a/n: don't own anything, esp not this show or its characters :P This is a missing scene from GFA (so watch out for 'spoilers' i guess) that was stuck in my head. Wrote with the intention of slash but can be just as easily viewed as a friendship fic. Warnings: hopelessly sappy and probably OOC but i wrote it for my own entertainment and procrastination needs so meh
"Wait a minute; I'm taking my hometown home. Come on!" Kellye's joyous cry was followed by an energetic rush as the members of the M*A*S*H 4077th pulled their home sign down. Hawkeye stood back, shoulders slumped, hands in his pockets watching with a bemused expression. There was no sign for Crabapple Cove but he didn't really care, he was going to go home soon and that was what was important right?. He watched as BJ reached around the post and with one firm yank brought down the San Francisco sign. Looking please he watched the others for a minute before strolling toward Hawkeye. He held up the sign and smiled, "We're going home Hawk!"
Hawkeye offered a weak smile back, he couldn't begrudge his best friend's happiness but all he could think of in that moment was, 'yes we are leaving Korea, but he is going back to San Francisco and you are going to Maine'
"So far away" he mumbled
"Hawk?"
"Beej, can I, uh, ask you something?"
"I don't know can you?"
"Really Beej? Did you steal that one from my fourth grade teacher?"
"We exchange jokes regularly. But what were you going to ask?"
"It's nothing. Don't look at me like that! I said it was nothing and it's nothing! If it was something it wouldn't be nothing but it's not so it is."
"Hawk" BJ said sternly, this was what Hawkeye always did to avoid things or when he was upset.
"Can I have your sign?" He stared at his feet and kicked at the dirt reminding BJ of a little kid.
BJ was dumbfounded. Why would Hawkeye possibly want a signpost with a few numbers and San Francisco scrawled on it? "Well sure Hawk I don't even know what I would've done with it but why?"
BJ could've sworn Hawkeye was blushing, confident, funny, charismatic Hawkeye was blushing?
"I... uh I mean the numbers would be wrong but you don't need it here anymore, it was pointing you home. I need it in Maine to point to you, because... because home is where the heart is" Hawkeye finished with a shrug and the corner of his mouth quirked. They both realised what a lame, tacky joke it was and how much better he would usually have done but neither mentioned it. He looked up and met BJ's conflicted brown eyes. They stayed like that for a minute or an hour; it was hard for either to tell, as a million unsaid things passed between the two. BJ broke the silence pulling Hawkeye into a bear hug, when he pulled away his eyes were glistening and the sign was in Hawkeye's hands.
"There it's all done" BJ stood straight and wiped the sweat from his brow. He stood back observing his handiwork. A square, miniature, white cottage shorter than he was with little glassless window and surrounded by small white and yellow flowers. A signpost declared "Erin" dripped in black paint. His beaming 4 year old with a black smudge on her cheek also surveyed her handiwork before crying out happily and hugging her dad, leaving a black handprint on each of his sleeves. She ran inside and spun around in her new playhouse before rushing outside and jumping on her dad again knocking him down. They sat on the grass and slowly the giggling stopped and Erin looked thoughtful and then frowned.
"The sign needs more. It's empty and my sign is lonely."
"Well let's put more places on it."
"School!"
Grabbing a piece of wood from the stack BJ guessed the direction of Erin's preschool and nailed it in place, sitting back and watching Erin paint.
"The park" she demanded.
Laughing BJ repeated the process and even fished out a compass and map until the cubby's sign had school, the park, Grandma's house and the "Satue of librtee" that Erin had seen on a postcard until she declare "All done"
"One more honey" She frowned, what else in the whole wide world could be left? Sitting back she watched as her dad carefully angled the sign in the right direction and painted "Crabapple Cove 2771 miles" . He stared at the sign with an expression she didn't really understand and sighed.
"Where's that daddy?"
He smiled warmly at her, "Home"
