Title: The Man Within the Smile

Summary: It was all a mask, all a facade to allure them away from the real him. The man who was so much like the earth he stared at Continuation to Man Behind the Smile. HM. This is a continuation, not a sequel.
Rated: M for future chapter, romance, angst, you name it. Scenes of child abuse and drug use (not used by Hawkeye of course)
Authors Note: Of coarse a lovely thanks to Hawks Soul and 4077Hawk for nagging me to start this, and Hawk's Soul for filling in for my beta. And here it is. Sorry for the crap before the author's note…I always put that on the first chapter of a story.

From Chapter 30 of the Man Behind the Smile
 She went on to explain everything that happened, the arguments, their kiss over the hill, Sidney's opinions, everything she knew.

When she was finished, neither spoke, both lost in their own thoughts.

"O.R?" he asked at last.

"We've managed, but I'm glad you're alright."

An awkward silence ensued, before finally Hawkeye leaned over and hugged her again, "I love you, Margaret," he whispered softly, placing a gentle kiss on the nape of her neck.

She responded instantly and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him softly. "I love you too," she pulled away briefly. "It's not over."

Hawkeye stared at her. "What isn't over?"

She shook her head, "never mind, just shut up and kiss me," she pulled him to her tightly.

He didn't need to know what she thought. She knew his battle wasn't over yet, even if he thought it was. It was still raging, each side tugging and pulling, waiting for the other to give. She just hoped the right side won.

Chapter 1

The War Rages On

Hawkeye was the first one to pull away, "Someone's coming," he whispered breathlessly. Instantly they sprang apart like two teenagers caught making out in his parent's car.

Charles casually sauntered in, "Hello," his eyes lingered briefly on Hawkeye then on Margaret's red cheeks. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

"Major," Margaret said tersely, standing and straightening her uniform, "good day," and stalked out, nodding only slightly at a half amused and half bemused Hawkeye.

"Captain, good to see you're awake…."

"Don't flatter me, Charles," he smirked batting his eye lashes, "it does wonders for your character, wouldn't want you going soft on us,"

Charles chuckled, "Pierce, I'm a Winchester; we're the only living humans who have character."

At that moment Potter and Sidney ran in, "Pierce!" there was a father's scold in the elderly Colonel's voice.

"Colonel." he nodded his head in acknowledgement.

Potter looked like he was going to explode at him, but the innocent look stopped him, "Post-op, Pierce."

"But-."

"No arguments."

"Fine," he said standing abruptly, he stalked over until he was facing Sidney, "Quarantining the insane…you should know better," and waltzed out.

"He's not going to post-op is he?" Sidney already knew the answer.

"Nope."

………

Daniel watched Hawkeye grudgingly make his way towards Potter's office, for who knows what reason, dragging his feet along the ground, muttering obscenities in Italian. He didn't look much different, except that he'd lost weight (which he didn't need to, so now he looked sickly frail) and he didn't seem to be acting different, but now Daniel wasn't sure what 'normal' was for Hawkeye.

Once Hawkeye was through the door he silently left the Officers Club, he had become a good customer there. He had real American money, not army script.
He stood uncertainly outside Potter's office, not exactly sure what to expect. Inside he could hear Hawkeye talking to Radar and the sound of music.

………
Hawkeye left behind a dumb-founded Sidney, Potter and Charles.

"Well, he seems normal," was Charles' first comment.

"With Hawkeye…nothing's normal, anymore."

Potter sighed and pored them all a drink, "What's gonna happen, Sidney?"

"I wish I could tell you," he sat on the end of Hawkeye's bed, "I have no idea what's going through his head."

"You are the psychiatrist," Charles said naturally insulting Sidney for not being able to solve this puzzle.

Sidney sighed, "But I don't think I'm the psychiatrist Hawkeye needs right now." He nodded towards Daniel who was marching in the same direction Hawkeye went; "now that would be an interesting encounter to see."

"To bad we wouldn't understand any of it." Potter chuckled and pulled out a cigar lighting it up, "God Lord, do those two give me a headache."

………
Daniel wasn't surprised to see Hawkeye in Potter's office, talking quietly to Radar. As he walked in, the young corporal sent him a nervous look and scuttled out with a mutter to Hawkeye, "I'll get right on it, Hawk."

"Hawkeye," Daniel said simply, walking over to Potter's liquor cabinet and helping himself to a belt, "long time no see, eh?"
Hawkeye didn't say anything, just silently took the glasses from him and poured him a drink.

"Hawkeye," a long sigh followed.
Hawkeye stared at him. Daniel had used that exact voice when he was disappointed. He hated that voice, usually because he was the cause of it. But he refused to loose ground in this silent battle, "I'm sorry, but…" Daniel moved so he was leaning on the desk next to his son.

"But what?"

"I…" Daniel was going to keep his mouth shut until Hawkeye decided to talk to him, even if it was short and cold. "I was scared," he turned his head away, almost defiantly.
Daniel still didn't say anything, at first, then: "Let's go outside. We can talk about this later."

………
He watched from the Officers' Club as BJ and Hawkeye calmly walked towards the Swamp, laughing. That's what got him, he was laughing. A moment ago he would barely speak and now he was laughing as if nothing was wrong. It didn't make sense….God, he needed another drink.

………
"So," he casually filled his glass with gin, "anything new and interesting happen while I was gone?"

BJ hated how calm he acted, as if he was on R&R and just got back, "Oh, not much, but you did miss a very good-tempered Charles, I could even call him nice…that is until your Father arrived."

"Oh…" he commented forcing a smile.

"He didn't take to kindly to being showed up by an Italian. You never told me you lived there."

"You never asked."

"It's not something that casually comes up in a conversation."

"Mm." He knew where the conversation was going to head to.
"You speak Italian, then?"

They both knew BJ already knew the answer to that.
"Yeah…imagine that, an Italian knowing Italian, funny world, isn't it?"

BJ stayed silent for a moment, "Hawkeye?"

"Not now," he threw himself on his back, wincing at the rough contact. Hawkeye knew it was going to come up eventually. But right now he just wanted to sleep.

...
It didn't take long for him to drift into slumber, stretched out on his back, hands behind his head, ankles crossed at the end of long legs.

Boy does he sleep a lot….BJ thought watching his breathing steady, eyes closed lightly.

BJ sighed, he was afraid. Hawkeye was doing exactly what he had been doing before all of this. Hiding. Hiding behind jokes, sarcasm, wit, any thing. He was just hiding. Hiding behind a card board cut out of who he wanted to be.

Just then a soft knock on the door startled him from his thoughts.

"Captain Hunnicutt, Captain Pierce…Wounded…it's a heavy load!"

Hawkeye snapped awake, throwing on his jacket and boots, and then bolting out the door. He had never been a heavy sleeper, his earlier years accounting for that.

………
The scrub room was an interesting scene. The Characters? Two well-trained Italians, known for their skills and gorgeous looks. A jealous, slightly-balding, pompous, arrogant prick, known for his 'I'm-better-than-you' attitude. The Problem? Jealousy.

"Well, this should be rather interesting, should it?" Charles plastered on a fake grin as Hawkeye followed Daniel into the scrub room, "Didn't I hear you correctly, Dr. Pierce? Never seen your son work, hm? He's very good." It almost seemed as if Charles was trying to create a wedge between the two Pierces.

"I'm flattered," Hawkeye glared.

"I'm sure he is," Daniel hid a smile.

"I learned from the best," Hawkeye raised an eyebrow and leaned towards Daniel to whisper in his ear, "Guardare fuori per il calvo un. ...He è una puntura reale. (Watch out for the bald one…he is a royal prick."

Daniel snorted and whispered back, "È qualunque buono? (He any good?)

They both turned so they were shoulder to shoulder, so Charles couldn't see Hawkeye lifted his hand and tilt it back and forth in the so-so motion, "dunque-cosí (so-so)."

The other doctors (and nurses) were watching with very amused grins.

End of Chapter 1

The War Rages On