A/N- I don't know where this story came from. I started it for a songfic I was working on, but it evolved into its own story and away from the song. I'll admit, it's kinda weird.I alsogot the formatting changed-I hope it's easier to read. I usually format right, I don't know why I didn't thistime. Just tired, I guess.Please R and R!

Hawkeye lived in Boston now. He had moved there after his dad died a year after he got home. He couldn't live in Maine anymore. There was nothing left there for him. He knew Boston-after all, he had done his residency here-and he had some friends here. Trapper was here. It was good to get back in touch with him, after his abrupt good-bye in Korea. After lots of drinks and lots of talking, it was like they had never been apart. Charles was here too, although he probably wouldn't admit to knowing Pierce publicly, Hawkeye knew that he could turn to Charles if he needed to. If a man couldn't count on his friends, who could he count on? He didn't have any family to turn to.

Then there was Margaret. She was in Boston too. Hawkeye didn't know why she chose this town, out of all the places in the world she could be, although he surmised that it was for the same reason he relocated. Because she knew people here too-the same people Hawkeye knew-and she didn't have anyone else, really, and she didn't want to be alone either.

Hawkeye didn't even know that Margaret was in Boston when he first moved here. She came here right after the war. She was here first. Trapper knew she was here, she was even working with him, and he didn't even say anything. When Hawkeye pressed him as to why Trapper failed to mention this important piece of information he just grinned that trademark-gotcha grin, the bastard. Of course, Trapper just knew of Hawkeye versus Hotlips and not Hawkeye and Margaret. Hawkeye first ran into the former Major Houlihan-now Nurse Houlihan-on his second day at Boston General. Trapper got him the job, because that's where he worked. Thank God Trapper worked there, instead of Boston Mercy. Him, Trapper and Charles, all at the same hospital? While they were all excellent doctors, all the tempers, egos (well, Charles', anyway) and idiosyncracies would probably reduce the hospital to rubble in a matter of days. Where was he? Oh yeah, Maj-Margaret Houlihan. It was his second day, and he was heading back to Trapper's office to meet him for lunch, and he ran into her-literally, sending all the papers both were holding everywhere.

"Why don't you watch where you're going, Doctor?" Margaret bend down to pick up the papers. She hadn't recognized him yet. Hawkeye knew that voice immediately, and froze. But just like that, the infamous Hawkeye wit took over and he spoke.

"Sorry Major." He smiled. "But I just seen my favorite officer in the U.S. Army, and I just didn't watch were I was going." Hawkeye looked up and seen Trapper coming out of his office, trying not to laugh at the chaos on the floor. Margaret stammered, stuttered, and then managed to get out a few choked words.

"Pierce-what-what-what are you doing here?" Hawkeye's face broke out in a huge grin to see Margaret so flustered.

"What, Margaret, you think I was talking about you? You know Trapper was my favorite officer at the 4077th... or was it Frank?" Hawkeye laughed out loud as Margaret continued to try to pull herself together, and also at Trapper as he looked at him warily, not quite sure about Hawkeye's statement. He smiled. "I'm kidding you both, Trap. Margaret, calm down." He bent down and grabbed some papers. "And to answer your question, I work here. My dad died a little over a year ago, and Trapper pulled some strings and got me on staff." Margaret finally regained her ability to form coherent sentences.

"Well, Doctor, this is a surprise." Margaret said cooly.

"Margaret, there's no need to be formal."Hawkeye said.

"Yeah, you can be yourself with us, Major," Trapper spoke up. "C'mon, let's go to lunch." Hawkeye and Trapper started down the hall.

"Come on, Margaret, you too." Hawkeye insisted. Margaret hesitated for a moment, and then joined the doctors headed toward the cafeteria.

That was the first day, Hawkeye thought to himself. Anyone who had seen that last kiss in Korea would have thought whenever those two met up again they would be together immediately and forever.

Well, they were wrong. After that infamous first lunch at the hospital, they would call each other, every once in a while, when one or the other needed to talk. It usually turned out to be Margaret calling Hawkeye about the latest somebody who thought they were somebody but turned out to be nobody. While the flames of passion for each other still burned, it was often overshadowed by the hotter fires of stubbornness and tempers. Old habits die hard, and the pair spent more than a few hours in heated conversation. And not happy heated conversation, either.

But over the last couple weeks it had been quiet at the Pierce apartment, Hawkeye noticed. Since Margaret's break up with the latest "Mr. Right," she seemed different. Calmer, more sure of herself. Maybe she's made a break through regarding her crazy love life. Or a breakdown. With Margaret, you couldn't be too sure. Still wondering what all this boiled down to, Hawkeye sat down on the couch with his sandwich and lemonade.

To be continued...