Hawkeye and John sat in his backyard with an old nail sitting in front of them at the table. "So, what did you call me over here to do?" John asked as he watched the sharp object out of the corner of his eye.

Hawkeye sighed and then reached down into his pocket. He revealed the small gold band with a little pink rose on it. "I want to carve something on it. I found it's pretty soft, so it shouldn't be too hard," he explained as he looked the ring over.

John shrugged and then took the ring. "What do you want it to say?" he asked as he picked the nail up and situated it in his fingers.

Hawkeye stared off for a minute. He didn't know. It was such a small ring that it made it hard to really put anything on it. Just put, Ben and Mags," he said.

John looked the ring over and tilted his head. "How about B and M?" he asked.

"Okay, B and M," he said. He didn't care, just as long as it meant something. He sat there and waited until John was done with his ring. This to him was a big deal. Maybe irresponsible to some, but he felt he had to give that ring to her.

The entire time that he waited for that ring, he kept thinking about what had happened over the short time that he had been in South Carolina. How he had come to love the place that he first hated, and all because of one person. That had never happened to him before. He was going to return to Maine with a part of her still with him.

"Homesick?" Margaret asked.

Hawkeye looked up and laughed at her.

"That's the first time that I think I've ever heard you speak," he said.

"Yes, I guess I am a little homesick," Hawkeye said.

"Everything's going great? The others finally got around to doing that, while they're trying to beat a new record?" Margaret asked.

Hawkeye's eyebrows raised at her.

"Yeah, how did you know?" he asked.

"I have had those letters sent to me before," Margaret said.

He was longer homesick. As a matter of fact, he was going to miss this place. Then again, once she left, it was going to be back to the same spot that it was before, a place, and nothing more then that.

"Here you go," John said bringing him back from his thoughts.

"Thanks," Hawkeye said and then slipped the ring back into his pocket. That was the night that he was to say goodbye to her.

Margaret sat on the rock over at the beach. During her time there she had come to like that as her thinking spot. The place that she enjoyed to go. She had earlier been told to meet Hawkeye there and was now awaiting his appearance. There was nothing more to do now but sit and think. Think about how unusual this was for her, to be waiting for some one and know that they would show up.

"Maggie?"

Margaret slightly jumped and then turned around to see Hawkeye standing there. His face was straight and serious, something that wouldn't expect to see from him. His black hair was slightly messed, but it fit him more. She stood up and they both met each other half way. They were both waiting for something, but Hawkeye figured that he ought to talk first.

"About the other day, when I snapped at you, I didn't, well, I," tried to choke out.

Margaret put her finger on his lips to keep him quiet. "It's okay. I forgive you," she said and then pulled her arm back down to her side.

"Thanks," he said and then looked down. Neither of them knew what to say.

Margaret looked off to the side and watched the water as the sun began to set. She knew exactly what she had wanted to say to him, and exactly how she felt, but she couldn't. There was something holding her back from what she wanted to do. Instead, she stood there silently as she waited for him to finally speak up.

"I heard that you're leaving," Hawkeye said trying to break the silence. Although, when he saw the saddened expression form in her face as she turned to him, he regretted ever mentioning it.

"Yeah, this week is going to be my last week at this school. Then it's off to where ever my daddy takes me and Becky," she said and then tried to fake a smile.

"I guess that means that you'll now get a well deserved brake from Tara now," Hawkeye said trying to lighten the mood.

Margaret shrugged. "I don't know. The last couple of weeks have changed her. She seems to be more human lately. Maybe the divorce hit her harder than the rest of us," Margaret said and then looked down. "But no matter what, she's still my sister and I'll miss her."

Hawkeye looked around. He had no idea what to talk about with her. This was all very upsetting to her and the last thing he wanted to do was upset her, but he also didn't want to seem like he didn't care about it. He figured that he had just better shut up and let her do the talking from now on. It was then that he remembered that he had the ring. "Maggie," he said getting her to turn to him. "I have something for you." Margaret's eyes lit up as he pulled out the small ring. He took her hand and slid the ring onto her finger. "My mother gave me this right before she died. She told me to give this to some one who means a lot to me and right now, the thing I hate most is leaving you, so you must be awful important to me," he said.

Margaret's eyes gathered tears as she threw her arms around him. They stood there in each other's arms for a while before they had decided to kiss. Neither of them had known how long they stood there, but it was an awful long time.

*********************************************

"And that was the last time that I ever saw her," Hawkeye said as he blankly stared across the tent. "She ended up having to leave the next day. I was the only one who got to say good bye to her."

"Or, at least you thought," BJ said motioning towards the ring.

Hawkeye jumped out of his trance and looked down at the ring. "I don't know why, but I haven't even given that year a single thought in a long time. That's probably why I didn't recognize her," he said.

"It sounds to me that you know very well who she is, and if you don't mind, I think I also know who you are talking about," BJ smirked as he watched Hawkeye.

Hawkeye, without a moment's hesitation, stood up. "You're right, and now I have to go save her from Frank," he said and then left the tent. BJ just sat there with a smile on his face.

Hawkeye walked across the compound over to Margaret's tent. The whole time he looked down at the ring. It was amazing to him how two people could be brought back together over some little thing that happened over twenty years ago. He stopped at the door and knocked. "Margaret, I have something for you," he announced.

Margaret came to the door and stood there. "What is it Pierce?" she barked.

Even though he could clearly see that she didn't want to see him, he still grabbed her hand.

"Pierce!" she protested.

Hawkeye held his finger up and then with the other hand held the ring up. Her eyes lit up with pure joy. "You found it!" she exclaimed.

"My mother gave me this right before she died. She told me to give this to some one who means a lot to me and right now, the thing I hate most is leaving you, so you must be awful important to me," he said and then looked up. Her face was filled with pure surprise.

"Now take care of it this time," he said and then kissed her hand.

Margaret stood there with a wishful look in her eyes as she went back and forth between watching him and the ring. "Thank you," she said and then saw him leave and go back to the swamp. There was a longing that she had to run after him. To go up and wrap her arms around him. But, instead, she simply stood there and softly smiled down at the ring that she would always hold near and dear. "I love you to Hawkeye," she said to herself and then went back into her tent.

"What was that?" Frank whined.

"Nothing that you could ever comprehend," she said.