Author's Note: OK, so I'm new to this whole fanfiction thing, and this is my way of testing the waters. I do have a short story planned out to go with this chapter, but I won't post it unless I get some responses to this one (I'll settle for one, just write a brief review so I know that you have read it).

The story starts off at the end of the episode "The Party" and the majority of the story takes place a few weeks after that episode is concluded (between seasons seven and eight).

Chapter 1: Peg

"The highlight of my evening was spending nearly two solid hours dancing with Tobias' godfather, Grayson Hill," Radar continued. "We did the Jitterbug five times, the Lindy at least seven, and I lost count of all the times we did the Charleston. After a particularly fast jitterbug, he had to stop and get a drink of water. I commented that I had never danced that much in one go before, and he confessed that he hadn't either."

"That's Uncle Gray, alright," Lt. Tobias Alden said with a laugh.

"I take it he doesn't get out much?" Hawkeye asked

"He doesn't have time since he's trying to keep the garage going by himself. I'm actually surprised Rachel was able to convince him to go."

"Oh I doubt it was too hard," Charles smirked. "She probably bribed him with a tour of the finest garages in New York."

Tobias chuckled at that. "You know Charles, for someone who looks on the working class as lesser beings, you have an uncanny sense of what makes us tick." When Charles didn't retort, Tobias turned back to Radar and said, "Keep reading, Radar. What else does Peg say?"

"Oh right," Radar said, hurrying to find his place in the letter again. "She says, 'After that, we mingled with everyone else. I saw Klinger's mother looking at the picture of you all in front of the Fort Dix sign. There were tears in her eyes when she told me through her brother Abdul that you didn't have to bother. She had known all along that Klinger was in Korea, but she never let on because she didn't want him to worry about her, so you'd better not tell Klinger.' Oh, gee, I'm sorry," Radar said, looking at Klinger. "I guess I shouldn't have read that part."

"That's OK, kid," Klinger said, tears forming in his eyes. "Boy, I could never fool her on anything."

"Hey Klinger," Hawkeye said. "Welcome to Korea."

Radar continued, "The party ended with Tobias' sister Rachel singing 'Thanks for the Memories,' which she dedicated to all of you, but especially to you, dear for getting us all together for this party. We all were in tears before she was finished. We walked each other to the elevators, where we held onto each other, not wanting the evening to end. Grayson offered to walk me to my room, but I politely refused."

Radar kept reading, describing the events planned for the rest of the weekend. But Tobias wasn't listening. He had seen B.J.'s reaction to that last part, about his uncle Grayson and Peg. He had tensed up slightly, such a small movement that it was no surprise that no one else seemed to notice. Tobias had no doubt that B.J. would want to talk as soon as this OR session was over.

Radar, having finished Peg's letter, began to read the letter from Hawkeye's father. After that, he read Mrs. Potter's, then Tobias' "uncle" Grayson's, Father Mulcahy's sister's, and his mother's. By that time, the doctor's had finished in the OR.

Before heading back to his cot in the shed behind the motor pool, Tobias stopped outside post-op and lit a cigarette. As he watched the enlisted men stumble off toward their tents, followed by the nurses, he couldn't help but feel a little left out. As the one of the two commissioned officers in the 4077 who was not a part of the medical staff, he had always felt a little distant from everyone in the unit. Maybe that was why he had developed such a close bond with Father Mulcahy, despite the fact that he had never considered himself a religious man.

A hand on his shoulder stirred him from his thoughts. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" B.J. said.

"Sure," Tobias said, dropping what remained of the cigarette on the ground and putting it out with his foot. "What's on your mind?" As if I don't already know, he thought.

"I wanted to talk to you about your uncle Grayson," B.J. said.

"I see. You wanted to know if he meant anything by asking to escort Peg back to her room." It wasn't a question, just a simple statement.

"Well, yeah," B.J. said, somewhat taken aback by his colleague's straight forwardness. "Yeah, that's exactly it." There was a brief pause, and then he added, "So…did he?"

Tobias sighed and lit another cigarette. He didn't like talking about this, but it was the only way that B.J. was going to be able to relax.

"It was just a little harmless flirtation. Uncle Grayson wouldn't take it any further than that."

"You're sure that that's all it was?" B.J. persisted. "There's no way he could have meant it any other way?"

"It's a good thing you're not the jealous type," Tobias said with a chuckle. He quickly became serious again when he saw the look of concern in B.J.'s eyes. "About twenty years ago, he started flirting with a married woman at a bar. One thing led to another, and they wound up spending the night together. It tore her marriage apart. It didn't exactly do his any good, either," he added, almost as an afterthought.

Tobias took a particularly long drag on the cigarette before continuing. "After that, he swore that he wouldn't be the cause of any ruined marriages. Sure, he'll flirt, but it's all in fun. Besides," he added with a grin, "he's not exactly Peg's type."

"What do you mean?"

"Uncle Grayson doesn't have a cheesy mustache or huge feet."

They both got a good laugh out of that. "Well," Tobias said, "if there's nothing else on your mind, I'd kind of like to turn in."

"Oh, sure, go ahead," B.J. said. "Oh, and Tobias?"

"Yeah?"

B.J. held out his hand. "Thanks."

Tobias shook it and said, "You know, someday, when this nightmare is over and I wake up back in my bed in Clear Lake, South Dakota, I think I'd like to get married. If that ever happens, I hope I can love my wife half as much as you love Peg."

"I'll drink to that. How about a nightcap back in the SWAMP?"

"No, thanks. I've got to get up early tomorrow if I'm going to beat any work out of Rizzo, and I'm practically dead on my feet now."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yeah. Sleep well."

As B.J. turned and walked toward the SWAMP, Tobias shook his head. He worries too much, Tobias thought. If Peg is half as devoted to him as he is to her, she'd die before she'd be unfaithful.

With that thought, he put out the cigarette, turned, and began to walk toward the motor pool.

End chapter 1

Follow up note: I realize I didn't really make it clear who this Lt. Tobias Alden is and what his role in the 4077 is, but I promise that it will come in chapter 2, assuming I get enough interested readers to make the rest of the story worth posting (again at this point one is enough).

Also, just to be clear, Grayson Hill is Tobias' GODFATHER, not his uncle. In this case, "uncle" is just what Tobias calls him.

Again I say, this is my first crack at fanfiction, so bear that in mind when writing reviews.