Sidney took a deep breath, a few steps forward, and knocked three times on Hawkeye and BJ's front porch.

It was a nice home, simple and modest yet by all means, a far cry from the days of the Swamp. He looked to the right, above the address numbering, and smiled.

Home.

It was a simple sign, but still...yes, of course, Sidney knew better than most how the world viewed homosexuality. He himself had been taught to believe it a mental disorder and treat it as such. But somehow, in some way, he'd slowly begun to question the teachings of his profession that had served him fairly well his entire life.

He knocked again. "Hawkeye, its me," Sidney called out quietly. "I'm alone."

"They're gone?" Hawkeye questioned.

"Of course."

"Good. Why don't you do us both a favor and join them. Buh-byyyeee..." Hawkeye called out, reminding Sidney all the more of the end of the war and what Hawkeye had been through.

"I'm still here, Hawkeye. I'm not going anywhere. I hope you don't mind if I pitch the tent in your backyard for the night."

"Go away! What part of go away don't you understand?" Hawkeye shouted, clearly becoming more emotional by the minute.

Sidney said nothing. He took a deep breath, and just waited. Retired, his kids away, nearly graduating from college...his wife had taken to volunteer work lately. So time wasn't the issue here.

"Stop! Stop being you! I hate when you do that..."Hawkeye cried out. "Just go away. Everyone else got smart. You think you're smart, you think you're better than us because of your education...if you were so smart, why can't you see that all I really want is to be left alone?"

Even a stray cat giving birth sounded less pitiful than Sidney's friend was beginning to seem.

"Is that what you want?" Sidney replied calmly.

Hawkeye flung open the door and faced his friend. "What I want is to have my partner and best friend, the man who made me laugh and cry and his daughter, the two people who shared their lives with me back in our home where they belong. Can you bring BJ back, Sid? Can you promise me that if I'm really good and mind my p's and q's, that one day after Erin turns eighteen she'll look me up and we'll catch up? That she'll never forget how much her daddy loved her? That she'll never forget how much I loved her? Can you?"

With that, an emotionally and physically exhausted fell against Sidney, who said nothing, but patted his back and let Hawkeye get out what he needed to get out.

Finally, after what had seemed to be an eternity to Hawkeye, he pulled back and wiped his face. "Sid, I'm sorry...I don't know what to say..."

"What if I were to tell you that I have a plan? A pl..."

Hawkeye eagerly grabbed Sidney by the arms. "A plan? What the hell are you talking about- a plan? Does this involve Erin in any way?"

Sidney smiled and nodded. "You might say that."

"Don't play cryptic with me now, Sid. What's going on? For the love of God..."

"Hawkeye, what I have in mind...let's just say it's a bit, em, unorthodox."

"Hello, have we met?"

They both shared a smile.

"You could make history, you know."

"BJ always said I could do anything I put my mind to...except for shutting up, which is neither here nor there. But I digress. What do I have to do?"

"How much do you love Erin Hunnicutt?"

"More than life itself! Come on, what's going on?" Hawkeye demanded.

"I appreciate your opening the door for me. You still haven't offered me a drink," Sidney smiled in that gentle, knowing, ever patient way of his.

.

"A drink?" Suddenly for the first time since BJ's passing, Hawkeye actually asked. "Drinks are on me. And if your plan-which I know nothing about- works-whatever it is- Everything I own will be on me. Come on in."

So as Hawkeye and Sidney lifted their glasses, Sidney couldn't help but observe all of the photos of BJ, Erin and Hawkeye, individually, decorating the house. Sad, really, that that little family of Hawkeye's couldn't even get their family photo taken together. More than ever, Sid knew that what he was going to propose was crazy, probably the craziest idea of his entire life. But, as Hawkeye and BJ and their other 4077 brothers and sisters had taught Sidney all those years ago, sometimes it was possible something so crazy it just might work.

For Hawkeye and Erin's sake, it had better.

tbc