caught her in his arms. As Kristien struggled to control the pain and the contractions she was getting, Hawke held her and carried her to the bench, he placed her gently on the bench. He could feel the rhythm of the contractions, the contractions that were threatening to announce Metteo’s early arrival to the world. Kristien reached for her pocket and took out a syringe and took off the top and pushed the needle into her vein into her hand. As she depressed the plunger pushing the needed drugs into her bloodstream, Kristien’s pained face relaxed as the drugs stopped the contractions again, keeping Metteo safe from the outside world. He removed his coat and placed it over Kristien’s legs. He knelt down beside the bench.



Hawke’s watery eyes couldn’t focus anymore. Had he just punched her and caused her to go into labour? Part of his memory was missing. God how he felt sick.



“Oh God, Kristie please help me.” Hawke sobbed as the realisation hit him like a forty four ton truck, he had come so close to hitting the love of his life, the woman that he shared his soul with. He struggled as he remembered how savage he had been with the cloned Archangel. All of his anger of all the events caused by this Archangel had emerged and erupted without any control from Hawke, his hands being the instruments of death. How the hell could he be a father when he had this much anger deep inside of him, threatening to take control at any time. Kristien concentrated and closed her eyes, continuing to absorb all of Hawke’s anger and deep pain. Hawke’s body began to shake as he sobbed uncontrollably, his breathing was shallow and rapid. He had no control over what his body was doing, he began to feel the pain from his cracked ribs, his breathing continued to be fast. Somewhere inside of him he began to panic, he couldn’t breathe properly. His body slumped against the bench, causing severe pain as his cracked ribs took some impact. His back leant up against the bench. His rapid breathing threatening to make him pass out.



Kristien placed her hands on Hawke’s damp face. “String I am here.” Kristien spoke softly but in control. She placed her legs at side of Hawke and leant over the top of him.



Hawke was no longer in control of his body as he began to hyperventilate. Kristien took out a small, brown paper bag from her pocket that housed mints for the horses. She tipped out the mints into her pocket and she opened it up and placed it across Hawke’s mouth and nose, making a seal. Hawke continued to breathe rapidly. Inflating and deflating the brown paper bag. Slowly as his carbon dioxide levels increased, Hawke’s breathing started to slow down. As Hawke took control of his breathing, Kristien removed the bag from his mouth and nose. “Better?” Kristien told him.



Hawke nodded, the last of his tears rolling down his face. Kristien sat down beside Hawke and before he had time to protest she placed his coat over both of them. As Kristien gently placed her head on Hawke’s shoulder, she reached under the coat and took Hawke’s hand and placed it again on her pregnant bump which was now calmer.



Hawke was pleasantly surprised at Kristien’s gesture. Would she be doing this if he had hit her? Hawke’s confused mind wanted to take control of his body again.



“String, don’t give in to the darkness.” Kristien told him.



Hawke looked down at Kristien, God she was so perceptive. “I don’t think it’s safe to be around me.” Hawke admitted to her, worried that he had hurt Kristien. Even if he hadn’t, the thought was there.



“Why is a contract out on you too?” Kristien threw in some dry humour. “Hey, I am sure we can get Carsten a twin to follow you around too.”



Hawke attempted a weak smile at Kristien’s humour, but it soon faded. “I could have ……” Hawke started.



“No you couldn’t.” Kristien jumped in before Hawke could say anything to her about his deep dark thoughts coming to the surface.



“But…” Hawke tried to reason with her.



“Nothing.” Kristien interrupted again.



“Will you let me speak please.” Hawke begged her.



“Okay.” Kristien replied. “But if I don’t like what you are going to say I will stop you.” Kristien laid out her terms.



“I am going to ask the FIRM to find Bastian and in return I will give them Airwolf.” Hawke told her. Hawke expected her to jump in to take control of the conversation. His hand was still on her pregnant bump, everything was quiet.



Kristien reached into her pocket and took out her mobile and slid Hawke’s coat from her body. She pressed one button and put the phone on speaker.



“And what can the President of the United States do for Your Royal Highness today?” The President asked



“Hi Ben, how is your family?” Kristien replied ignoring Hawke’s open mouth.



“We’re all great. We would love you to come to Camp David again like last year.” The President replied. “Perhaps you can get Carsten to sort something out.”



“Maybe after Christmas.” Kristien replied. “You have seen Carsten’s report on the security breach at the FIRM.”



“Talk about a kick in the balls, a spy in our midst, fuck knows how we missed that one.” The President replied.



“Well MRI’s are now part of our security protocol.” Kristien explained.



“Damn that’s a great idea.” The President replied. “Don’t tell me the security checks will now take one week, just for a five minute meeting, huh?”



“I know, it’s getting a bit ridiculous.” Kristien admitted. “But the bad guys are getting smarter and smarter, we have got to be one step ahead.” Kristien continued. “Have you checked out the areas that Carsten relayed to you?”



“We have the marines down there now with the FBI. The three places that they have come up with are being checked for any booby traps.” The President paused. “You know the drill.”



“Well let us know if you find anything.” Kristien told him.



“Don’t worry, when we find Bastian we will be calling you straight away.” The President assured Kristien.



“And don’t forget Archangel.” Kristien reminded him.



“He is secondary to this, but yes we will call you.” The President replied.



“Archangel is the key to this, find him and you will find my son.” Kristien explained. “Right I had better go and sort out a few more things. Take care.”



“Of course and you too.” The President signed off the call.



Kristien pressed the red button on her phone. “See all being sorted. So you see you need to keep hold of Airwolf to find your brother. That was the deal you made with Archangel.” Kristien told him. “And when he returns you will continue that deal, end of.”



Hawke’s mouth was still wide open.



“You had better close that before something takes up residence.” Kristien told him.



Hawke closed his mouth and just stared at Kristien. He had forgotten how powerful and influential she really was. To him she was his soul mate, the woman that he loved and adored, the woman that he made love to and was now carrying his baby. Kristien never stood on ceremony about her titles, and since her brother was removed from power and she was ruling Dubawi, albeit she only really spent thirty minutes a day speaking to the Dubawi Ambassador on the phone, who was always careful and very respectful to Kristien in case she took offence, she was a powerful ruler of a Arab Country, and with that came great influence. Who else has the mobile number of the President of the United States of America in their mobile.



Kristien turned to Stringfellow and looked at him. “Now Stringfellow Hawke you can continue with what’s on your mind?” Kristien requested.



“I am too dangerous to be around.” Hawke muttered and dropped his head as he listened to his admission.



“In what way dangerous?” Kristien asked quietly.



“Oh God Kristie look what I did to that cloned Archangel.” Hawke reminded her of the state of the body.



“Hmmm I would think any father would fight for his child. So you did it with your bare hands.” Kristien began to sound very clinical in her analysis. “So when you took out Moffet in Libya did you think you were dangerous then?”



“No.” Hawke murmured.



“When I shot Tariq, did you think I was dangerous?” Kristien asked.



“Of course not, you were protecting yourself.” Hawke told her.



“Ah, protecting, yes to protect one’s own family, a deep loyalty.” Kristien explained. “So had we have handed over the cloned Archangel to the authorities, what do you think would happen? Would his incarceration fill you full of relief knowing what he did to us, to me, to Bastian? What he was capable of?”



“No, of course not.” Hawke replied his confusion in his head becoming compartmentalised. “Putting him in jail for what he allowed Bryon to do…….would not be enough.” Hawke paused and then tried to explain further. “Kristie, I wanted revenge……”



“So the judge, the jury and the executioner was correct in this sentence that was handed out.” Kristien told him rhetorically. “Whether you had a tool in your hand be it a gun or knife or Airwolf, it doesn’t matter.” Kristien continued. “When I go to sleep at night I want to know that the man I share my bed with will protect me.” Kristien looked at Hawke. “That’s all I want and I have got that.”



All of the confusion in Hawke’s mind started to clear like the fog being burned away by the midday sun as Hawke listened to her wise words. Hawke turned to her and a small smile appeared on his lips. Somehow Kristien always knew the right words to say.



“Thank you.” Hawke told her and he placed his arm around her and held on to her.



For the moment the darkness was swept aside.