Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to send a review. I have to admit it's gratifying to have a story that I wrote almost 20 years ago still be enjoyed today. There's one more chapter in this story to be posted. I also have a few other M*A*S*H stories that I could dust off and post if there's an interest. A couple of them are quite long.

Chapter nine

"Old Faces in New Places"

"Where are those Johnson Boys? They were supposed to be here at three o'clock with the tables and chairs!"

"Take it easy, Margaret," Peg patiently tried to calm her excited friend. "It's only five after three, I'm sure that they'll be here any minute."

As if on cue a red pickup truck pulled into the Pierce's driveway, the back of it full of tables and chairs.

"See, there they are."

"It's about time," Margaret muttered to herself as she crossed 'tables and chairs' off the checklist she held in her hand. Glancing at the clock on the wall she exclaimed in horror, "Oh, no! The Potters' plane arrives in fifteen minutes and Hawkeye and BJ are still here! They'll never make it to Portland Airport in time!"

Peg grabbed her friend by the shoulders to keep her from bolting for the men. "It's okay, Margaret! Don't you remember Charles, Trapper and Daniel are picking everyone up at the airport? They'll be here in about two and a half hours."

Margaret gave her friend a sheepish smile. "I forgot."

"I noticed." Peg chuckled as she reached over and gently removed the clipboard that Margaret was clutching tightly in her hand. "Now why don't you give that to me and come. I have an idea." Sliding an arm around her friend's waist she guided her towards the back door.

"Where are we going?" Margaret asked, a puzzled look on her face.

"I think that you and Hawkeye should take a break from all the wedding preparations and go for a drive," Peg told her seriously.

"I can't," The bride-to-be exclaimed, trying to move back towards the kitchen but Peg stopped her. "I have too much stuff to do."

"BJ and I can handle whatever is left to be done," her Matron-of-Honor told her firmly as she grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards the door. "Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Thompson are bringing over supper for everyone at six and Toby Wilder and Brad Millar promised to have all the tables and chairs set up for the ceremony and reception after supper. The flowers are coming tomorrow morning, Suzy Hamill promised you that this morning. The dresses are ready and hanging upstairs and Carrie is coming up with Charles tonight, so she'll be on hand to do our hair and makeup. There is absolutely nothing that needs your attention right now, except yourself and Hawkeye. The two of you haven't had a moment alone since BJ, Erin and I got here. Now go, do something, go somewhere. Enjoy your last evening as an engaged couple."

Margaret gave the other woman a grateful smile and reached over to give her a warm hug. "I'm so glad I picked you to be my Matron-of-Honor. You've been great."

"My pleasure," Peg told her sincerely, returning her friend's warm embrace. "Now get going. And have a wonderful time."

Margaret smiled mischievously and winked. "We will."

"Oh, Hawk, this place is so beautiful!" Margaret exclaimed as she looked around herself in awe. They were down on the beach, tucked into a secluded little cave that the ocean and severe winter storms had eroded out of the rocks. It was getting dark as the sun began to set, but they were enjoying the peacefulness of watching the waves as they lapped on the beach. They huddled together trying to ward off the chill from the crisp wind coming off the water.

As the sky grew darker Hawkeye's gentle voice suddenly broke the silence.

"As the sun dips slowly into its bed,

Tired little boys lay down their heads.

To dream the dreams that little boys dream.

Where things are never as they seem.

Dreams of flying planes and sailing ships,

Of playing pro-ball and skateboard flips.

Of doing all the things little boys dream of,

Where their skills and goals are so high above.

So, lay down your head, my tired little boy,

My darling Benny, my life's pride and joy.

Dream your boyhood dreams and don't forget,

That the one you dream the most, is the one you'll get."

Margaret turned to look at him in the dim light. "That's nice. What's it from?"

"From my mother," he replied. "She used to recite that to me every night when I went to bed."

"Did she write it?" She asked curiously.

Hawkeye nodded. "She loved to write stories and poetry. I have her scrapbook in my room. It's full of stuff she's written from the time she was a little girl."

"I'd love to see it sometime," Margaret told him honestly.

A small smile spread across his face. "I'd love to show it to you sometime."

They continued to watch as the sky darkened. With a contented sigh Hawkeye commented. "This is one thing I really missed when we were in Korea. Sometimes I use to close my eyes and tried to imagine that I was sitting in this very spot watching and listening to the waves. It helped me get through more than one difficult night."

"No wonder you missed this place so much when we were in Korea." Margaret acknowledged as she leaned back harder against his chest and let out an appreciative sigh. "I think I'm really going to like living here."

Hawkeye tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer. Dropping kisses onto her blond head he said, "I'm going to love having you here."

"It's hard to believe that we're the same two people who hated each other on sight three and a half years ago," she commented seriously as she turned her head to look at him.

"I never really hated you," he whispered gently as he looked into her eyes in the dimming light. "I may have hated your ideals and your attitude, but I never hated you." He smiled mischievously as he admitted, "In fact, the first year we were there I wrote to Dad and told him that I'd be interested in making a grab for you but that I wasn't sure how to do that and salute you at the same time."

"You didn't tell him that!" Margaret looked at him in horror.

"Why not?" Hawkeye asked her innocently. "It was the truth."

Burying her face in his chest she groaned in embarrassment. "What your father must think of me!"

Putting a finger under her chin he lifted her face to make her look at him. "My father loves you. He doesn't care about what happened in the past any more than I do. The past is over and done with. All that matters now is that you and I are together and that no matter what happens we will be together forever." Cupping the side of her face with his hand he added seriously, "I never, ever intend to let you go. I love you with all my heart and I will until the day I die."

"Oh, Hawkeye." There were tears in her eyes as she looked into his. "I love you too, more than I ever thought it was possible for me to love anyone."

"You know, Mom's poem was right," he commented softly.

"How's that?" She asked curiously.

"'That the one you dream the most, is the one you'll get'," he repeated, his eyes fixed firmly on hers. "Ever since coming back from Korea the only dream I've had was about you. And tomorrow that dream is going to come true."

"Oh, Hawk."

They smiled warmly at each other for several moments before leaning in and punctuating their feelings for each other with a tender kiss.

"Come on, sweetheart. Let's go home."

"Well, look who finally decided to grace us with their presence," Daniel Pierce remarked as Hawkeye and Margaret entered the front door of the Pierce homestead about six-thirty that evening. "We thought maybe you'd decided to run off and elope or something."

"We did," Hawkeye told his father with such a straight face that his father wasn't sure for a moment whether to believe him or not. It wasn't until his son cried "Gotcha!" with a gleeful expression that he was certain he'd been had. "Boy, Dad, you should see your face. It's a remarkable shade of red!"

"Not as remarkable a shade as your backside would have been had you two really eloped," Daniel threatened as he watched the couple shrug out of their coats. "Come on, we were just eating supper."

"And you didn't wait for us?" Hawkeye asked as he and Margaret followed the other man into the dining room where the table was set up buffet style. "I thought we were the guests of honor. How can you start without us?"

"If we'd waited for you skizicks who knew when we'd have been able to eat," a familiar voice teased from the far end of the table. "I've lived through three wars; I didn't want to die from starvation at your engagement dinner."

Both Margaret and Hawkeye grinned broadly as they shifted their attention from Daniel to their visiting friends.

"Colonel Potter!" They both exclaimed in delight and moved to hug their former commanding officer.

"We're so glad you could make it, sir," Margaret informed the older man as they hugged each other warmly.

"Wild horses wouldn't have been able to keep us away," Potter assured his former Head Nurse as he gave her face a scrutinizing look. Satisfied with what he saw a smile broke over his face. "You look happy, Margaret."

"I am happy, sir," she affirmed, a broad smile tugging at her lips as she looked at Hawkeye lovingly. "In fact, I'm very happy."

"I'm glad to hear that," Potter told her sincerely. "Nothing could make me happier than seeing two of my favorite people getting married." After they hugged again the former commanding officer introduced the bride and groom-to-be to his wife.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you both," Mildred Potter gave them both a warm smile. "Sherm has told me a lot about you two. He's quite fond of you all."

"And were quite fond of him too," Margaret returned, giving her old friend a bright smile. "He was the 'father' of the 4077th."

"Hey, I take exception to that!" Daniel Pierce exclaimed in mock indignation.

"Well, can we help it if you didn't get sent camping in Korea with us," Hawkeye retorted, trying to sound superior but failing miserably, especially when his old war friends chuckled knowingly. Coming up behind Radar Hawkeye pretended not to recognize him. "Hey, who let the midget in."

"Will you cut that out!" Radar objected as he turned around and found himself looking into Hawkeye's dancing eyes.

"Good to see you Radar, all three feet of you."

Before Radar could object again, he was being pulled into a big bear hug. Finally realizing that Hawkeye was just teasing him he started to chuckle and hugged his friend awkwardly back.

When he released him, the doctor looked his friend up and down for several moments before saying, "You're looking good, Radar. I see Ottumwa is agreeing with you."

"Yes, it is," he said, flushing slightly as he looked towards the girl standing just to the left of him. "Being engaged agrees with me too."

A huge smile broke over Hawkeye's face as cheers and exclamations of congratulations erupted from everyone around them.

Grasping Radar's hand firmly in his, he shook it so hard that the owner thought his arm was going to fall off. "Congratulations, Radar. That's wonderful news. I see all my advice has finally paid off."

"Actually, Hawkeye, it was not following your advice that finally paid off," Radar commented straight-faced and deadpan causing everyone else to laugh heartily.

"Hey, I resent that," the wounded man exclaimed sulkily. "I gave you some of my best stuff."

"If that was your best, I'd hate to have seen you worst," Radar retorted again deadpan.

There was a moment's pause when Radar thought that he might have gone too far, but then a big smile spread over Hawkeye's face and he slapped him on the back roughly. "My 'little brother's' finally grown up." Radar and Hawkeye smiled at each other for a moment before Hawkeye prompted, "So, are you going to introduce me to the future Mrs. Radar O'Reilly?"

"Oh, yeah." Radar blushed again and turned to put his arm around his fiancée's waist. "Hawkeye, may I present to you Miss Sarah Marie Collins. She was crowned Miss Turnip at the fair last year."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sarah." Hawkeye gave her a warm smile. "I hope that you and Radar will be very happy together."

"I'm sure we will be," Sarah assured him a little nervously. She had heard so much about Hawkeye from Radar. He had always spoken of him with such awe and reverence that Sarah had almost been scared to meet him least he feel that she wasn't good enough for Radar. But now after seeing him in the flesh she realized that he was just a down to earth, good-natured doctor that Radar looked up to as a brother figure. And the relationship did indeed seem to go both ways as Dr. Pierce evidently viewed Radar as a 'little brother'.

"So, where did you two disappear to tonight?" Daniel asked Hawkeye and Margaret curiously after they had welcomed the Klingers and Father Mulcahy.

"We went to Mary's and had a cup of coffee, then we went for a drive along the coast, then we stopped at the Point and watched the waves from Mumford's Cave," Hawkeye told him

"Sounds like you two had a nice, relaxing afternoon," Peg commented from across the table.

"Yes, it was very relaxing," Margaret agreed. Then giving her friend a meaningful look, she added. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Peg smiled back.

Turning her attention to everyone in the room Margaret added, "And I..." She glanced at Hawkeye lovingly for a moment and reached out to squeeze his hand before turning her attention back to the group. "...We...want to thank you all for coming so far to watch us get married."

"I had to come," Trapper piped up seriously. "I have to make sure that this is not just some elaborate set up of Hawkeye's to try to get me back for something."

"I can assure you, it's not a set up," BJ exclaimed with an exaggerated sigh. "After living with them for two weeks, I can promise you, it's very real!"

Hawkeye and Margaret looked at each other and blushed as their friends laughed heartily at their expense.

"Yeah, well, I still want proof," Trapper insisted. "If you knew these two like I did in Korea you'd understand my skepticism. That first year in Korea there was no way I'd have bet fifty cents that these two would end up together."

"They weren't much better when I arrived at the four-oh-double-seven," Potter remarked seriously. "They were still very much at each other's throats."

"Maybe it was just a ruse to throw you all off track," Hawkeye commented with a wicked glint in his eyes.

"Sorry, Hawk, but you're not that good of an actor," Trapper told his friend mercilessly.

"How dare you talk to the Yankee Doodle Doctor that way," his friend exclaimed huffily, turning his head and lifting his nose in the air in a haughty manner.

"Careful, Hawkeye," Klinger warned his friend seriously. "You look a lot like Charles when you do that."

Pretending to be repulsed Hawkeye glared at Klinger and said, "Don't you ever say that to me again you Lebanese fink."

"I'm no fink," Klinger objected. "I never told Charles about the time you sold that bottle of 20-year-old Scotch on the black-market to get some morphine..."

"Klinger...!"

"...Or his Imported caviar for penicillin..."

"Klinger...!"

"...Or those fancy silk sheets of his for sulfa."

"Klinger!" Hawkeye's voice finally stopped the other man in his ramblings.

"Pierce, you highwayman!" Charles cried indignantly. "I should hang you up from the highest tree, you thieving trespasser!"

"Thanks a lot Klinger!" Hawkeye exclaimed, giving their former company clerk an exasperated look.

"Sorry," the Lebanese man gave him an apologetic look.

"Look, Winchester, it's all water under the bridge now," Potter interrupted the rich doctor's complaints. "Besides, he traded all that junk for stuff that we no doubt needed."

"Junk?" Charles looked at the older man indignantly. "Twenty-year-old Scotch and imported caviar are hardly junk, my good Colonel. And neither are expensive silk sheets."

"I don't care, Winchester!" Potter cried, putting himself squarely in the other man's face. "This is not the time to bring up past wrongs. What happened was in a different time and a different place. We all did what we could to survive and to help others survive. I'm sure there are many boys alive today because Pierce put your luxuries to more practical use. Now I don't want to hear another word about it. We're here to share a special time with Hawkeye and Margaret and I won't let you ruin it, so clam up, Winchester and have fun. That's an order!"

"Yes, sir," Charles acknowledged, capitulating to the older man before him. Even though Potter wasn't his commanding officer any longer, habit and respect both dictated to him that he abide by the other man's wishes.

"Hey, Hawk," Trapper suddenly exclaimed, trying to break the tension in the room. "You'll never guess who I bumped into the other day."

"Who?" He asked curiously.

"Ferret Face."

A collective groan emanated from the entire M*A*S*H 4077 group except for Charles. "Ah, yes, the illustrious Frank Burns. How is the Lieutenant-Colonel doing?"

"The same," Trapper reported. "Been demoted from Lieutenant-Colonel to Second Lieutenant now though."

"Second Lieutenant?" Several voices echoed in shocked amazement.

"How did that happen?" Hawkeye asked in obvious delight.

"Apparently some new clerk started at I-Cor about the time that Frank flipped out and got things all mixed up," Trapper told them. "Believe it or not there was another Major Frank Burns in the army."

"Why not?" BJ laughed in amusement. "We had two Captain Benjamin Pierces."

"We did?" Potter looked at BJ in surprise.

"Unfortunately," Charles groaned slightly. "Though I must admit something."

"What's that?" Potter prompted.

"There is at least one person on this earth that Pierce is funnier than." The Boston man gave his old bunkmate a cheeky look.

"Hardy, har, har, har." Pierce glared at the other man.

"Brilliant come back, Pierce," Charles commented victoriously. "I believe you just proved my point."

"So, what happened with Frank?" Margaret asked curiously.

"It turns out that the other Frank Burns had been wounded while saving his platoon from a sneak attack and so he was slated to be promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and sent home to a veterans' hospital in Montana to recuperate. While our Frank Burns..."

"Please, don't call him ours!" Hawkeye objected with a shudder. "I refuse to claim that man as having anything to do with me."

"Me too," Margaret echoed, followed by several others.

"Okay," Trapper acknowledged. "The Frank Burns that tormented the life out of us for several months, was supposed to be demoted and sent to a psychiatric hospital in Indiana for psychiatric observation."

"So, the other Frank Burns' reward for being a hero was demotion and time in a wackateria," Hawkeye concluded.

"While the Frank Burns that made a living out of being a coward got promoted and shipped home to a cushy State-side job," BJ commented. Then with a bitter tone he added. "The Army and its wonderful snafus!"

"Well, everything's been straightened out now," Trapper placated them by saying. "And Frank just got out of the psyche ward at Boston Mercy."

"Boston Mercy?" Several shocked voices exclaimed in disbelief.

"How on earth did he end up in the Psycho ward at Boston Mercy?" BJ asked, his face showing the depth of his amazement.

"Apparently Louise had him moved when she divorced him," Trapper explained. "Wanted him as far away from her as possible."

"Fort Wayne to Boston is about what? 900 miles?" Hawkeye ventured a guess. The others nodded in agreement. "That's definitely a good distance to keep between oneself and Frank."

"I don't know about you Hawk, but I feel a certain amount of relief to know that the Army finally realized just how wacko Frank really was," BJ commented. "Maybe he'll finally get the help he so desperately needs."

"They'll have saved countless lives if nothing else," Hawkeye remarked. "Keeping 'All Thumbs' Burns out of the operating room can only help increase a patient's chance of survival." A certain glint came into his eye as he laughed a deep, wicked laugh. "Oh, how I wish I could have been the one to give him the orders and escort him off to the funny farm. What justice that would have been. Would have been perfect payback for all those times I refrained from killing the miserable weasel."

"You really want to get Frank back?" Trapper asked curiously.

His old bunkmate looked at him expectantly, the wickedness on his face increasing. "You got a plan?"

"I do." Trapper nodded. "You in?"

"You bet," Hawkeye nodded.

"Hey, hey, don't leave me out," BJ exclaimed eagerly. "I want a piece of this."

"What's the plan?" Hawkeye pressed expectantly.

"I'll tell you tomorrow," Trapper said evasively.

"But..." Hawkeye started to object but his old friend interrupted him.

"I'm just not a hundred percent sure it'll work yet. Let me get the final details worked out and then I'll tell you what my plan is. Deal?"

"Deal," Hawkeye agreed. Then rubbing his hands together like an excited child, he chanted, "We're going to get Frank Burns! We're going to get Frank Burns! Oh, isn't life wonderful!" Laughing like a hyena he threw his arms around Margaret and pulled her to him. "Friends, love and the perfect revenge! I don't think life could get much better than this!"

"Beej, are you asleep?"

"Uh, huh," BJ mumbled from his spot on the living room floor. The men, with the exception of Daniel and Colonel Potter, were all camping out in the living room in various sleeping bags and makeshift beds. The ladies, the Potters and Daniel were using the bedrooms upstairs. Several of the neighbors had offered to billet the visiting M*A*S*H 4077 delegates, but none of them had wanted to leave Hawkeye's each afraid of missing out on the fun and the association that the evening had afforded. So instead, the neighbors had donated sleeping bags, blankets and pillows to the group camping on the Pierce's living room floor and a couple rollaway cots to the ladies upstairs.

Despite the fact that the quarters offered to them there were smaller and definitely less comfortable, the entire group, even Charles to everyone's amazement, had all decided that they'd rather stay together than be scattered around the neighborhood. Besides, after months or years sleeping on Army cots, one night spent on the floor was nothing to tolerate.

It had been like a big reunion, and everyone had stayed up half the night talking and laughing. The evening had been filled with 'remember when' stories, each punctuated with hearty laughter and another story. After everyone else had gone to bed, BJ, Hawkeye, Charles, Klinger, and Radar had continued reminiscing for several hours more, but for about the last hour things had started quieting down as one by one the men had dropped off to sleep. Hawkeye was currently the only one fully awake while BJ was quickly losing his battle against sleep.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Uh, huh."

"Were you ever nervous about marrying Peg?" Hawkeye asked curiously, watching his friend's face in the orange light of the flickering fireplace.

"You mean did I get cold feet?" BJ asked, not even opening his eyes.

"I mean did you ever feel that maybe you were getting in over your head?" His friend continued. "That maybe you couldn't live up to the responsibility of being a husband, of being responsible for a family. Or of giving Peg the support that she needed. Of..." He noticed that his friend was now regarding him with one eye open. With a sigh he nodded. "I guess I mean did you get cold feet?"

Sitting up so he could look his friend in the eye he examined his expression for a moment before answering, "Yeah, I got cold feet. A lot of people do, Hawk. It's perfectly natural. You're making a big change in your life tomorrow. You're bound to feel a little scared. In fact, I'd be more worried if you didn't feel nervous."

"Really?" The other man looked at him hopefully.

"Really." BJ nodded. "Look, Hawk. You and Margaret are going to be all right. You're not the same people you were when you first went to Korea. You have a lot more things in common now than you did then, one of them being the fact that you're both in love with each other. I think that's definitely a step in the right direction."

"I guess you're right," Hawkeye acknowledged. "I guess I'm just afraid that getting married will change things."

"It will change things," BJ assured him. "But it'll change them for the better." At his friend's expectant look he explained, "From here on you and Margaret will always be together. You'll share everything: your joys, your sorrows, your ups, your downs. No matter what life throws at you, you'll always be there for each other."

"Sounds scary," Hawkeye admitted seriously. "But nice."

"Trust me, it's more than nice," BJ assured him. "You can't imagine how comforting to know that no matter what may happen - good or bad - you'll always have someone there to share it with. Trust me, Hawk it's wonderful."

"Thanks, Beej." Hawkeye gave his friend a warm smile. "I really appreciate all your support these last couple weeks, actually these last few months. I don't know if I'd have gotten through them without you. I know Margaret's really appreciated Peg's help too."

"Hey, it's the least we could do for two of our favorite people," His friend told him sincerely. "Besides, consider it a thank you for all the times you helped me in Korea. I don't think, as a matter of fact I know, I couldn't have gotten through that hellhole without your help and support. I sometimes shudder to think what it would have been like if you hadn't of been there. I hate to think of spending two years there without your craziness to keep me sane."

"Thanks a lot." Hawkeye laughed softly, giving the other man a mock insulted look. Then the look changed to a more serious one. "The help was mutual, Beej. We all relied on each other there. I don't think anyone was strong enough to make it through on their own."

"Though some people tried." BJ glanced pointedly at Charles who was sound asleep a few feet away in his sleeping bag, a thin mattress underneath him to cushion him from the floor.

Hawkeye looked thoughtfully at their old bunkmate for several moments before saying, "He's not a bad guy, is he?"

"No, he's not," BJ assured him seriously.

"Do you think I overreacted last week when I blew up at him?" The dark-haired surgeon asked, his eyes never leaving the sleeping figure.

"I can't say that I blame you for acting the way you did," BJ told him slowly, tactfully. "But I don't think you should let the fact that Charles is attracted to Margaret ruin the friendship that you have with him. After all we've been through together, I'd hate to see you throw away that friendship because it's not the type of friendship you'll find anywhere else."

"I don't know, I know plenty of people here in Crabapple Cove that annoy me less than Charles, but I hate a whole lot more," Hawkeye commented.

"My point exactly," BJ exclaimed. "If you had met Charles anywhere but Korea the two of you wouldn't have lasted five minutes in each other's company. But because you shared an experience that most people in their worst nightmares wouldn't experience, you'll be friends for life, if you don't let little things come between you."

Hawkeye nodded thoughtfully his eyes still fixed on Charles' sleeping form. "I guess you're right. I let myself get jealous of Charles' obvious feelings for Margaret." He sighed slightly. "It's just that he's so many things I'm not, you know."

"Yeah, like pompous, egotistical, conceited..." BJ listed with a wicked smirk on his face.

Hawkeye looked at his friend and smirked too. "I meant more along the lines of rich, sophisticated and classy."

"None of which are really important to having a happy life," his friend pointed out. "In fact, I think they'd be more apt to make you miserable than happy. Worrying about what people think of you, about people liking you only for your money." Looking at his friend's skeptical expression he added, "Hawk, the most important thing is that Margaret loves you. She loves you more than anyone else in this world and she chose you, not Charles, to spend the rest of her life with. No matter what ever happens between you and Charles remember that. She wants you."

Looking at the earnest expression on his friend's face Hawkeye commented, "You believe that 'love conquers all', eh?"

"Yes, I do." His friend nodded eagerly.

Glancing back over to the sleeping Charles he sighed again. "I hope you're right, Beej. I really hope you're right."