See!? I told you I'd update later in the day! (If you live outside the US, I'm sorry if this confuses you considering it's really the 12th there and not the 11th.) Anyway, this chapter works really well to be read in conjunction with the last one and now you can all see Beej's conversation with Hawkeye!

Enjoy!

"Margaret made tea. You want some?" Hawkeye questions as he takes off his hat, scarf, and gloves.

Shaking his head, the other man answers, "No. I just came down to get Erin some water. She won't sleep without it."

"Kids are funny that way," Hawkeye remarks uncomfortably as he pulls his coat off. Filling up a cup, B.J. asks with a raised eyebrow, "So, you and Margaret?"

"Just friends, Beej. Her car's snowed in so I'm letting her stay the night," Hawkeye answers placing his cup in the sink. Stretching, he states, "I'm going to set up the couch."

With a shake of his head, B.J. continues his task before heading back to bed. On his way back, he sees Margaret leave the hall bathroom. She gives the man a small nod before heading downstairs to find her friend sprawled onto the ready made couch. Waking the man up after shaking his arm and whispering his name a couple times, he opens his eyes to see his friend leaning over him.

"Hawk, I need to ask a favor."

"Anything for a pretty lady like yourself," He replies sleepily. Margaret steels her resolve when she asks, "Can I borrow your toothpaste?"

"I'll do you one better. You can have the spare toothbrush that's in the medicine cabinet," He replies sitting up letting his eyes adjust to the light he leaves on. Eying her suspiciously, he points out, "You're wearing my robe."

"Well I needed something to wear over my night dress. Now, just tell me where it is and I'll leave you to sleeping," She replies. Hawkeye shakes his head stating, "I'll get it. It's in Dad's bathroom. And after that, I want my robe back before you take my bed."

"Pierce," She hisses. Rolling his eyes upward, the man whispers back, "Not with me. I'm taking the couch."

After a disapproving look, the former army surgeon replies, "I'm perfectly fine sleeping on my own couch, Margaret."

Margaret starts to object again, but her friend vehemently shakes his head.

"No, you're a guest," Hawkeye whispers obstinately as he leads his friend back up the stairs. Walking down the hall, Hawkeye enters his father's room, grabs the needed object, and returns to Margaret who waits patiently outside the older man's room.

"I thought Dad was going to wake up. It was like being a teenager all over again," The man states handing the toothbrush to his friend. Taking the unopened item, the woman retreats back to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Emerging a couple minutes later, she realizes she still has her friend's robe on when Hawkeye smiles politely while backing up enough to let her leave the room. Rolling her eyes, Margaret walks back to the man's bedroom. At the door, the woman turns to her friend who stays behind her the whole time she walks down the hall.

"My robe," He comments. Tired from the long week and simply wanting to go to bed, Margaret hastily unties the robe and hands it to the man.

"Night, Captain," She hisses before entering the room. Hawkeye looks down at the robe before realizing he has no pajamas of his own. Debating on whether to knock on his bedroom door or not, Pierce, decides to merely untuck his shirt and take off his sweater vest. Sleeping in the clothes he is wearing tonight beats surgery scrubs any day.

The next morning, Hawkeye wakes up to a small hand nudging him. Confused, the man opens one eye to find Erin Hunnicutt saying his name even though it sounds more like Kye than anything else. Now, fully awake, the man sits up to find a warmly clothed, smirking Margaret standing against the doorway.

"Kye, breakfast is ready!" The girl states happily trying to pull him up. He makes a show of getting off the couch as he picks up the toddler who squeals in delight as he says turning toward his friend, "Okay, I'm up! Where's Dad?"

"He said he'd be in his study. Be careful, she just ate an apple," Margaret says as Hawkeye rolls his eyes before making the little girl laugh as they walk into the kitchen. As the group of people eat breakfast that morning, Margaret watches Hawkeye interact with their friend's daughter trying to understand his forced civility toward other children. Soon drawn into one of the various conversations at the table, the former major forgets her musings. As he finishes his food, Hawkeye looks toward the door saying, "I guess I should shovel out your car now."

"I can help if you-"

"No, Margaret. You stay inside and do whatever is you do," Hawkeye responds casually as he heads to get his jacket. Feeling slighted, Margaret quickly stands from the table and heads to grab her coat. Watching from their own seats, B.J. shakes his head as his wife gives him a confused glance.

"Hawk made her feel inferior," He explains before standing from his seat and watching as best he can his friends' heated exchange from the frosted window pain.

"Margaret, what are you doing out here?" Hawkeye questions when he sees his friend walking toward him as he shovels more of the snow that stands a little below his hip.

"You need help, obviously!" She states with her hands on her hips. Part of the man wonders if the woman's army persona is secretly part of her personality or she simply adopts it when she is angry.

"You can barely move in this! It's up to your ribs!" He protests stopping his work.

"It doesn't mean I'm incapable of shoveling snow!" She retaliates gesturing toward the shovel in the man's hand. Sighing, Hawkeye raises his eyebrows as best he can in his snow gear answering, "Do you know which way to go? I've lived here all my life and I don't even know where I'm going right now. Go inside and stay warm, Margaret!"

She glares at him causing him to roll his eyes upward. He can see the determination in her eyes, but has no desire for her to help him. Not because she is weak, but because he likes the idea of being chivalrous.

"Hawk-"

"Look, Margaret. I know you're capable of helping me, but there's no use in us both freezing," He responds to her stubborn expression. Just as she is about to assert her stubborness and begin to help shovel, Margaret hears boots crunching against the snow. Turning, she sees Hawkeye's former tent mate walking toward them holding a snow shovel.

"I got this Margaret, Peg says she wants to talk to you about something," B.J. says once he is close to his friends. The woman looks from one man to the other before trudging back toward the house.

"Thanks, Beej. But, you are aware she probably thinks I asked you to do that," Hawkeye states starting to shovel again. His friend, following the other man's actions, shrugs before they fall into a silent rythm.

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