Airwolf Legacy

Epilogue

Six weeks later, Hawke was watching Kristien at the end of the dock. Since being able to move about more she had taken to wandering around the estate quietly and a lot of the time just with Hawke at her side. During some moments with Kristien there was clarity, she was happy with life and you would not know that anything bad had ever happened to her in her tempestuous life. Hawke watched her and although he enjoyed seeing her smile, he knew it was forced and fake. It tore him apart seeing her like this. He had struggled with what Bryon had done to her, he had felt every sickening brutal moment, so he knew she was having a deep wrestle with her conscious mind.

Since bringing her back from Dubawi, Hawke had not made any demands upon her. Although they shared a bed, Hawke was always dressed and he lay on top of the duvet that Kristien was laid under. Kristien now changed in the bathroom into her pyjamas after taking a long hot bath, the hot baths happened three or four times a day at first and then as a few weeks went by they just became once a day. At first she locked the bathroom door, Hawke heard the turn of the lock every time she went in. A week later she just closed it. A week after that she left the door ajar, Hawke resisted the urge to go in there. Before the brutal attack on her they always shared baths and showers.

Although they did share some tender moments when the baby kicked and Hawke placed his hand on her stomach, always waiting for Kristien to place his hand for him, he never brought himself to kiss her always just kissing her forehead. At the beginning, Hawke was going to sleep in the next bedroom to give her the privacy she possibly needed but when he saw her one afternoon fall asleep, clutching the shirt he wore the day before, he decided against it.

Hawke knew that she was remembering, why else would she have long hot baths and change away from him? He so desperately wanted to help her, to move on from this tragic chapter in their lives, but he was unsure how to move forward.

Kristien never talked to anyone, professional or otherwise. Not once did she cry nor get angry at what Bryon did to her. Every lunchtime since bringing Kristien back from Dubawi, Hawke had started to work out in the gym. It started as frustration to the helpless situation he was left in when he was flying Airwolf to rescue Kristien, what he personally went through when he was connected to her during her ordeal. Sometimes even Carsten joined him and then the two men would spar against each other in the ring, mostly Hawke was left to himself lifting weights first then at one with the bag where he would often unleash the anger and the frustration of feeling so powerless.

Hawke walked into the gym and just had track bottoms on with Nike trainers on. He had brought a large white towel with him, which was hanging over his bare shoulders. He threw the towel to one side revealing his bare chest.

He started to use the weights and watched his technique in the ceiling to floor mirrors opposite. He glanced up and there sat at the back on one of the gyms equipments was Kristien. He put down the weights and turned to her.

“Hey, I thought you were down with your horses.” Hawke welcomed her.

“I didn’t know you worked out in the gym.” Kristien spoke as she walked over to him and sat opposite him on a bench with more weights.

“Yeah, I have to keep fit now I am forty.” Hawke lied looking at her. She looked vulnerable today, her eyes were red from crying.

“Well I will be joining you in here starting next week.” Kristien told him. “Got to strengthen my arm after its dislocation.”

“Well I can help you with that.” Hawke offered. Kristien looked blankly at him. Hawke saw the look. “Or not.” Hawke backed down immediately.

“You do that a lot you know.” Kristien analysed him.

“What?” Hawke asked knowing the answer already.

“You back down at everything I say or do.” Kristien started to scan her troubled and jumbled memories in recent times for help. Hawke saw her visibly struggle with her memories.

“Do I?” Hawke lied. “I didn’t realise.” And he shrugged his shoulders.

“You never used to.” Kristien found a distant memory of them together in Airwolf. Yes, they were equals and would tackle each other on subjects. Why the hasty retreat all the time now, what had changed. Kristien took a deep breath and searched deep into Hawke’s mind. What she found she didn’t like and made her more confused. They had argued. “How often do we argue then?” Kristien asked.

Hawke’s shocked face said a thousand words. “We don’t.” He watched her and realised that her whole memory was returning.

“You called me a whore.” Kristien pieced fragments of her torn memories together.

“I was drunk and stupid and angry.” Hawke admitted to her. “I will never forgive myself for that night ever.” Hawke mumbled lowering his head in shame as he painfully remembered every moment. Kristien too absorbed his memories.

Suddenly she stood up and left Hawke. He remained wallowing in self pity over that agonising night, wishing he could go back in time and retract every stupid moment. He caused her to be reckless and help Archangel apprehend the Minotaur who had sold Bryon the Nuclear warheads, one of which took out the USS Andromeda. This then led to Bryon grabbing her. The Minotaur had sold out to Bryon, a good customer of his and tipped him off that his little sister was shopping for arms wanting to over throw her new husbands country and to finally rid Dubawi of Bryon.

That night Hawke laid fully clothed on the bed next to Kristien, he was half asleep, part of him still listening out for her. Although when she was recovering in the early days the heart rate monitor was on beeping, he actually got used to the soothing sound of her heart rate being monitored and he awoke straight away if one of the sounds were even slightly different.

Kristien started to twitch in her sleep, she groaned in her sleep as if in pain, her arm covered her face defensively and then fell limply to her side. Hawke awoke sensing something was wrong. Kristien was bathed in a cold sweat, her silk pyjamas sticking to her cold clammy body. Her breathing was rapid and shallow. Her sorrowful cries were pitiful to hear.

Hawke called to her. “Kristie.” Kristien did not respond and as her night mare continued Hawke tried a different tact. He entered her mind and all of her nightmare hit him at once, she was reliving the brutal rape.

Hawke put his arms around her and tried to wake her. Kristien sat bolt upright in bed with a howling scream and with lightning speed retrieved the gun from under her pillow and removed the safety before she had opened her eyes. She was bolt upright, almost hyperventilating. Tears falling uncontrollably down her face with panic. Her eyes were open but not blinking.

The gun wavering in Hawke’s face. He did not move.

Kristien paused, confused and afraid, looking around her trying to gain her bearings.

Hawke was so busy keeping motionless he did not know that the main bedroom light had come on and that Alfred was stood next to Kristien. Alfred put his hand onto Kristien’s and lowered the gun.

“There there, Miss Kristien.” Alfred plumped up the pillows and gently laid Kristien down. He managed to take the gun off her and put the safety back on and pushed it under her pillow again. Kristien’s eyes closed and she went back into her dream state. He placed the duvet back over her and tucked her in. “Rest now.”

Hawke looked at Alfred and started to breathe.

“Come with me, Master Stringfellow.” Alfred beckoned him.

Alfred and Hawke sat down stairs in the kitchen. Hawke was drinking hot black coffee.

“What the hell happened up there Alfred?” Hawke finally asked once he had got over the shock himself.

“Miss Kristien’s dreams are very vivid, they always have been. I am sure you are aware that she wakes up in the middle of the night and works on her laptops or goes riding.” Alfred reminded him as he poured out some earl grey tea and placed a slice of lemon in there.

“Yeah, she doesn’t seem to sleep more than two or three hours ever.” Hawke replied.

“Hmmm, yes Miss Kristien doesn’t appear to need sleep, not like we do.” Alfred replied. Even as a baby she only slept about two hours a day. We had a rota here to read to her through the night.” Alfred remembered those early days with fondness. “Well Miss Kristien doesn’t ‘dream’ as we would, she relives things or works something out, her mind is so active, so vivid it never really rests.”

“So what happened up there?” Hawke took another sip of his black coffee.

“She was obviously reliving the brutal beating and the rape.” Alfred replied.

Hawke raised his eyebrow at Alfred.

“I know everything that goes on here Master Stringfellow.” Alfred looked at him as a father would. “You are blaming yourself for arguing with her and making her close down to you and then going off to help Archangel without telling you.” Alfred replied with remarkable clarity. “Miss Kristien will continue with, what I can only describe as ‘night tremors’ until such time she can over come what has happened to her.”

“Well that’s going to take a long time.” Hawke started to say.

“No Master Stringfellow it won’t.” Alfred told him and he sipped his earl grey tea. “After the kidnapping it was traumatic when her memories came back. The doctors were no help, they felt that over time the night tremors would subside and she would get better but after a couple of weeks it was obvious that nothing could have been further from the truth.”

“How did you over come them?” Hawke asked.

“Well I made her relive the kidnapping so to speak.” Alfred told him. “We took her to an abandoned warehouse and re-enacted the kidnapping for the Secret Service, for training this time, and if you like our special agents, made glaring mistakes on purpose so that Miss Kristien could, gain the upper hand and release herself.” Alfred told him. “Miss Kristien has to over come what has happened to her to stop these night tremors.”

Carsten walked in and helped himself to coffee. “Is she up yet?” He asked Alfred and then he turned and saw Hawke sat at the table. “Well this can’t be good, where is she?” He looked at his watch it was two in the morning.

“She is reliving the rape.” Alfred calmly told Carsten.

He rolled his eyes and looked at Hawke. “Jeez I thought you pair would have been at it like rabbits by now so she wouldn’t have had these.” Carsten took a mouthful of coffee. “What did she do?”

“Drew a gun on me.” Hawke told him.

“Is that all?” Carsten replied. “Well, now you know buddy boy so it’s up to you.”

Kristien bounced into the room, dressed for riding. “Oh there you are.” Kristien said to Hawke. “Morning Alfred.” She walked over to the tea pot and poured herself an earl grey tea into a huge mug and started to carry it over to the door where Carsten was stood.

“Good morning Miss Kristien, sleep well?” Alfred asked and looked directly at Hawke.

“Brilliant thanks.” Kristien replied and took a sip of her tea. “Right I am off to jump these horses. I will be back at 6am.”

“Well chocolate pancakes may tempt you to eat this morning.” Alfred told her.

“Mmmmm count me in for one.” Kristien replied and left with Carsten to go down to her indoor arena to work her showjumpers.

“She doesn’t remember?” Hawke noted from Kristien’s reply

“Master Stringfellow, Miss Kristien needs to have a positive experience to build the foundations again, to put that traumatic event into storage, forever.” Alfred explained.

“You make it sound easy.” Hawke told him.

“Miss Kristien, is uncharted with her abilities, MENSA have her off their scale, so she cannot be measured.” Alfred replied. “If you walked into the main library you could chose any book, say for example you said to her name the seventeenth book on the third shelf next to the angel’s stained glass window. She would be able to tell you what the book was, when it was published, author etc. You could go further and read one line from any of the pages and she would be able to tell you what page you are on, what line and continue to recite the book.”

Hawke raised his eyebrow at Alfred. He knew she was brainy but God that was off the scale.

“There are over ten thousand books in the main house library.” Alfred told Hawke. “Miss Kristien’s brain works very much like a computer, she files everything in it’s place, walking though various parts of her mind, compartments if you like, like a journey.” Alfred looked at Hawke. “Why don’t you test her one day?”

Hawke sat wrestling with his deep and painful memories of the brutal rape himself. “So you are telling me, if I just carry on as if nothing has happened everything will be alright?” Hawke asked.

“If you tell her what happened to her, in the order it happened to her, then she will be able to file all of the trauma away and yes, carry on as normal.” Alfred helped Hawke. “You were there when Doctor Parsons said for someone of Kristien’s ability not to know where ten weeks of her life went would destroy her, so now put it in order for her and move on. Both of you” Alfred told him as Hawke remembered.

“Both?” Hawke queried.

“Yes Master Stringfellow, unless you are going to enter Mr Universe in the near future, I suggest you move on too.” Alfred commented on Hawke’s new pastime to deal with his powerlessness during Kristien’s violation.

After breakfast Hawke wandered down to the music room, he could hear Canon in D gently playing from all the speakers in the room. He walked in and saw Kristien sat at the grand piano with her keyboards, she was pressing various buttons for the computer. She noted Hawke’s arrival and smiled weakly.

Hawke walked over to her and stood next to her savouring the music filling the room. He waited for the piece to come to the end.

“I want to talk to you.” He told her.

Kristien noted his tone in his voice. “Sounds serious.”

Hawke motioned for them to sit down on the sofa. Kristien jumped onto the sofa and instinctively brought her legs up and held her arms around them. Hawke sat down next to her, not looking at her and exhaled deeply.

“I hurt you, Kristie.” Hawke started. “I was stupid and drunk and didn’t listen to you. You were so upset with me you blocked me completely, I didn’t know what you feeling, thinking and you were only twelve feet from me. For the first time in eight years I was alone. I hated every long second that you blocked me.” Hawke took another deep breath. “Dominic calmed me down but by the time he did, you were hurt so badly that you agreed to go off to help Archangel without me. Damn, if I could turn back the clock I would, I would give anything to do that.” Hawke’s eyes became watery. “The arms dealer basically double crossed you and killed six agents dead, Carsten took a bullet for you, but couldn’t stop you being handed over to Byron. Byron took you to Dubawi and beat you.” Hawke struggled with his composure as tears fell uncontrollably.

Kristien sat immobile tears slowly falling from her eyes, listening to Hawke put her torn memories into order for her.

“He raped you Kristie. He took over your beautiful body and beat you and raped you.” Hawke told her, he struggled to breathe. “It’s ……it’s …..all my fault, I am so sorry, I failed you.”

Kristien moved herself and sat in Hawke’s lap, she put her arms around him and held him tightly. Hawke put his arms around Kristien’s shoulder and held her.. He sobbed so uncontrollably as he relived the memories of the brutal rape with her. Kristien’s tears fell down his back, making damp patches on his shirt. “You saved me. You kept me safe and held me.” Kristien remembered vividly. “You haven’t failed me.”

That lunchtime, Hawke worked out hard in the gym. Talking to Kristien about the brutal rape and then the pair of them completely breaking down into each others arms had taken it’s toll. He was shattered. Hawke wandered back into an empty bedroom to shower and change. Hawke knew Kristien had gone out to view her racehorses galloping and would return any minute. Hawke stripped off naked revealing his forty year old lean and muscular body and walked into the hot steaming shower. The water cleansing off the sweat that he had produced in his workout. Hawke was never one for gyms but the frustration he was left with needed dealing with.

Kristien wandered back into the bedroom after visiting her horses, she only had the energy to ride five horses a day and not her racehorses, since her operation and needed a rest in bed where she would probably read another book. She heard the shower going, knowing that Hawke was showering after yet another workout in the Estate Gym, Kristien never questioned Hawke’s new pastime. Hawke had left the bathroom door wide open. Kristien gingerly walked over and stood in the doorway. Her eyes drawn to Hawke’s muscular and lean body under the powerful shower. She continued to watch, checking every inch of his handsome body. Since working out in the Gym Hawke’s muscles had become more prominent and Kristien took delight in checking out the new definition on his body.

Hawke could feel her presence but did not turn to acknowledge that he knew she was there. This was the first time since coming back from Dubawi that Kristien had even thought about Hawke in this way. Knowing what Kristien had been through he did not want to push any boundaries nor did he want to scare her off. Kristien watched for several minutes before leaving the doorway. Knowing she had left, Hawke finished the shower and grabbed a towel to dry himself, he could hear Kristien in the bedroom. He hadn’t brought his clothes in to change back into, damn it, he thought. He looked through the open door and made a decision.

Hawke draped another towel around his waist and walked out into the bedroom. Kristien was laying down on the bed facing him. Hawke gently smiled at Kristien and she patted the bed to invite him over. Hawke slowly walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. Kristien had changed into one of Hawke’s shirts revealing her bare legs to him for the first time since the brutal beating. All the cuts had healed into small pink scars, the bruising had long disappeared. Kristien put her hand in Hawke’s and started to pull him to encourage him to come closer. Hawke carefully accepted the invitation and laid down next to her, his blue eyes lovingly adoring her, hiding his male urges from her. Kristien moved closer to Hawke and gently laid her head on his bare chest, listening to his heartbeat. Hawke carefully placed his arms around her and held her close. Kristien moved her bare leg over his. He was so happy, he could hold her all day like this and it would be enough for him. Kristien lifted her head from his chest and gently her lips descended upon his. The embrace was very tender. With that tender first kiss awoke Hawke’s male instincts, betraying what was in his mind. Hawke broke off the kiss.

“Kristie, I love you.” Hawke’s voice was drying up with emotion, he was just happy to lay there together just holding her, nothing more was required from her.

“Kiss me.” Kristien implored, hearing those three words again, her voice and her eyes inviting him to do more.

Again, her soft moist lips descended upon his, and they kissed hard and full, Hawke explored her mouth. His hands not moving from her back. Kristien could not hold back any longer, she moved her lips down to his ear and she whispered gently into it.

“Make love to me.” Kristien invited her soul mate.

Hawke looked at her. “Kristie, I am happy just to hold you and kiss you, nothing more.” Hawke told her ignoring his hard manhood. Kristien’s hands moved to his waist and removed his towel revealing his awaiting male desire to her. Her fingers gently ran over his hard penis making him shudder as his last defence of burying his male instincts deeply inside, started to fall. He laid still allowing her to tease him and he watched her intently for any sign that she was remembering anything from the brutal rape that she had endured. Kristien’s lips descended on to his and Hawke gave in to his demanding male instincts, closing his eyes and returned the embrace so passionately, so deep it lasted for several minutes. Kristien looked into Hawke’s blue eyes and he gazed intently into her. Her soul was very tranquil, no turmoil, just a beautiful bright aurora around it telling him that she was pregnant and at peace with the world around her. Hawke dispelled his doubts over what he was doing and gave in totally to the moment.

Kristien laid back down on her back and pulled Hawke over, Hawke gently leaned up and she brought his hand over to the shirt and he started to undo the buttons on his shirt that Kristien was wearing. He slipped his hand under the loosened shirt, his hand first going to her stomach where he had been touching for all this time with the invite from her. Her stomach had grown with the baby, a small bump that was getting bigger everyday, now at 22 weeks it was quite firm. He followed the outline of the baby bump and gently went up to her breasts, his fingers tenderly touching the soft skin, his fingered brushed over her nipple, Kristien sighed deeply and gently pulled herself up allowing the shirt to slip off her shoulders revealing her naked body to Stringfellow. Hawke feasted upon her and tenderly allowed his hand to wander over her. He kissed all her new scars gently and his mouth then went to her breasts, he kissed them gently and then allowed his tongue to tickle over her nipples, sending them instantly hard. His mouth descended over each nipple in turn, using his tongue to tease her and to gently suck at her hard nipples. Stringfellow continued upwards and found her tender awaiting lips, their embrace was very powerful and full of desire and emotion for each other.

Stringfellow gently moved over her and eased himself on top continuing to embrace her, Kristien’s hands moved to his shoulders and then her legs moved over his pinning them closer to her. He gently broke the embrace off and looked into her eyes, checking that this was what she still wanted. Kristien looked up at him, clearly frustrated by the dramatic pause. He kissed her hard and full and during this embrace he felt Kristien’s body on fire underneath him, burning desire, wanting him, begging for him. He continued to embrace her and then gently entered her, her hips falling in time to his slow and gentle thrusts, making passionate love to her. As their bodies and souls became one, the outside world disappeared in the sea of emotion that they created around them. Together they transcended time and space as the passion and emotion they created swept them away, floating on clouds everything became one, their breathing, their rhythm and their complicated bond that they enjoyed. Both of them climaxed together and they opened their eyes to look deep into each others eyes.
Both of them breathless and bathed with sweat after their passionate love making, Hawke gently slipped to Kristien’s side, she nestled into him and his arm was under her, pulling her close and his other hand gently stroked her small bump. They lay together thinking only of the future and counting the days down for the birth of their new baby.

Thousands of miles away Zafar had finally completed the mathematical formula that Kristien had left him. He looked at it several times, checking that he had successfully worked it out. Now he wanted to be sure. He wanted the person who wrote it down for him, to show her, for her to tell him that he had successfully worked it out. Nothing less would do.

Archangel walked into the Palace throne room where Zafar was sat on the steps next to the throne.

“Your royal highness, how may I serve you.” He said bowing respectfully.

Zafar looked up and held the competed mathematical formula up like a trophy. “I want you to find me the lady that wrote this.” Zafar told the man handing his prized formula to his servant. “I want to meet her. I want to know if I have got it right.”

“Of course, Your Royal Highness.” Archangel took the paper from Zafar’s servant and backed away out of the room.

Archangel reached inside his white limousine and sat down. Marella looked at her boss and Archangel gave Marella the completed formula. She eagerly looked at it.

“SO?” Marella asked, herself trying to work it out.

“He’s Hawke’s and Kristien’s son alright.” Archangel replied. “You had better contact Kristien’s Doctor to see if she is well enough to visit.” He told Marella. “Zafar wants to meet his parents.”