In this chapter we will discover why Louise really divorced Trapper and how our two favourite Majors react to the news that Trapper has homosexual tendencies. Read on and remember to review!

Trapper's breath caught in his throat when he saw the large mansion before him. He knew that Winchester was rich but he didn't think he was this rich.

'Hotlips must be doing pretty good for herself.' Trapper mumbled to himself before approaching the front door.

He knocked loudly and waited. A few seconds later the door was opened by a stern looking man wearing a suit. Trapper assumed this must be the butler.

'Can I help you sir?' he asked in a British accent.

How cliché? 'Yea I'm John McIntyre; I was invited to have dinner with Dr and Mrs Winchester.'

'Oh yes, please follow me sir.' The butler stood aside to let Trapper in.

The entry hall was magnificent. Marble floors and a large staircase ascending to the second story stood before him.

'May I take your coat Dr McIntyre?'

'Thanks Jeeves.' Said Trapper handing over his heavy jacket.

'My name is Nelson sir. That is a rather interesting garment you're wearing.'

Trapper was wearing the pinstriped suit he'd had made for him especially in Korea. Except the stripes were going horizontal instead of vertical.

Trapper grinned. 'Thanks, a Korean tailor made it.'

'Indeed.' Nelson gave Trapper a look of mounting distaste. 'Shall I announce you?'

Trapper shrugged. 'Sure, where are they?'

'Dr and Mrs Winchester are residing in the den for the moment. Please follow me.'

Trapper smirked behind Nelson's back as he followed him to the den.

Nelson opened the door to an elegant room that was being warmed by a large fireplace. Large blue velvet curtains hung over the windows and large comfy leather chairs were scattered about around the hearth. Seated on a lounge together nursing glasses of rosé were Winchester and Margaret who looked up when Nelson opened the door.

'Dr and Mrs Winchester, John McIntyre has arrived.'

Margaret rose from her seat and rushed over to Trapper enveloping him in a hug.

'Trapper, you look wonderful.' Margaret grinned widely at the former Captain.

Trapper smiled back. 'You look ravishing.'

Indeed she did. Margaret's blonde hair was pulled back in a loose bun at the back of her hair and she was wearing a lovely pale blue pants suit which brought out the colour of her baby blue eyes.

'Thank you Trapper.'

Somehow hearing Margaret address Trapper by his nickname didn't feel right.

'Margaret, please call me John.'

A look of confusion passed over the blonde's face but she smiled nevertheless.

'Okay, John.' Margaret looked Trapper up and down and began to laugh.

'Where did you get that suit?'

Trapper grinned. 'A Korean tailor made it for me remember?'

'Oh yea, I never thought you'd keep it!'

Trapper shrugged. 'Well, I've never had the occasion to wear it until now.'

Charles cleared his throat to get their attention.

'Oh, sorry Charles, come over here John.'

Trapper complied and walked over to the fireplace where Winchester was seated nursing his wine.

He looked so regal, so stern. Trapper couldn't imagine this man being anywhere near the 4077th. How did he survive?

Margaret that's how.

'Would you care for some wine McIntyre?' Charles offered.

Trapper nodded and sat on a chair opposite the Winchesters. Margaret had seated herself next to Charles and his expression had warmed considerably. They were definitely in love.

'So how are you Margaret? You look absolutely wonderful.'

Margaret blushed, something Trapper never thought he'd see her do.

'Thank you John, I am very well. Charles is treating me great.'

'So you like living in Buckingham Palace then?'

Margaret giggled. 'I know it's pretty intimidating at first but you get used to it. So how are you John? Have you seen anyone from the 4077th lately?'

Trapper shrugged. 'Well aside from you and Winchester, no one.' And Hawkeye.

Conversation halted as Nelson entered the den.

'Excuse me, Dr Winchester, there is a Dr. Hamilton on the phone, he says it's urgent.'

Charles sighed and stood up. 'I don't know why those incompetents can't do anything without me.'

Margaret reached out to pet her husband's arm. 'It's because you're so important Charles.'

'I know, I know.' Charles stalked out of the room to take the call, leaving Margaret and Trapper alone.

'So how are you John, really?'

Trapper grinned but it didn't quite meet his eyes. 'I'm fine Margaret…just dandy.'

Margaret gave Trapper a look of disbelief. 'Come on, you've been here ten minutes and you haven't even tried to make a pass at me or molest me or anything.'

'Do you want me to?'

'No.' growled Margaret in her old Major Houlihan tone.

'Well, Winchester is my boss and I don't think it'd be appropriate to flirt with his wife in his presence.'

Margaret tried to hide her smile. 'Since when?'

'Look Major can we cut this out. Nothing is wrong!'

Margaret's pleasant mood faded. 'Don't talk back to me McIntyre, I'm a superior…oh wait…'

She trailed off into giggles.

Trapper grinned. 'We don't do that anymore remember?'

'Sorry, I've used that threat so often that I can't seem to break the habit.'

Trapper had heard stories from Hawkeye and Radar that Margaret had become a changed woman after he was discharged. After Frank was transferred she became more human and less of a demanding figure although she still stuck to her nursing duties. Trapper hadn't believed it at first but seeing this beautiful woman seated before him, talking civilly to him, he knew that the stories were true.

'So…have you been working? I haven't seen you around Boston General.'

Margaret nodded. 'I've been working at a small clinic downtown for the past 18 months. But I won't be much longer.'

Trapper frowned. 'How come? Is Winchester all gung ho about women staying home and cooking while men go to work?'

Margaret shook her head. 'No, we just don't think it'd be good for the baby.'

'You're pregnant?'

Margaret's grin was so wide that Trapper thought her lips would meet at the back of her head.

'You've been busting to tell me this haven't you?'

'That's why I got Charles to invite you up here. What do you think?'

'I think it's wonderful, how far along are you?'

'Almost eight weeks. The baby is due approximately mid to late July.'

Trapper leant over and hugged the former Major. 'That is fabulous Margaret, congratulations.'

'Thank you, but enough about me. How is your family John?'

Trapper's smile faded instantly.

'Oh God John what's the matter? Is it the girls?'

'Louise and I got divorced.'

'Oh, I'm so sorry.'

Trapper shrugged. 'No big deal, I cheated on her and I guess she couldn't take it anymore.'

Margaret actually laughed. 'But I thought both of you cheated on each other, why was this time any different?'

Trapper paused. This was it the moment of truth. He could either tell Margaret and risk being kicked out of her home or he could lie.

'Can I confide in you Margaret?'

The blonde's expression softened. 'Of course, what is it?'

Trapper sighed. 'The reason Louise kicked me out is because of Hawkeye.'

Margaret became instantly confused. 'Hawkeye ran off with your wife?'

Trapper laughed. 'No, no, no…it's…more complicated than that.'

Margaret put a hand on the doctor's knee. 'Tell me.'

'Do you remember that Hawkeye and I were really close in Korea?'

'Of course, you two were practically joined at the hip. I remember those stupid gorilla suits that you idiots purchased. You scared the hell out of me with those.'

Trapper chuckled but instantly sobered up to emphasise the seriousness of the situation. 'Do you remember when Hawk and I had to sober you up that one time?'

Margaret struggled to recall. '…vaguely, wasn't that when I demanded a transfer because of you two?'

'Probably, well, do you remember how you were all over me and saying how much you loved me?'

Margaret blushed so Trapper assumed she did.

'And then Hawkeye said that that was when he fell in love with…you…' Margaret paused as realisation dawned on her.

'You and Pierce?'

Trapper nodded, preparing for the screaming match that was sure to ensue.

'But, I thought…the nurses?'

'Well we had to make sure nobody got suspicious of us.'

'Well I must say it worked.'

Margaret wasn't giving anything away by the tone of her voice so Trapper couldn't tell whether she was mad, disgusted, confused or anything.

'But…what has that got to do with Louise?'

Trapper sighed. He was about to tell Margaret something that nobody except himself and Louise knew.

'When I got back from Korea I was feeling pretty lousy about the way Hawk and I parted. He probably told you that he missed me by ten minutes at Kimpo?'

Margaret nodded. 'He only mentioned it about a hundred times.'

'Okay well although I never said so, Louise knew that I had cheated on her numerous times while I was away. But that was fine because she had done the same according to my sister.'

'And you were both okay with that?'

Trapper shrugged. 'We only cheated for sex, not love. Louise only loved me and I only loved her…'

Trapper paused and Margaret knew what he wanted to say.

'Until you met Hawkeye?'

The doctor nodded. 'I felt…revolted at first. You know because it's supposedly wrong to love someone of the same sex. Then I kept trying to deny the fact that I really felt that way. You may recall a time when I was particularly aroused by the nursing staff.'

Margaret raised an eyebrow. 'Yes I do. I thought I was going to have to spray you with cold water. So…that was only to take your mind off your feelings for Hawkeye?'

Trapper nodded. 'Yep, I figured since Hawkeye spent so much time with the nurses that he was completely straight. That is until that night when we were given the in enviable job of trying to sober you up.'

Trapper was about to go on when he heard Charles clear his throat and enter the den solemnly.

Oh shit, how much has he heard?

Margaret seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Trapper because she had an expression on her face that resembled a rabbit caught in headlights.

Charles found the scene before him rather amusing. So much so that he let out a short laugh.

'You needn't be alarmed McIntyre. I have no problems with homosexual behaviour. I would advice you however to keep your voice down to a dull roar when discussing your escapades with Pierce.'

Trapper and Margaret breathed sighs of relief as Charles sat down next to the latter.

'Do go on, I find this quite fascinating.'

McIntyre grinned awkwardly. 'Uh…where was I up to?'

'I believe you were about to tell us when you and Pierce discovered your love for one another.'

There was the slightest hint of amusement in the aristocrat's voice but Trapper ignored it and continued his story.

'Well, I confronted Hawkeye in the Swamp afterwards and discovered that he really did have feelings for me. He was worried that I might be afraid or disgusted so he had kept his yap shut. I guess you can figure how the evening went after that.'

Margaret's expression looked to Charles as though she had just completed a particularly passionate bout of lovemaking.

Trapper however didn't seem to notice. 'After that I felt guilty because I still loved Louise but I loved Hawkeye with just as much force. When I arrived home I pretended that nothing other than nurse molesting had gone on in Korea and Louise and I picked up where we had left off.'

Margaret frowned. 'That still doesn't explain how Hawkeye broke up your marriage.'

'Knowing Pierce he probably broke into the McIntyre residence and declared his undying love for Trapper.' Charles chuckled at his joke.

Trapper shot Charles a look that could have killed. 'Not funny Winchester.'

'Sorry, but you have to admit that it seems like the kind of thing Pierce would do.'

Trapper shrugged. 'Okay I'll give you that one. May I continue?'

Charles nodded his head and Trapper resumed his story.

'Okay well five years after the war I invited Hawk to dinner.'

Trapper went on to explain the details of his failed reconciliation with Hawkeye.

'When Hawk stormed out of the house I turned to go upstairs and I saw Louise standing in the kitchen doorway with a very murderous expression on her face. Turns out that she had heard everything that Hawk and I had said to each other and she was not very happy about it.'

Margaret put her hand to her mouth. 'What did she say?'

'We had a huge argument over Hawkeye and Louise kept saying how disgusting and wrong it was that I was sleeping with a man (she comes from a very homophobic family) and that she wanted me out of the house.'

To his horror Trapper's throat began to get tight and his eyes swam with tears.

'I told Hawk at your wedding that we had only been separated six months but it'd really been two years. I also told him some stupid reason about why Louise kicked me out. He bought it thankfully.'

Trapper had to pause because tears had started to run down his cheeks. Charles looked decidedly uncomfortable as Margaret leant over and hugged the former Captain.

'Where is Hawkeye now?'

Trapper wiped is eyes gruffly with the back of his hand. 'We had another argument after I asked him to come live with me and he walked out and went back to Maine. I haven't seen him since.'

There was a long silence as the Winchesters sat and digested all that they had been told by Trapper. Charles was the one who broke the silence.

'Do you love him?'

'Um…yea I guess so.' Replied Trapper awkwardly.

'No, not I guess so, yes or no?'

' Winchester, has anyone ever told you that you have the sensitivity of a blunt axe?'

'Many times, answer the question McIntyre.'

Margaret frowned at her husband. 'Charles, John's right you are being a little insensitive.'

Trapper rolled his eyes. 'Yes I do okay? But how the hell are we going to live together if we can't spend three days without fighting?'

Nelson entered the den at that point and the conversation ceased immediately.

'Dinner is served sir.' Nelson addressed his boss briefly and left the room.

The trio stood up and walked out of the den silently, not knowing that Charles was thinking up a solution to this rather unusual problem.

What is Charles thinking up? I'm afraid you'll have to wait for a little while guys! Please review !

Next chapter...Hawkeye spends Christmas with the Hunnicutts!