They entertained Emily for most of the plane ride.  She was wide awake the entire ride just as she had been when she and Margaret flew out to Missouri.  She was good and didn't fuss at all.  When they landed in Texas, they went out to lunch before going anywhere else.  They had been on the plane during lunch time, so they didn't get any lunch.

            When they were through there, they took a cab back to Margaret's apartment.  She had a car, but she left it at home, and took a cab to the airport.  It was easier that way rather than leaving her car at the airport. 

            Emily was sleeping when they pulled up.  Margaret had her on her shoulder, the diaper bag and her purse on the other, and her keys in her free hand.  Hawkeye had managed to grab all the suitcases, and he followed Margaret to the door.

            Margaret opened the door quietly, and went strait for Emily's room to put the baby in the crib.  Then she went back to the living room where Hawkeye had just put the suitcases down.  He was looking around the place.  It was very neat and clean.  It was also very warm and comfortable.

            "What do you think?"  Margaret asked seeing the look on his face.

            He smiled at her, "It's a lot homier than my place.  And bigger," he added.  It wasn't a big apartment, but it was a nice size for Margaret and Emily.

            "Do you want something to drink?"  Margaret asked as she walked into the kitchen.

            He followed her, "Whatever you have is fine with me."

            He leaned over her as she opened the refrigerator.  All that was there was some juice.  Margaret had told her mother to help herself to whatever was there because she was going to be gone for a while.  Apparently she listened well.  "How's juice?"  She asked him.

            He smiled, "That's fine."  He stood back as he watched her get the cups and pour two glasses of juice.  "I didn't know you were a juice drinker," he said to her.

            She smiled at him as she poured.  "I'm not; that's Emily.  We'll have to go grocery shopping later.  I told my mom to clean everything out when I was in Missouri."

            "Your mom has a key?"

            "Yes," Margaret answered as she joined him at the kitchen table.  "She watches Emily for me two days a week, and sometimes they spend the day here."

            "Why don't you go get some groceries and I'll stay here with the baby," he suggested. 

            "What's the matter?  You don't like grocery shopping?"

            "No," he smiled.  "It's not that.  I just thought that it would be easier without the baby."  He secretly wanted to take a nap too.

            "That's fine with me.  Her diapers are in her room on the bottom of the changing table.  If she needs a change of clothes, she has some hanging in the closet, and also some in her dresser.  She'll want a snack soon after she gets up, just look and see what's here; she'll tell you what she wants.  If she wants some juice, give it to her in a cup.  There's some plastic ones in the cabinet.  Just have fun with her," she smiled.

            "I will.  When do I get to meet your mother?"

            "She's anxious to meet you too.  I forgot to tell you that I talked to her this morning while we were still at the hotel.  I think you were in the shower.  We're going to go over to her place for dinner tonight.  Is that okay with you?"

            "That's fine," he smiled.  "I can't wait to meet her."

            Margaret sat down and talked with her husband for a few more minutes before she left.  Not five minutes after she left, Hawkeye was fast asleep on the couch.

            Emily woke up an hour later.  She sat up and looked around.  She saw that she was back in her own house, and felt very good about that.  She was home now.  She stood up, "Mommy, Mommy," she called.  When her mother didn't come, she started to yell louder.  Still, there was no one there.  Then she got scared and started to cry.  "Mommy, Mommy, pease.  Mommy, pease."

            Hawkeye opened his eyes when he heard Emily crying.  He got up and ran to her.  She was standing in her crib and her little face was all red and tear stained.  "It's okay," Hawkeye said.  "I'm here."  He picked her up and calmed her down.  "Daddy's here, Munchkin.  I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."

            Emily lifted her head off of her father's shoulder, "Momma?"  She questioned.

            "Momma's at the store."  He could feel that her diaper was a little heavy.  "Let's change that diaper, and then you and I will get a snack," he said with a smile.  Emily smiled at him.  He changed her, and then the two of them got a snack.

            When Margaret came home she had her hands full of bags.  When she got the door opened she saw Hawkeye and Emily in the living room.  Emily was in a little pink t-shirt and her diaper.  She had her hands over her eyes trying to hide from her father.  He crawled up behind her and spun her around, "Gotcha."  She opened her eyes and laughed heartily as he tickled her.

            "Hi you two," Margaret said smiling from ear to ear. 

            Hawkeye smiled at her, "Hi.  You need help?"

            "Please," she said trying not to let the bags slip from her arms.

            "Hi Mommy," Emily said happily. 

            "Hi honey," she smiled.  "Are you having fun with Daddy?"

            "Yes," she smiled following her parents to the kitchen.

            When Margaret sat the bags down on the counter, Emily held her hands up to her mother.  Margaret picked her up and gave her a kiss.  "What are you doing running around with just your t-shirt and diaper on?"

            Emily pointed at her father, "Messy."

            Margaret smiled at Hawkeye and then looked back at her daughter, "Daddy made you all messy?  How did he do that?"  Emily shrugged her shoulders.  "You're a silly girl," Margaret smiled.  She placed Emily on her hip and then started to put the groceries away with her husband.  She loved coming home and seeing the two of them having fun.  The next to weeks were going to do the two of them a lot of good.

            "I talked to your mother a little while ago," Hawkeye said as he put things away.

            "You did?  What did you two talk about?"

            "Just asked each other a couple of questions.  I get the feeling she's a little upset with me for taking you and Emily away."

            "She knows that you were willing to come here, and that I was the one that decided to go to Boston.  I like Texas, but it's not my favorite place to live.  She knows that.  I think she's just trying to get to you."

            "Oh," he smiled.  "She wants to play, huh?  I can do that."

            "Pierce," she said with worry.  "What are you thinking?"

            "Nothing," he smiled.  "I'm going to be on my best behavior.  I promise."

            "Good," she said.  She opened the refrigerator door and put the milk in.  "We have to be there in a half an hour.  So, I'm going to get ready."  She gave him a kiss before she and Emily left the room.

            Margaret brought Emily with her into her room.  She was so used to taking the baby with her, that she didn't even think about leaving her with Hawkeye.  When she was done changing she changed Emily.  Hawkeye didn't need to change his clothes, so he just sat down and turned the TV on.

            Emily came running out of the hallway and into the living.  With Margaret's encouragement, she wanted to show her daddy her dress.  It was a little pink and white sundress, and Margaret had put white sandals on the child.  "Wow," he said with exaggeration.  "You are so pretty!"  He stood up and looked at Margaret.  "You look gorgeous too."

            Margaret smiled, "I'm wearing shorts and a shirt."

            "Yes," he grinned, "But I can see your sexy legs like that."  He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a deep kiss.

            "Mommy," Emily said tapping on her mother's leg.  "Mommy, me."

            Margaret parted from Hawkeye and looked down at the child.  Emily held her hands up and Margaret picked her up, "You don't like when Daddy and I kiss, do you?"  Emily smiled at her mother and leaned closer on her.  "You're going to have to get used to it.  There's going to be a lot of that from now on."

            "I'm ready to go meet your mother," Hawkeye announced.  "Are you two all set?"

            "Yep," Margaret said.  She grabbed her purse and the diaper bag, handing Hawkeye the keys to her car.

            "I don't know where I'm going," he said taking the keys for her and holding the door open.

            "I'll tell you," she said.  "I don't feel like driving."

            Margaret's mother had dinner ready waiting when they got there.  She was very anxious to meet her new son-in-law, and see her granddaughter.  She missed that little girl very much.  When they got there, Kate was standing in the porch.

            When Margaret got out of the car with Emily, Emily saw her grandmother and wiggled out of her mother's arms.  She ran to the porch, but was slowed down by the stairs.  Her grandmother picked her up and gave her a hug.

            "Ooh, I missed you little girl.  Did you have a good time?"  Emily picked her head up off of her grandmother's shoulder and shook her head yes.  Kate saw that Hawkeye and Margaret were walking up the porch steps and smiled at them. 

            "Hi," she said to her daughter.  She gave her a quick hug and then looked at Hawkeye.  She had seen a couple of pictures of him, but he looked younger than his pictures.

            "Mom," Margaret said as she wrapped her arm around his waist.  "This is Hawkeye."

            Emily smiled and pointed to her father, "Daddy," she told her grandmother happily.  All of the adults smiled at her.

            Hawkeye shook her hand.  "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Houlihan."  He wasn't sure what to call her, and although he knew that Margaret's parents had been divorced, he also knew that her mother kept Houlihan as her last name.

            "Please," she smiled.  "Call me Kate."

            He smiled at her, "Okay, Kate."

            "So," she said examining him.  "You're the one that made my daughter open up, huh?  I didn't think she was ever going to loose those walls she had built up."

            "That would be me," he smiled.

            "And you're also the one that's going to take her and my granddaughter away too," she added.

            "Mom," Margaret said almost scolding her.  "I told you that was my decision.  He was more than willing to move here."

            "I know, I know.  Come on inside.  It's hot out here."  Hawkeye smiled and followed them inside. It was a cute little house, and had a pool in the back yard.  If Margaret would have told him that, then he would have brought his shorts.  It was a lot hotter in Texas than it was in Boston.

            Kate had everyone sit down at the table.  She had dinner waiting, and served it to them.  While Emily was preoccupied with eating, the adults got a chance to talk.

            "When are you taking my girls away?"  Kate boldly asked.

            Hawkeye looked at Margaret for the answer, but she didn't help him.  She pretended to be helping Emily with her food.  "Well, I have to be back to work in two and half weeks.  Your daughter said that she'll be done with work in two weeks, and we'll drive back then."

            "Two weeks," she said shaking her head.  "That doesn't seem long enough."

            "It does to me," Margaret said.  "Emily and I have gone long enough without him.  We're not staying here while he's in Boston."  Hawkeye smiled proudly at her.  He was glad to hear her say that.  "I need him, and Emily needs to know that her daddy isn't going away."

            Kate smiled, "Good, I'm happy to hear that.  Keeping your family together is a wise decision."  Kate looked at Hawkeye.  "I've been trying to get her to go find you for two years now.  I'm glad to hear that she's hanging on and not letting you go."

            Margaret smiled, "You're damn right I'm not letting him go."

            Kate could see that her daughter was very happy now that he was back in her life.  She knew that Margaret longed for him, and loved him with all her heart.  She was also very happy to see that her granddaughter had a father now.  Emily deserved to have a chance to become a daddy's girl, like her own mother was. 

            "I talked to your sister yesterday," Kate informed her daughter.

            "Oh yeah?  How's she doing?"

            "She's doing great.  She made me promise not to tell you, but I can't.  She's having a baby."

            Margaret smiled brightly.  She knew her sister was trying to get pregnant, and was happy for her.  "That's wonderful."

            "She also asked me to move there since you and Emily are moving away."

            "Are you going to?"  Margaret asked as she took a bite of food.

            "I think so," Kate told her.  "Since the two of you will be living in neighboring states, it would be wise to live near by.  I haven't told her yet though."

            "Why not?  She would be thrilled.  She's wanted you closer by for two years now."

            "I don't know."  She didn't want to tell her daughter it was because she was torn between moving to Connecticut or Massachusetts.  She was really going to miss being such a hands-on Grandma with Emily.  Emily had brought the sunshine back into her life.  "Don't you tell her either, and don't tell her I told you about the baby!"

            "I won't," Margaret smiled.  "Why are you picking on my husband about moving us, then?"

            Kate smiled, "I just wanted to see how he would react."

            Hawkeye chuckled, "Did I pass?"

            "Yes, you passed.  Tell me what you two are planning on doing?  Are you driving east, or flying?"

            "Driving," Hawkeye answered.  "That way we can pack as much as we can into Margaret's car and not having to worry if it made the trip in one piece.  You know how some of the moving companies can be."

            "Yes I do.  Don't you have furniture?"

            "Yeah he does," Margaret said.  "But we still have to bring the baby's things.  And there are a few things that I would like to take along too.  It's easier than packing the car to the brim.  It'll take a few days to get there with Emily anyway.  She's not going to like being cooped up in a car all the time."

            "When your father and I used to travel with you and your sister at that age, it was pretty hard.  We had to make plenty of pit stops for diaper changes, and to walk around."  Kate looked at Hawkeye, "She was a handful.  Always had to be up doing something."

            Hawkeye smiled.  He could picture her running around getting into everything.  "Did she take orders well back then?"

            Kate laughed, "Are you kidding?  The only orders she took were from her father, and even that was rare.  She always found a way to get what she wanted from him."

            "I always thought that about her.  I've seen her with men who outranked her, but she always pulled rank on them."  He looked at her and smiled, "Including Colonel Potter."

            "Oh yeah," Kate said.  "She's always been good at finding a way to get what she wants.  You better watch out."

            "Hey," Margaret said when Hawkeye laughed.

            Hawkeye looked at her, "She didn't tell me anything new."

            Margaret turned her head and looked at Emily when she heard, "Uh oh."

            Emily had accidentally knocked her plate off of her tray.  Margaret pushed her chair out and picked up the plate and food.  It wasn't anything that as real messy, thankfully.  "It's okay," she said to her daughter. 

            "More, pease," Emily said.

            "Just a second," her mother said.  Margaret sat the plate and the dirty food off to the side, and sat back down.  She gave Emily some of her food.

            "There's one person who has Margaret wrapped around her finger," Hawkeye said.

            "I know," Kate smiled.  "Emily knows how to get what she wants from her mother.  I have a feeling she's going to be like her mother in that way."

            Margaret shook her head, "You two don't have any room to talk.  You both give her whatever she wants, whether it's good for her or not."

            "I'm her grandmother.  I'm supposed to spoil her."

            "And I just met her five days ago.  I'm trying to get into her good graces."

            "See," Kate said.  "We have reasons."

            "Excuses are more like it," Margaret said.

            "Oh yeah," Hawkeye challenged.  "What's yours?"

            Margaret smiled and said proudly, "She's my baby.  Right," she said looking at Emily.  "You're Mommy's spoiled baby." 

            Emily smiled at her mother, "Duice."  Margaret picked up the cup and handed it to Emily, making sure the child didn't spill any on herself.

            They spent the rest of dinner talking, and Hawkeye and Kate got to know each other better.  It was nice to meet some of Margaret's family, and see where she came from.  Kate offered to take Emily for the night.  Margaret initially said no because she wanted Hawkeye and Emily to be together, but Kate made her feel guilty.  She said that she deserved to spent time with her granddaughter since she was going to move her away.  Margaret couldn't say no to that, so she let her daughter spend her first night away from home.

            When the newlywed couple returned home, they sat down on the couch and cuddled.  "I really like your mother," he said.

            "Good," she smiled snuggling into him more.  "Then you'll like my sister too.  They're a lot alike.  I have to work tomorrow.  What are you going to do all day?"

            "I don't know.  What time do you work?"

            "Eight to six," she answered.

            "That's all day.  What time is Emily coming home?"

            "After lunch."

            "I'll probably sleep until then," he smiled.  "I plan on staying up late."

            "You do, huh?  Is there a good movie on TV?"  She smiled.

            He lifted her chin and placed a kiss on her lips, "I don't know.  I thought that since this will be out first night alone, we should take full advantage of it.  We won't have to worry about waking up the baby."

            She squinted her eyes, and smirked.  "Is that all you think about?"

            "What do you expect?  Your shorts are barely covering your ass, and your shirt is open just enough that I can't see what I want to.  I know you did that on purpose.  You love to tease me."

            Her smirk turned into a large smile, "Did it work?"

            "You know it did," he smiled and kissed her soft lips.  She stood up and grabbed his hand.  "Where are you taking me?"  She smiled back at him and kept walking as she led him to their bedroom.