Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in posting. I am currently working on a fanfic story for another fandom and I got caught up in writing for that. I finally did a quick edit of this chapter so I could post it. I hope you enjoy. This story as 2 more chapters to be edited and posted.
Chapter eight
"Food, Wine, and Friendship"
"Wow, this place is incredible!" Peg exclaimed in awe as they pulled up before the large brick Beacon Hill home.
"No wonder Charles missed home so much when he was in Korea," Margaret remarked as she took in the grounds surrounding the house.
"Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen," a young man greeted them as they piled out of the car. Looking at Hawkeye he offered. "Shall I park the car for you sir?"
"Uh, yeah sure." Hawkeye handed him the keys and watched the valet climbed in and started it up. "Don't scratch the paint." He called as the car pulled away.
"Well, shall we go in?" BJ asked as he nodded towards the front door of the house.
"Might as well," Margaret acknowledged. The quartet climbed the stairs and rang the doorbell.
"Good evening," a middle-aged man greeted them pleasantly. "How may I help you?"
"I'm Margaret Houlihan and this is my fiancée, Hawkeye Pierce and these are our friends, BJ and Peg Hunnicutt," Margaret informed the man in a very dignified tone. "We're here to see Charles Winchester."
"Ah, yes," the older man nodded knowingly. "Master Charles is expecting you. Please come in." They all stepped into the large entryway, their eyes widening slightly at the elaborateness of the decor. "May I take your coats?"
The group all shrugged out of their winter coats and handed them to the butler.
"Please follow me." He led them through the entry and into a large room at the far end. "Please make yourselves comfortable. I'll inform Master Charles of your arrival."
The group looked around the large room, smiling with appreciation. There was a crackling fire in the large marble fireplace on one end, leather couches positioned before it. To the left were several bookcases filled with volumes and volumes of books and to their right there was a bar, which had immediately caught the attention of Hawkeye and BJ.
"Care for a drink, Beej?" The dark-haired surgeon asked as he stepped behind the bar.
"Don't mind if I do," the blond man grinned and stepped over to where his friend was carefully examining each bottle. "You ladies want anything?"
"We should probably wait for Charles," Margaret objected from her spot on one of the leather couches.
"Ah, nonsense," Hawkeye dismissed as he placed four glasses on the bar. "I'm used to helping myself to Charles' alcohol."
"Which explains why my Scotch was constantly disappearing," a voice remarked a trifle crisply. The four friends looked up and smiled at their host as he crossed the room towards them.
"Evening Charles," Hawkeye greeted as he poured a martini for himself and BJ. "Can I fix you a drink? I have your favorite right here." He held up a bottle of Napoleon Brandy.
"Customarily I'm the one who's supposed to be offering the drinks, Pierce," Charles informed his old bunkmate coolly, though his eyes were filled with knowing amusement.
"Since when did we go by custom?" Hawkeye dismissed and handed the other man a snifter of brandy. "Besides, I'm sure you're completely worn out from having to get dinner prepared for us." He gave him a cheeky grin as he took a sip of his martini. "I know Colonel Potter was always tired when he had to give a lot of orders."
Charles shook his head and moved to join BJ and the ladies by the fire. Extending his hand, he greeted BJ with a friendly handshake. "Good to see you again, Hunnicutt."
"Good to see you too, Charles," BJ returned as he shook the other man's hand. "You look like you've been keeping well."
"I have, thank you." Then turning his attention to the woman beside his old bunkmate he gave her a friendly smile and added, "And you must be Peg. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you, too." Peggy smiled and accepted the hand that he offered her. "BJ has told me so much about you."
"And I about you," their host returned. "I was frequently part of the audience for one of your many letters." Peg blushed slightly as Charles turned his attention to Margaret. Bending over he placed a gentle kiss on her hand. "You look lovely tonight, Margaret."
"You flatterer." She laughed and stood up to give him a warm hug. "You're looking pretty good yourself. Blue suits you."
"A lot better than green does," Hawkeye quipped as he eyed Charles warily.
"Green doesn't suit anybody," BJ added seriously.
"Thanks a lot!" Peg exclaimed, giving her husband a mock insulted look.
BJ looked at her emerald-colored dress and grinned apologetically. "I mean Army green doesn't suit anybody. Your dress, on the other hand, is a beautiful shade of green and suits you perfectly."
Peg smiled and nudged him slightly with her elbow as Hawkeye teased, "Nice save, Beej."
"Better take notes, Pierce," Charles remarked lightly as he sat down in the leather armchair across from Hawk and Margaret. "Your turn's coming up soon to put your foot in your mouth with your wife."
"He's already done it - several times," Margaret teased.
"And they're not even married yet," BJ added mischievously.
"Don't worry, Charles," The groom-to-be piped up seriously. "I intend to learn from Beej's mistakes." Pretending to pull out a pad of paper and a pen he made a 'notation'. "Rule number one: Make sure never to insult the color your wife is wearing while she's in the same room. Check."
"Hawkeye!" Margaret laughed, giving him a light smack on the arm.
Lifting his imaginary notepad again Hawkeye added, "Ruled number two: Never read your mental notes aloud while your wife or fiancée is sitting within striking distance."
The group chuckled in amusement as the older man who had met them at the door joined them and announced, "Dinner is served."
"Thank you, Richards," Charles acknowledged. "We'll be right in."
"Very good, sir." Richards nodded and turned to leave.
"Well, shall we?" Charles rose to his feet and gestured towards the door that the other man had just exited through.
"Lead on McDuff," BJ quipped teasingly as he followed his old bunkmate's lead and rose to his feet.
Charles nodded and then stepping around the couches he looked at Margaret and offered her his arm. "Shall we?"
Margaret smiled and accepted his arm.
Looking to the others he encouraged, "Follow me please."
BJ, with Peg on his arm, followed their host and Margaret towards the door. Hawkeye on the other hand, stayed rooted to the spot, his eyes fixed grimly on Charles and Margaret.
"Are you coming, Hawk?" BJ asked his best friend curiously.
"Ah, yeah." The dark-haired man nodded and joined his friends in the large dining room.
"Remember the time we got that doctor from the 8063rd?" BJ laughed, looking at Charles expectantly.
The other man visibly cringed at the memory. "That man was a complete dolt. He made Pierce look like a rogue scholar."
"Thanks," Hawkeye replied sarcastically, glaring slightly at the other man.
"I don't think I'll ever forget the look on Colonel Potter's face when he caught that idiot riding on his precious Sophie." Charles chuckled with amusement.
"He was fit to be tied!" BJ laughed at the memory. "I thought he would drive him right out of town then and there."
"He did tell him to be out of town by sunrise," Charles remarked. "And what a pathetic creature he was when he crawled into that jeep."
"No worse than we've looked coming home from Rosie's," BJ added.
"Speak for yourself, Hunnicutt," Dr. Winchester huffed in a haughty tone. "I never partook of the same debauch that you and Pierce did."
"Then explain all the times we dragged your debauched butt home," Hawkeye remarked crisply. "Or how about the time you came home from Tokyo and couldn't remember what happened."
Charles flushed slightly with embarrassment. "Yeah, well, one isolated incident hardly dictates a pattern of normal behavior."
"How about the time your beloved sister, Honoria was marrying some guy that you didn't approve of?" Hawkeye pressed, his tone sharper. "You certainly weren't on the wagon those few days." Before Charles could reply the dark-haired man persisted relentlessly, "Or how about the time you took refuge in a bottle when you were upset about that visiting young surgeon who showed you up in OR."
"That's quite enough, Pierce," Charles finally managed to interrupt. "You've made your point quite clear." Rising to his feet he said. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to check with the cook and see when dessert will be ready."
Once their host left the room Margaret turned to Hawkeye and glared at him. "What was the meaning of all that?" She demanded angrily.
"Of what?" He asked innocently. "I was only making conversation."
"You were frying Charles," She exclaimed indignantly. "Now what's gotten into you?"
"Nothing," he denied insistently. "I was just stating the facts."
"You weren't stating them, Hawk," BJ commented. "You were beating him over the head with them."
"And you're certainly not one to talk when it comes to drunken behavior," Margaret snapped. "You who kept a still in your tent and ran up higher bar tabs then BJ and I combined."
"Hey, I know I'm not perfect, and I know that I bent my elbow a bit too much and did stupid things as a result. But at least I'm ready to admit it," Hawkeye commented. "Unlike Charles who was always so much better than the rest of us."
"He's not better than the rest of us, Hawk," BJ assured his annoyed friend. "You know Charles, he puts on airs, but he's a good guy underneath all that pomposity."
"Yeah, I know," Hawkeye mumbled contritely. "I just wish he'd respect other people's feelings a little more."
"Maybe if you respected his, he'd respect yours," Margaret remarked. "As far as I can see it, you were the one that started all this by attacking him."
Hawkeye looked at her wearily and nodded just as Charles returned to the dining room, a pleasant smile fixed firmly on his face. "Dessert and coffee will be ready shortly."
As he settled back in his seat, Hawkeye gave him an apologetic look and said, "I'm sorry for what I said before, Charles. I didn't mean to be so forceful about pointing out your drunken moments. It was completely uncalled for."
"It's okay, Pierce," his old bunkmate assured him easily. "I have long ago learned to ignore your childish temper tantrums. I assure you that it will no longer weigh upon my mind."
"That's very big of you, Charles," Hawkeye remarked sarcastically as he glared slightly at the other man.
"So, Hunnicutt, how's your civilian practice going?" Charles asked, switching his attention from Hawkeye to BJ.
"Great. I love being a civilian doctor," BJ exclaimed. "It's so nice to know when I go into surgery that I won't be in there for twenty-four hours or more. Nice, simple, two- or three-hour operations are now my specialty."
"I know exactly what you mean." Charles smiled understandingly. "It's nice to operate in clean, sanitary conditions and not have to worry about shells starting to explode around you."
BJ laughed. "The first week I was back in Mill Valley, I was doing a routine appendectomy when there was a large crash outside in the hall. My mind immediately assumed that it was a shell exploding. Out of instinct I threw myself over my patient to protect her from falling debris and ordered everyone to remain calm. They all looked at me like I was losing my marbles."
"I'm sure they've never experienced shells going off around their nice safe hospital." Charles laughed in amusement.
"Have any of you found civilian live hard to adjust to?" Margaret asked curiously.
"Nah," BJ denied. "I was a born civilian."
Margaret smiled but then quickly remarked, "I'm serious. You guys have had six months to find your life, I've just gotten back. I'm not looking forward to the adjustment period."
"Well, looks like you're on the right track," BJ remarked. "You've got a job, a home, someone who loves you very much and lots of friends who love you too. I think you're going to be just fine."
Margaret smiled at Hawkeye and reached over to squeeze his hand lovingly. "I do have all that, don't I? You're right BJ, I am pretty lucky."
Hawkeye smiled at her and squeezed her hand tenderly in reply, feeling the weight that had been pressing down on him all evening lift. Maybe Charles wasn't competition to worry about after all.
"So, Margaret, how are plans going for the wedding?" Their host asked, looking at her expectantly. "Sure, you don't want to reconsider the groom's identity." He shot Hawkeye a sly glance, obviously paying him back for his earlier remarks.
Hawkeye bristled slightly but didn't get a chance to reply before Margaret said with amusement, "I think everything is just fine the way they are, thank you Charles. Actually, things are going quite nicely. Everyone from the 4077th will be arriving next Saturday."
"Where are you going to sleep them all?" Charles asked curiously. "I don't imagine the Pierce estate is large enough to hold that many people."
"No, we don't have room for everyone," She admitted. "But Daniel says the neighbors have been volunteering to have some stay with them, so we shouldn't have a problem finding a spot for everyone to stay."
"What about food? Where are you having the reception?" He pressed with rising curiosity.
"At the house," she told him. "We plan on having both the wedding and the reception at the house. The living room is actually a fairly good size so we should be able to fit everyone in there. We'll just have to move the furniture somewhere else for the day and bring in chairs. In any case it'll be fine."
"You don't want 'fine', Margaret," Charles exclaimed with disgust. "It's your wedding day, you should have perfect. You deserve that have everything perfect and that's exactly what you're going to get. I insist you have this little affair of yours here. We can use the large ballroom; it will suit your needs more than adequately. Cook will prepare all his best dishes and I'll get the finest orchestra in all of Boston to play at the reception."
"Charles, we appreciate the offer…" Margaret smiled eagerly.
"It's not an offer, I insist," The rich man said firmly. "I won't take 'no' for an answer."
"Well, you're going to have to." Hawkeye piped up, rising to his feet angrily.
"Hawkeye, please." Margaret put her hand on his arm and tried to calm his anger. "Don't make a scene."
He looked at her with annoyance. "Don't make a scene? He's basically trying to take over our wedding and you tell me not to make a scene."
"He's not trying to take over the wedding," She objected. "He's just trying to help us have a nice wedding."
"What's wrong with the wedding we have planned?" He demanded angrily. "What's wrong with a simple, country wedding?"
"Absolutely nothing," She assured him. "The plans we have for the wedding are beautiful. It's just that if Charles is offering something a little fancier, why can't we at least consider his offer."
"Because I'm not about to take any charity from him," Hawkeye told her firmly.
"What charity?" She asked in confusion. "It's not charity. He's our friend. He was just trying to help us out."
"Oh, yeah. He wants to help us out, all right! He'd like to help me right out the door!" Looking at the astonished looks on all his friends' faces he asked in disbelief, "Am I the only one that sees what he's trying to do?"
"Pierce, what is it you think I'm trying to do?" Charles asked, an innocent expression on his face.
Hawkeye paused for a moment, his eyes never leaving Margaret's face. "Maybe you would like to change the identity of the groom."
"What are you talking about?" She demanded in confusion.
"Oh, come off it, Margaret. I've seen the way Charles has been fawning all over you tonight. I'm not blind, you know. Maybe you would prefer to marry him. That way you can have your fancy, Boston Society wedding and some rich, snooty friends."
"What are you talking about?" She cried again, rising to her feet and staring at him in shocked surprise.
"Face it, Margaret!" He exclaimed pitifully. "I'll never be in the same league as Charles. I'll never be able to give you the same kind of things he would. Maybe you're better off with him."
With that he turned and left the room, leaving four shocked friends behind him.
"Where can he possibly be?" Margaret asked BJ in desperation for about the tenth time in the last thirty minutes. "It's been over an hour since he left!"
"Margaret, would you please sit down before you wear a hole in Charles' expensive carpet!" BJ exclaimed with growing impatience. He was also very concerned about the whereabouts of his best friend.
"How can I sit down when my fiancée, the man I love more than anyone in the world, is goodness knows where thinking that I want to marry Charles for some stupid reason!" Margaret shouted forcefully back at her friend. "Why Charles of all people?"
"Gee, thanks Margaret," Charles drawled sarcastically. "I love you too."
"We know," BJ muttered to himself as he glared at the other man angrily. "That's what started this whole mess."
Neither Charles nor Margaret noticed his remark, as they were both too busy glaring at each other.
Finally, Margaret turned her attention back to BJ. "Where could he be?"
"How should I know?" BJ exclaimed reaching the limits of his patience.
"Well, you're his best friend." She pointed out, as if that meant he should therefore know Hawkeye's every move.
"So, you're his fiancée and you don't know where he is either," The blond man pointed out caustically.
Margaret sighed and gestured emphatically as she said. "We're in Boston, where would he go?"
"I don't know…" He stopped abruptly, a thoughtful look on his face as if something just suddenly occurred to him. It's true, they were in Boston. Looking at Charles eagerly he demanded. "Do you have a phone list for all the doctors at Boston Mercy?"
"In my office," Charles acknowledged, looking at him curiously.
"Can you get it for me?" BJ asked impatiently.
"I suppose so," Charles replied as he rose to his feet and set his brandy snifter on the coffee table. "But that list is not for public access. It's supposed to be confidential."
"Then you can dial the number," BJ told the other man with exasperation. "I just need to get ahold of a certain doctor that works at Boston Mercy."
"Which doctor?" The Bostonian narrowed his eyes slightly as he regarded the other man.
"Why don't you think about it while you go and get the list," the blond man urged, his eyes pleading with Charles to hurry up. Charles finally nodded and left the room. As he left BJ let out a frustrated sigh. "So much for a relaxing evening." He muttered as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Why are you calling a doctor from Boston Mercy?" Margaret asked her friend curiously.
"I think I know where Hawkeye went." He told her seriously.
Margaret looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face for several moments before understanding finally filled her eyes. "Trapper's."
"Trapper's." BJ nodded in confirmation.
"Here's the list, Hunnicutt," Charles announced as he returned. "I assume I can trust you not to spread it around to the general population."
"Never assume, Charles." BJ quipped as he took the list from the other man. "You know what usually happens."
Charles rolled his eyes and returned to his place on the couch by the fire. "Do you mind telling me what this is all about? Why did you need that list?"
"I think Hawk went to Trapper's." BJ said as he scanned the list for Trapper's name. "He's Chief Surgeon in Pediatrics, right?"
"Right." Margaret quickly confirmed.
"Here we are." BJ pointed to the familiar name. "John MacIntyre." Grabbing up the phone that was sitting on the bar he looked at Margaret and asked. "Do you want to call or should I?"
"Maybe you'd better," she told him nervously. "If Hawk is there then Trapper probably doesn't want to speak to me. We're not the greatest of friends at the best of times let alone if one of his best buddies is telling him I want to marry somebody else. You know how nasty Hawkeye can be when he's mad, well Trapper can be a lot worse! You don't want to get anywhere near them when they're mad and together!"
"I'll take my chances." BJ smiled as he dialed the number for the MacIntyre residence.
After three rings he heard someone pick up the phone. "Hello?"
"Hello." BJ greeted pleasantly, feeling quite excited about finally talking to the man he'd heard so much about. "Can I speak to Dr. John MacIntyre please?"
"This is Dr. MacIntyre," Trapper informed him cautiously. "Who's this?"
"My name is Dr. BJ Hunnicutt." The blond man told him eagerly. "I believe you and I have a mutual friend..."
About ten minutes later Trapper hung up the phone and returned to the living room and his guest. He had been surprised when he'd opened his door about forty-five minutes earlier and found his best friend standing on his doorstep, a very haunted look in his blue eyes.
Over a martini, very dry of course, he had managed to get out of the other man that he'd just been over to Charles Winchester's for supper. But what had led his friend to abandon the dinner party there and seek him out was still a puzzle to the curly headed doctor.
"Was that Margaret?" Hawkeye asked looking at his friend hopefully as he returned.
"No that was BJ Hunnicutt," Trapper informed him as he sat down in the armchair that he'd abandoned to answer the phone, carefully watching the different emotions playing across Hawkeye's face. After a few moments he prompted gently, "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
Hawkeye set his half full martini glass on the coffee table and rubbed his face with his hands for a moment before looking at his friend and admitting, "I don't know. I honestly don't know what happened, Trap. I just lost it. One minute the five of us are having a nice relaxing visit and the next I'm shooting my mouth off and telling Margaret that maybe she should be marrying Charles instead of me."
"Why would you tell her she should be marrying Winchester?" Trapper asked in surprise.
With a heart-wrenching sigh Hawkeye exclaimed, "Because it's quite evident that Charles has feelings for her too. And he can give her everything I can't, everything that she deserves to have." There was a pause as the distressed man got up and started pacing up and down the MacIntyer's living room. "I mean why wouldn't she want to marry Charles? He's rich and influential and pompous and rich."
"You said rich already," his friend pointed out.
"Well, he's doubly rich." Hawk replied, continuing to pace.
"Hawk, don't sell Margaret short," the blond man told him seriously. "It's you that she loves. Remember the other day when the four of us had lunch together? Don't you remember what she said?" When Hawkeye shook his head, he reminded him, "She said that she'd rather have you than Charles."
"When did she say that?" Hawkeye asked, looking at his friend eagerly.
"When you were teasing her about having charged her engagement ring to Charles," his friend said. "Margaret said that she'd rather have a cheaper ring from you than a more expensive one from Charles." Seeing the thoughtful look on his friend's face he added. "She loves you Hawk. She loves you more than I've ever seen her love anyone."
"You think so?" His friend looked at him eagerly.
Trapper nodded, then with an amused chuckle he shook his head and said. "I never thought I'd ever say this about you and 'Hot Lips'..." He flashed Hawkeye a cheeky grin when his friend gave him a warning look. "...but you're good for each other and you obviously love each other very much."
Hawkeye sighed and plopped back down on the couch. "I've never loved anyone in my life as much as I love Margaret." Picking up his martini glass he studied it intently for a minute before admitting, "Ever since I left Margaret behind in Korea, I have felt like something's missing in my life. I hadn't realized just how much a part of me she'd become during the last three years. I've felt so lost and lonely without her."
"Maybe that's why you acted the way that you did over at Winchester's," Trapper mused thoughtfully. "Maybe subconsciously you're afraid of losing her and being alone again, so instead of waiting for it to happen, you pushed her away trying to keep from getting hurt."
"That's very perceptive of you, Doctor." Hawkeye smiled at his old friend, obviously impressed. "Have you ever thought about giving up surgery to become a psychiatrist?"
"Naw, I have a phobia of rubber couches." Trapper smiled, glad to see his friend feeling better. As Hawkeye grinned slightly there was a knock at the front door. "I'll get it." Trapper told his friend as he rose to his feet and left the room. Pulling open the front door he greeted his guests with a warm hello. "You must be BJ." He shook hands with the blond-haired man who had been his replacement.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Trapper," BJ acknowledged, smiling warmly at the other man. "Hawk has told me a lot about you."
"Well, I guess you're one up on me than," Trapper teased in a light manner. "I haven't had as much opportunity to get the dirt on you yet."
"Well, I'm sure we'll get the chance to fix that," BJ chuckled slightly. Then motioning to the blond woman beside him he introduced. "I'd like you to meet my wife, Peggy. Peg, this is the infamous Trapper John MacIntyre that you've heard Hawk talk so much about."
"Pleased to meet you, Dr. MacIntyre," Peg acknowledged in a friendly manner.
"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Hunnicutt." Trapper gave her a bright smile. "But, please, call me Trapper." Looking at BJ a little sadly he admitted, "Nobody's called me 'Trapper' since Korea. I kind of miss it." BJ nodded in understanding. As much as he hated the Korea Theater, he had to admit there were certain things about it he missed, namely the closeness of the people at the 4077th. Trapper turned his attention from BJ to the other woman in the group who had been standing quietly behind the rest. He reached out and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Margaret looked at him a trifle nervously, unsure of what he's going to say. "Hawk's waiting for you in the living room. He's been beating himself up for what he said over at Winchester's."
"Did he tell you what on earth made him act the way that he did?" Margaret asked softly, casting furtive glances towards the door she figured led to the living room.
"Basically, he was jealous," Trapper told her seriously. "Jealous and afraid."
"Jealous and afraid?" Margaret repeated in confusion. "Jealous and afraid of what?"
Trapper cast a pointed look at Charles as he said, "Because he could tell that he's not the only one in love with you." Charles' face flushed with embarrassment and he quickly adverted his eyes from Trapper's.
Margaret frowned slightly, not noticing the exchange between the two men. "I don't know where he got that idea from, but the only one that I love is Hawkeye. Despite the fact that he has the tendency to act like a jerk."
Trapper's face broke into a pleased smile. "Don't tell me, tell him. He's in there worrying that he's lost you forever."
Margaret gave him a decisive nod and headed for the living room door. Squaring her shoulders slightly she walked into the room, closing the French doors behind her. Turning his attention back to the rest of his guests the curly-haired doctor asked, "Why don't we have a cup of coffee in the kitchen while the love birds make up."
"Sounds good," BJ acknowledged. "We can swap 4077th stories."
"Say," Trapper's eyes started to dance with mischief. "Did Hawkeye ever tell you about the time we camped out in Margaret's bed?" His guests listened with amusement as he led them into the kitchen.
Meanwhile in the living room Margaret was watching Hawkeye carefully from just inside the door. He was sitting with his head in his hands his shoulders slumped dejectedly. Finally, after several moments Margaret spoke. "How are you?"
He didn't respond for several moments. Finally, he mumbled through his hands,"Fine, how are you?"
"Worried," she admitted seriously. "And scared."
Looking at her in surprise he asked, "Why are you scared?"
Slowly she approached him and sat down beside him. Looking into his sad blue eyes she whispered, "I'm scared because I felt like I'm losing you and I don't know why."
Hawkeye's expression changed as he reached over and captured her hand in one of his gently caressing her cheek with the other one. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
"I love you Hawkeye," she told him sincerely. "I love you more than anyone in the world. You're the kindest, most caring man I have ever met, and I would rather have a simple life with you than all the riches in the world with someone else."
"Really?" He gave her a hopeful look.
"Really." Margaret smiled brightly at him. "I fell in love with you in Korea, the most unlikely place in the world to find love. You helped me through the worst time of my life, you helped me cope and taught me how to survive when survival seemed impossible. I know we didn't always get along, but regardless you were always my strength. You carried all of us. I don't know what we would have done without you." She moved closer to him. "I don't ever want to find out what my life would be like without you. I know that despite our history together, the years to come will be wonderful."
"I hope so." He gave her an amused smirk and exclaimed, "If I can't improve on a war than I'd better just give up right now."
Margaret smiled and reached up to push aside the lock of hair that fell across his forehead. "Don't give up. We are going to have a great life together."
Hawkeye's smile finally reached his eyes. "I love you, Margaret Houlihan."
"I love you too, Benjamin Pierce," she returned as she leaned in to meet him half-way for a tender kiss.
From the doorway of the kitchen two blond surgeons, coffee cups in hand, were watching the scene unfolding in the living room through the glass panels of the French doors.
"They sure do love each other, don't they?" Trapper remarked to his companion, his head shaking slightly in disbelief. "Hawkeye Pierce and Hot Lips Houlihan kissing on my couch! This is a scene I never in a million years imagined let alone thought I'd see!"
"Well, you know what they say." BJ smiled with obvious delight. "'Love conquers all'."