Part Five: Playing Cupid
Daniel smiled and watched as Margaret and Ben cooked dinner.
Margaret had moved into the Pierce household after a fire levelled her apartment block. Margaret and Miranda had escaped with the clothes on their backs and a few small possessions. They had become very close, even though Margaret was sleeping in the spare room.
Daniel laughed as Margaret bossily showed Ben how to do something the 'right way' and laughed harder as Ben resumed doing the way he was doing it in the first place.
He went to the phone, and called a fancy French restaurant. "Hello, Daniel Pierce here, I'd like to book a table for two on Friday night." He smiled and hung up the phone five minutes later as Margaret called that dinner was ready.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel smiled and waved from the porch as Ben and Margaret drove away. He'd convinced them to go on the date that he'd planned at the restaurant. Miranda, now a cute 16-month-old waved with him.
"Bye!" She called, even after the car was long gone. "Come on kiddo, it's bedtime." Daniel said, taking her hand.
"No, no, no!" Miranda protested loudly.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Daniel argued, swinging the girl into the air and carrying her into the house. "I'll tell you a story, about Hawkeye the Indian." His voice dripped with temptation Miranda laughed.
"Bedtime now!" She agreed happily.
Later as Daniel checked on her, he realised that Margaret and Ben had been gone for four hours, and he couldn't help wonder what they were getting up to.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They'd had a lovely dinner, and as they left the restaurant, they weren't ready to go home, so they decided to go for a walk on the beach. It was March, and still quite fresh, but that didn't stop them removing their shoes and splashing in the waves.
"Do you think dad planned this night to try and get us together?" Ben said suddenly, and in the moonlight, Margaret blushed.
"Yes, I said something to him that might have given him the idea that I, well you know."
Ben laughed, "So did I." they both blushed and looked away.
"Well, I think we should just stay friends," Margaret mumbled awkwardly.
"Yeah," Ben agreed as they kept walking, trying to ignore the fact that their bodies were getting closer and closer and that they were holding hands.
They returned to Ben's car and drove home, and Daniel was a little let down to find Ben and Margaret asleep in their respective beds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Margaret gasped as she went into the nurses' staffroom and saw the bunch of flowers. She checked the card, 'Sister Margaret Houlihan' She opened the card and saw in neat, curly script.
"Dear Margaret, you are more beautiful every time I see you. Ben xoxox " Daniel passed the door in time to see Margaret smell the flowers, and then he heard her whisper.
"Oh the darling," Daniel smiled and kept walking.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Dr Pierce, this came for you," The lady behind the reception desk handed him a box.
"Thanks, good-looking," He accepted the box and winked at her. He had been in a better, more flirtatious mood since his date with Margaret.
He retired to his office to open it. There was a small, very expensive bottle of cologne, the one he liked. There was a card too.
"Dearest Ben, a small present to thank you for the most wonderful night I had in a long time, my love Margaret xoxox " Daniel knocked on the door and came in as Ben kissed the little card.
"I'll talk later dad, right now I have someone to thank." He left the room, and Daniel smiled and rubbed his hands together pleased.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ben and Margaret met in the hallway, and nearly ran into each other.
"Thankyou so much!" They exclaimed together,
"What?" They then questioned together.
"You sent me flowers. . ."
"And you gave me cologne. . ." They both started laughing and Ben pulled Margaret into an empty room.
"Right, I never sent flowers, I'm sorry but I didn't" Margaret nodded.
"And I never sent you cologne, I think that one you like so much is hideous."
Ben laughed, "Okay, so I gave you the flowers, didn't I?" He asked, raising a significant eyebrow.
She laughed and nodded, "Yes, and I sent you cologne, so we'll just have to let whoever is doing this believe we believe."
They laughed, hugged and went their separate ways.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel was frustrated, those two were so blind! He'd arranged for so many things, flowers, cards chocolates and they were still friends. Granted, very good friends, but still friends and not lovers.
They'd go for long walks and come back unchanged in their attitude towards each other. Miranda was a real chatterbox now, and Daniel knew that he'd have to rely on the strongest link between his son and Margaret if they were ever to fall in love.
"Daddy!" Miranda called, holding her hands up to Ben.
Confused he picked her up, and looked at Margaret who shrugged innocently, but secretly loved it. She had always wanted Miranda to call Ben daddy, but she had in her 16 months of existence had never really called him anything. Ben smiled; he liked it too, and made up his mind to talk to Margaret to find out if she liked it.
"Well, kiddo, it's bed time, so how about you go to mummy and she can give you a bath?" He went to hand Miranda to Margaret but the toddler resisted.
"Daddy bath!" Ben raised his eyebrows at Margaret who nodded, "Would you please, I have to call a couple of people and I need to do it before 8." Ben laughed.
"Well kiddo I guess that it's just you and me!" Miranda squealed, her reply joyfully.
"Daddy!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Margaret and Ben leant on the edge of Miranda's crib; the hot sticky summer nights were making it hard for her to sleep. But at the moment, the little baby in all her blonde angelic beauty; was sound asleep.
"She's so beautiful, isn't she daddy?" Margaret asked teasingly. Since the first time that Miranda had called Ben daddy, both people had endorsed it heavily and that was the only thing that she now called Ben.
"She's beautiful mummy" Ben replied seriously and Margaret looked at him, half-surprised.
"She's beautiful, just like her mummy." He said softly, and embarrassed, she dropped her eyes.
"Don't I like to see your beautiful eyes," He lifted her chin so she looked up at him.
"I'll never hurt you, you know that Margaret." He kissed her softly, gently and she slid her arms around his neck, tighter and tighter still as his arms around her waist pulled her close.
They walked as one to the large window-seat. They sat down and even though it was hot, and uncomfortable, they cuddled close, and fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ben ran a soft hand down Margaret's face. They had spent the hot nights in 'neutral territory' sleeping on makeshift beds on the veranda, trying to cool off.
"Ben, what?" She murmured, stirring.
"Margaret, I love you," he whispered, kissing her face.
"I love you too," She sleepily replied, kissing him also, missing his lips and getting a mouthful of ear.
"Look at the stars Margaret, they're beautiful." Margaret opened her eyes and sat up, and looked around.
"Ben, they are so beautiful, but why did you wake me up?" Ben smiled.
"I think dad told Miranda to call me daddy. He's been trying so hard to get us together."
Margaret smiled now, "Yes, I know, he was so frustrated that we were so, so blind. " Ben took her hand.
"Tonight marks the start of something I think. Margaret, how would you feel about going steady with me?" Margaret laughed, and then seemed surprised at the hurt look that crossed Ben's earnest face.
"Going steady, Ben, we're not in high school!" Ben shrugged, then, knowing he had been a little childish.
"Okay, how about we start a new relationship, like the one we could have started so many times before?" Margaret smiled and kissed Hawkeye by way of response.
Daniel smiled and watched as Margaret and Ben cooked dinner.
Margaret had moved into the Pierce household after a fire levelled her apartment block. Margaret and Miranda had escaped with the clothes on their backs and a few small possessions. They had become very close, even though Margaret was sleeping in the spare room.
Daniel laughed as Margaret bossily showed Ben how to do something the 'right way' and laughed harder as Ben resumed doing the way he was doing it in the first place.
He went to the phone, and called a fancy French restaurant. "Hello, Daniel Pierce here, I'd like to book a table for two on Friday night." He smiled and hung up the phone five minutes later as Margaret called that dinner was ready.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel smiled and waved from the porch as Ben and Margaret drove away. He'd convinced them to go on the date that he'd planned at the restaurant. Miranda, now a cute 16-month-old waved with him.
"Bye!" She called, even after the car was long gone. "Come on kiddo, it's bedtime." Daniel said, taking her hand.
"No, no, no!" Miranda protested loudly.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Daniel argued, swinging the girl into the air and carrying her into the house. "I'll tell you a story, about Hawkeye the Indian." His voice dripped with temptation Miranda laughed.
"Bedtime now!" She agreed happily.
Later as Daniel checked on her, he realised that Margaret and Ben had been gone for four hours, and he couldn't help wonder what they were getting up to.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They'd had a lovely dinner, and as they left the restaurant, they weren't ready to go home, so they decided to go for a walk on the beach. It was March, and still quite fresh, but that didn't stop them removing their shoes and splashing in the waves.
"Do you think dad planned this night to try and get us together?" Ben said suddenly, and in the moonlight, Margaret blushed.
"Yes, I said something to him that might have given him the idea that I, well you know."
Ben laughed, "So did I." they both blushed and looked away.
"Well, I think we should just stay friends," Margaret mumbled awkwardly.
"Yeah," Ben agreed as they kept walking, trying to ignore the fact that their bodies were getting closer and closer and that they were holding hands.
They returned to Ben's car and drove home, and Daniel was a little let down to find Ben and Margaret asleep in their respective beds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Margaret gasped as she went into the nurses' staffroom and saw the bunch of flowers. She checked the card, 'Sister Margaret Houlihan' She opened the card and saw in neat, curly script.
"Dear Margaret, you are more beautiful every time I see you. Ben xoxox " Daniel passed the door in time to see Margaret smell the flowers, and then he heard her whisper.
"Oh the darling," Daniel smiled and kept walking.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Dr Pierce, this came for you," The lady behind the reception desk handed him a box.
"Thanks, good-looking," He accepted the box and winked at her. He had been in a better, more flirtatious mood since his date with Margaret.
He retired to his office to open it. There was a small, very expensive bottle of cologne, the one he liked. There was a card too.
"Dearest Ben, a small present to thank you for the most wonderful night I had in a long time, my love Margaret xoxox " Daniel knocked on the door and came in as Ben kissed the little card.
"I'll talk later dad, right now I have someone to thank." He left the room, and Daniel smiled and rubbed his hands together pleased.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ben and Margaret met in the hallway, and nearly ran into each other.
"Thankyou so much!" They exclaimed together,
"What?" They then questioned together.
"You sent me flowers. . ."
"And you gave me cologne. . ." They both started laughing and Ben pulled Margaret into an empty room.
"Right, I never sent flowers, I'm sorry but I didn't" Margaret nodded.
"And I never sent you cologne, I think that one you like so much is hideous."
Ben laughed, "Okay, so I gave you the flowers, didn't I?" He asked, raising a significant eyebrow.
She laughed and nodded, "Yes, and I sent you cologne, so we'll just have to let whoever is doing this believe we believe."
They laughed, hugged and went their separate ways.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel was frustrated, those two were so blind! He'd arranged for so many things, flowers, cards chocolates and they were still friends. Granted, very good friends, but still friends and not lovers.
They'd go for long walks and come back unchanged in their attitude towards each other. Miranda was a real chatterbox now, and Daniel knew that he'd have to rely on the strongest link between his son and Margaret if they were ever to fall in love.
"Daddy!" Miranda called, holding her hands up to Ben.
Confused he picked her up, and looked at Margaret who shrugged innocently, but secretly loved it. She had always wanted Miranda to call Ben daddy, but she had in her 16 months of existence had never really called him anything. Ben smiled; he liked it too, and made up his mind to talk to Margaret to find out if she liked it.
"Well, kiddo, it's bed time, so how about you go to mummy and she can give you a bath?" He went to hand Miranda to Margaret but the toddler resisted.
"Daddy bath!" Ben raised his eyebrows at Margaret who nodded, "Would you please, I have to call a couple of people and I need to do it before 8." Ben laughed.
"Well kiddo I guess that it's just you and me!" Miranda squealed, her reply joyfully.
"Daddy!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Margaret and Ben leant on the edge of Miranda's crib; the hot sticky summer nights were making it hard for her to sleep. But at the moment, the little baby in all her blonde angelic beauty; was sound asleep.
"She's so beautiful, isn't she daddy?" Margaret asked teasingly. Since the first time that Miranda had called Ben daddy, both people had endorsed it heavily and that was the only thing that she now called Ben.
"She's beautiful mummy" Ben replied seriously and Margaret looked at him, half-surprised.
"She's beautiful, just like her mummy." He said softly, and embarrassed, she dropped her eyes.
"Don't I like to see your beautiful eyes," He lifted her chin so she looked up at him.
"I'll never hurt you, you know that Margaret." He kissed her softly, gently and she slid her arms around his neck, tighter and tighter still as his arms around her waist pulled her close.
They walked as one to the large window-seat. They sat down and even though it was hot, and uncomfortable, they cuddled close, and fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ben ran a soft hand down Margaret's face. They had spent the hot nights in 'neutral territory' sleeping on makeshift beds on the veranda, trying to cool off.
"Ben, what?" She murmured, stirring.
"Margaret, I love you," he whispered, kissing her face.
"I love you too," She sleepily replied, kissing him also, missing his lips and getting a mouthful of ear.
"Look at the stars Margaret, they're beautiful." Margaret opened her eyes and sat up, and looked around.
"Ben, they are so beautiful, but why did you wake me up?" Ben smiled.
"I think dad told Miranda to call me daddy. He's been trying so hard to get us together."
Margaret smiled now, "Yes, I know, he was so frustrated that we were so, so blind. " Ben took her hand.
"Tonight marks the start of something I think. Margaret, how would you feel about going steady with me?" Margaret laughed, and then seemed surprised at the hurt look that crossed Ben's earnest face.
"Going steady, Ben, we're not in high school!" Ben shrugged, then, knowing he had been a little childish.
"Okay, how about we start a new relationship, like the one we could have started so many times before?" Margaret smiled and kissed Hawkeye by way of response.